North Indian Inscriptions

PART B

Barua, Barh. Vol. II (1934), p. 2 f., and Vol. III (1937), Pl. XXXV (28), Lüders, Bhārh. (1941), p. 26 ff.

TEXT:
bhagavato Vesabhuṇā^[1] bodhi sālo

TRANSLATION:
The Bodhi tree of the holy Vesabhu (Viśvabhū),a Sala tree.

  The medallion represents a Sāla tree (Shorea robusta) hung with garlands, with a seat decorated with flowers in front of it. On the top of the seat, under an umbrella, there is a chakra surmounted by a triśūla. Two worshippers are kneeling on each side of the seat, a man to the left and a woman to the right. Behind the man there is a woman holding a garland and behind the woman a man scattering small objects, probably flowers, from a small bowl which he holds in his left hand.

   The Sāla tree is mentioned in Pāli (D. II, 4; J. I. 42) and in the Mahām. p. 227 as the tree under which Viśvabhū obtained enlightenment. The addition of sālo in the inscription makes it certain that bodhi is used here in the sense of Bodhi tree as is frequently done in Pāli and Sanskrit literature^[2], and the presence of human worshippers in the relief affords additional proof that the sculpture illustrates, not the enlightenment of the Buddha, as supposed by Bloch^[3], but the worship of the Bodhi tree as a pāribhogika chaitya. The name of the Buddha is the same as in Pāli (Vessabhū). In Sanskrit it appears as Viśvabhū; the nominative Viśvabhuk (Mvp. 2, 8; Mahām. p. 227)^[4] is, of course, due to wrong Sanskritisation.

B 15 (783); PLATES XVII, XXXIII

   ON a pillar of the North-Western quadrant, now in the Indian Museum, Calcutta (M 7). The inscription is engraved over a medallion. Edited by Cunningham, PASB. 1874, p. 115; StBh. (1879), p. 46; 114; 137, No. 72, and Pl. XXIX and LIV ; Hultzsch, ɀDMG., Vol. XL (1886), p. 69, No. 84, and Pl. ; IA. Vol. XXI (1892), p. 234, No. 84; Ramaprasad Chanda, MASI. No. I (1919), p. 20, and Pl. V, No. 17; Barua-Sinha, BI. (1926), p. 40, No. 138; Barua, Barh. Vol. II (1934), p. 3, and Vol. III (1937), Pl. XXXVI (29); Lüders, Bhārh. (1941), p. 26 ff.

TEXT:
bhagavato Kakusadhasa bodhi

TRANSLATION:
The Bodhi tree of the holy Kakusadha (Kakutsandha).

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^[1]The last akshara is really ṇā, but ṇā is certainly only an error for no, the e-sign being by mistake-elongated to the right.
^[2] Cf. agamā bodhisamīpaṁ J ., 479, 1; bodhi tassa bhagavato assattho ti pavuchchati J., Nid. G. 79; J., I, 34 ff.; IV, 228 ff.; bodhimūle SnA., 32; 391 ; tesu yassa yassa rukkhassa mūle chatumaggañäṇasaṁkhātaṁ dodhiṁ buddhā paṭivijjhanti so so bodhī ti vuchchhati DA., 416; bodhīya mūle Mvu., 1, 3; bodhimūle: yāvad rājñā bodhau śatasahasraṁ dattaṁ Divy. 393; śrīvṛikshaḥ pippalo’ śvattho budhair bhodhiś cha kathyate Hal., 2, 41; bodhiḥ pippale Hem. An., 2, 240. Hemādri I, 136, 22; 137, 2. E. Burnouf, Introduction à l’Histoire du Buddhisme Indien, I (Paris, 1844), p. 77, Note 2; p. 388, Note 1.
^[3]ASI. Ann. Rep., 1908-9, p. 139, Note 1; see the remarks below under No. B 23.
^[4]But the instrumental Viśvabhuvā, ibid., p. 249. Viśvabhṛit, the form of the name adopted by Barua is wholly unfounded.