Mathura lion capital explained

Mathura lion capital
Material:Red Sandstone
Size:Height 34cm Width 52.5cm
Writing:Prakrit inscription written in Kharoshthi script
Created:1–10 CE
Discovered:Mathura in Central India
Location:British Museum, London

The Mathura lion capital is an Indo-Scythian sandstone capital (a part of a pillar) from Mathura in Northern India, dated to the first decade of the 1st century CE (1–10 CE).[1] It was consecrated under the rule of Rajuvula, one of the Northern Satraps of the region of Mathura.

The capital was unearthed at the Saptarishi mound of Mathura by Bhagwan Lal Indraji in 1869.[2] It is covered with Prakrit inscriptions in the kharoshthi script of northwestern India.[3] The capital was made on the occasion of the funeral of "the illustrious king Muki and his horse" (Muki has been conjectured to be Maues).

The capital describes, among other donations, the gift of a stupa with a relic of the Buddha, by Queen Ayasia, the "chief queen of the Indo-Scythian ruler of Mathura, satrap Rajuvula". The Mathura lion capital, an Indo-Scythian sandstone capital from Mathura in Central India, and dated to the 1st century CE, describes in kharoshthi the gift of a stupa with a relic of the Buddha, by queen Nadasi Kasa, "the wife of Rajuvula" and "daughter of ", who is mentioned as the "daughter of Kharahostes". The lion capital also mentions the genealogy of several Indo-Scythian satraps of Mathura. It mentions Sodasa, son of Rajuvula, who succeeded him and also made Mathura his capital.

The capital also displays at its center a Buddhist triratana symbol, further confirming the involvement of Indo-Scythian rulers with Buddhism.

The inscription indicates support of the Sarvastivadin, against the Mahasamghikas.[4]

It is on display in the South Asia section of the Sir Joseph Hotung Gallery for China and South Asia at the British Museum.

List of inscriptions

In a Latin transliteration of simplified Kharosthi script, the inscriptions read:[5] [6] [7] [8] [9]

Inscription of the Mathura Lion Capital
InscriptionOriginal (Kharosthi script)TransliterationEnglish translation
A1Of the Great Satrap Rajuvula
A2By the main Queen Ayasi
A3Kamuia, daughter
A4of the young king Kharahostes
A5and mother of Nadadiaka,
A6together with (her) mother, Abuhola,
A7(her) father's mother, Piśpasi, and (her) brother
A8Hayuara (and) together with the hanacana-
A9añaüra donors'
A10retinue, in this place of the earth,
A11outside the monastery boundary, a relic is established
A12of the Lord, the Śākya sage, Buddha,
A13king of the Śākya in his own Busa
A14monastery, and also a stūpa, and quarters for the community, and the community of the four
A15directions, the sangha of the
A16Sarvāstivādas possesses it.
B1The Great Satrap
B2Rajuvula's son,
B3the Satrap Śuḍasa,
E4′′makes
E1'Kharahostes
E′Kamuia, the young king,
E2Prince Khalama,
E3and Maja the youngest,
E4applaudants.
M1The Satrap Śuḍasa
J2outside the monastic boundary; he offers
M2of the earth
M3this region,
I2called
I3the encampment
I1aVeyaadirṇa
I4(and) the Viyaa
I1bencampment, from the Busa
J1Mountain separated.
KL3It is accepted by the water
KL1by the teacher
KL2Budhateva.
F1By Budhila, a city-dweller
F2(and) Sarvāstivāda monk,
G1in honour of the Great Satrap Patika Kusulaka, and of Mevaki
G2Miyika, the satrap,
J3in the possession of the Sarvāstivādas.
N1The teacher Budhila, city-dweller and monk
N2of the Sarvāstivāda community, his act of possession
N3to the Mahāsāṃghikas
N4amust be announced.
P1In the whole of
P2Sakastan's honour,
O1may all the Buddhas be honoured, may the Dharma
O2be honoured, may the Sangha be honoured.
R1Of Taxila.
R2Of Kronina.
N4bOf Khalola.
Q1Khardaa,
Q2the Satrap.
J′1Khalaśamuśa
J′2
C1Kaluia,
C2Varaja,
C3Kamuka,
DNaaluda.
H′Dharma gift,
Hin the cave monastery.

Interpretation

Sten Konow, who compiled a definitive listing of Indian Buddhist inscriptions said: "If we bear in mind that mb becomes m i.e mm in the dialect of Kharoshthi dhammapada, and that is used for the common o in Sudasa in the Lion Capital Inscriptions, the Kamuia of the Lion Capital can very well represent a Sanskrit Kambojika ... I shall only add that if Kharoshtha and his father Arta were Kambojas, the same may have been the case with Moga, and we understand why the Kambojas are sometimes mentioned with the Sakas and Yavanas".[10] Many of Konow's readings, his sequence of sentences and some of the interpretation, particularly the connection with king Maues, need to be changed in the light of a new reading of H. Falk.[11]

Sources

Notes and References

  1. An Inscribed Silver Buddhist Reliquary of the Time of King Kharaosta and Prince Indravarman . Richard . Salomon . Journal of the American Oriental Society . 116 . 3 . July 1996 . 442 . 10.2307/605147 . 605147.
  2. Book: Jason Neelis . Early Buddhist Transmission and Trade Networks: Mobility and Exchange Within and Beyond the Northwestern Borderlands of South Asia . 19 November 2010 . BRILL . 978-90-04-18159-5 . 122 .
  3. Web site: Red Sandstone Pillar Capital . British Museum . 1 August 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20101216052603/https://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/highlights/highlight_objects/asia/r/red_sandstone_pillar_capital.aspx . 2010-12-16.
  4. Book: Rosenfield, John M. . The dynastic art of the Kushans . 134 . 1967 . University of California Press.
  5. Web site: List of the inscriptions on the Mathura lion capital.
  6. Book: Jongeward . David . Errington . Elizabeth . Elizabeth Errington . Salomon . Richard . Richard G. Salomon (professor of Asian studies) . Baums . Stefan . 2012 . Gandhāran Buddhist Reliquaries . Catalog and Revised Text and Translations of Gandhāran Reliquary . https://stefanbaums.com/publications/baums_2012.pdf . Seattle . Early Buddhist Manuscripts Project . 219-222 . 978-0-295-99236-5 .
  7. Book: Albery, Henry . 2020 . Buddhism and Society in the Indic North and Northwest: 2nd Century BCE – 3rd Century CE . Munich . Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München . 352–361 .
  8. Book: Harmatta, János . János Harmatta . Harmatta . János . János Harmatta . Puri . B. N. . Baij Nath Puri . Etemadi . G. F. . 1999 . Languages and scripts in Graeco-Bactria and the Saka Kingdoms . History of civilizations of Central Asia . 2 . Delhi . . 409-416 . 978-8-120-81408-0.
  9. Book: Thomas, F. W. . Frederick William Thomas (philologist) . Hultzsch . E. . E. Hultzsch . Konow . Sten . Sten Konow . 1907–1908 . Epigraphia Indica . 9 . Kolkata . Office of the Superintendent of Government Printing, India . 135147 .
  10. Sten Konow, Corpus Inscriptionum Indicarum, Vol II, Part I, p. xxxvi, p. 36
  11. Harry Falk, "Ten thoughts on the Mathura Lion capital reliquary". Bhandare, Shailendra & Sanjay Garg (eds.), "Felicitas – Essays in Numismatics, Epigraphy and History in Honour of Joe Cribb". Mumbai, pp. 121–141