North Indian Inscriptions

PART B

5. B 63-67 INSCRIPTIONS ATTACHED TO JĀTAKA – OR AVADĀNA
SCENES NOT YET IDENTIFIED^[1]

B 63 (692)^[2]; PLATES XXI, XLII

ON a coping-stone, now in the Indian Museum, Calcutta. Edited by Cunningham, StBh. (1879), p. 97; 130, No. 3, and Pl. XLVIII and LIII; Hoernle, IA. Vol. X (1881), p. 120, No. 6; Hultzsch, ɀDMG. Vol. XL (1886), p. 60, No. 4, and Pl.; IA. Vol. XXI (1892), p. 227, No. 4; Barua-Sinha, BI. (1926), p. 84, No. 198; Barua, Barh. Vol. II (1934), p. 108 f. and Vol. III (1937), Pl. LXXVIII (104); Lüders, Bhārh. (1941), p. 3.

TEXT:
Dighatapasi sise anusasati

TRANSLATION:
Dighatapasi (Dīrghatapasvin) instructs his pupils^[3].

   The relief is a vivid representation of the contents of the inscription. On a raised platform to the left an ascetic is seen sitting cross-legged. He no doubt is the teacher Dighatapasi of the inscription and his upraised right hand shows that he is just instruction his pupils sitting before him on the ground, four of whom are represented to the right side of the relief. The presence of a tree in the back-ground shows that the preaching is going on in the open air. Underneath the tree a pot and some other utensil, probably belonging to the ascetic are to be seen. The teacher is characterized as an ascetic by the abundant matted hair fastened in a knot. Similarly the four pupils do not wear a turban as the other worldly men normally do, but have their long hair rolled into a knot. Only one pupil who is to be seen from behind in the middle of the relief lets his hair fall loose on his back^[4]. This fact induced Barua to infer that this pupil is a female one, whereas in the opinion of Cunningham all the four pupils are females. Cunningham was led to this opinion by his reading isise in the inscription which he interpreted as ‘female Rishis’. We do not see any necessity to believe that any one of the four pupils is a female one, and the form sise (acc. pl. masc.) makes it probable that all of them are male ones.

   Cunningham already took Dighatapasi as a proper name and identified the ascetic with Dīghatapassī, a Nigaṇṭha and follower of Nātaputta, mentioned in the Upālisutta (56) of the M. (I. 371 ff.). The sutta tells that Dīghatapassī once visited the Buddha at Nālandā, and had a discussion with him. He gave a report of this to Nātaputta which resulted into a discussion between the Buddha and Upāli and the subsequent conversion of the latter. There is no connection between this story and the representation in the relief. So Barua rejected to see in the ascetic the Jaina recluse Dīghatapassi and translated the inscription ‘ The venerable ascetic instructs his pupils’ taking Dighatapasi as epithet instead of a proper
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^[1]The fragmentary inscription No. B 81 probably also belongs to this group.
^[2]Lüders’ treatment of this inscription (B 63) has not been recovered.
^[3]This is the translation of the inscription by Lüders in his List.
^[4]Barua says that the three pupils to the right hold ‘two small stick-like things’ in their hands. This can only be said of one of them who is depicted the lowest of the three; the two others do not seem to hold sticks. The middle one has his right hand and fore-finger raised, as if he is pointing out something and the third one is talking to the ascetic emphasizing his words with both of his uplifted hands.