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.
Mathura lion capital
The Mathura lion capital on display in the Sir Joseph Hotung Gallery for China and South Asia, at the British Museum.
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 Aiyasi Kamuia", 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.
Buddhist symbol of the triratana at the center of the capital, supported by a convoluted tree, possibly a variation of the anthemion design.Kharoshthi inscription on base of Mathura capital.Lion detail on the Mathura lion capital. British Museum.Layout of the Mathura lion capital inscriptions.[5]
In a Latin transliteration of simplified Kharosthi script, the inscriptions read:[6][7][8][9][10]
The Saptarishi Tila statue, possibly representing Kambojika, the Chief Queen of Mahakshatrapa Rajula. Found in the Saptarishi Mound, the same mound where the Mathura lion capital was found. c. 1st century CE. Other angles.
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".[11] 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.[12]
Referencesedit
^Salomon, Richard (July 1996). "An Inscribed Silver Buddhist Reliquary of the Time of King Kharaosta and Prince Indravarman". Journal of the American Oriental Society. 116 (3): 442. doi:10.2307/605147. JSTOR 605147.
^Jason Neelis (19 November 2010). Early Buddhist Transmission and Trade Networks: Mobility and Exchange Within and Beyond the Northwestern Borderlands of South Asia. BRILL. p. 122. ISBN978-90-04-18159-5.
^. British Museum. Archived from the original on 16 December 2010. Retrieved 1 August 2010.
^Rosenfield, John M. (1967). The dynastic art of the Kushans. University of California Press. p. 134.
^Konow, Sten (1929). Kharoshthi Inscriptions With The Exception Of Those Of Asoka. India. p. 35.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
^"List of the inscriptions on the Mathura lion capital".
^Jongeward, David; Errington, Elizabeth; Salomon, Richard; Baums, Stefan (2012). "Catalog and Revised Text and Translations of Gandhāran Reliquary" (PDF). Gandhāran Buddhist Reliquaries. Seattle: Early Buddhist Manuscripts Project. p. 219-222. ISBN978-0-295-99236-5.
^Albery, Henry (2020). Buddhism and Society in the Indic North and Northwest: 2nd Century BCE – 3rd Century CE(PDF). Munich: Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München. pp. 352–361.
^Thomas, F. W. (1907–1908). Hultzsch, E.; Konow, Sten (eds.). Epigraphia Indica. Vol. 9. Kolkata: Office of the Superintendent of Government Printing, India. pp. 135–147.
^Sten Konow, Corpus Inscriptionum Indicarum, Vol II, Part I, p. xxxvi, p. 36
^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
Sourcesedit
Baums, Stefan. 2012. "Catalog and Revised Texts and Translations of Gandharan Reliquary Inscriptions." In: David Jongeward, Elizabeth Errington, Richard Salomon and Stefan Baums, Gandharan Buddhist Reliquaries, pp. 219–222, Seattle: Early Buddhist Manuscripts Project (Gandharan Studies, Volume 1).
Baums, Stefan, and Andrew Glass. 2002– . Catalog of Gāndhārī Texts, no. CKI 48
British Museum Collection Online Reg. No. 1889,0314.1 [1]
January 01, 1970
mathura, lion, capital, indo, scythian, sandstone, capital, part, pillar, from, mathura, northern, india, dated, first, decade, century, consecrated, under, rule, rajuvula, northern, satraps, region, mathura, display, joseph, hotung, gallery, china, south, asi. 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 Mathura lion capitalThe Mathura lion capital on display in the Sir Joseph Hotung Gallery for China and South Asia at the British Museum MaterialRed SandstoneSizeHeight 34cm Width 52 5cmWritingPrakrit inscription written in Kharoshthi scriptCreated1 10 CEDiscoveredMathura in Central IndiaPresent locationBritish Museum LondonMathura Discovery 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 Aiyasi Kamuia 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 Contents 1 List of inscriptions 2 Interpretation 3 References 4 SourcesList of inscriptions edit nbsp Buddhist symbol of the triratana at the center of the capital supported by a convoluted tree possibly a variation of the anthemion design nbsp Kharoshthi inscription on base of Mathura capital nbsp Lion detail on the Mathura lion capital British Museum nbsp Layout of the Mathura lion capital inscriptions 5 In a Latin transliteration of simplified Kharosthi script the inscriptions read 6 7 8 9 10 Inscription of the Mathura Lion Capital Inscription Original Kharosthi script Transliteration English translation A1 𐨨𐨱𐨐 𐨮𐨟 𐨪 𐨬𐨯 𐨪𐨗 𐨫𐨯 mahakṣatrovasa Rajulasa Of the Great Satrap Rajuvula A2 𐨀𐨒 𐨪𐨨𐨱 𐨮 𐨀𐨩𐨯 𐨀 agramaheṣi Ayasia By the main Queen Ayasi A3 𐨐𐨨 𐨀 𐨢 𐨟 𐨪 Kamuia dhitra Kamuia daughter A4 𐨑𐨪𐨀 𐨯 𐨟𐨯 𐨩 𐨬𐨪𐨙 Kharaostasa yuvarana of the young king Kharahostes A5 𐨨𐨟 𐨪 𐨣𐨡𐨡 𐨀𐨐𐨯 𐨩 matra Nada Diakasa ya and mother of Nadadiaka A6 𐨯𐨢 𐨨𐨟 𐨪 𐨀𐨦 𐨱 𐨫𐨀 sadha matra Abuholaa together with her mother Abuhola A7 𐨤 𐨟 𐨪𐨨𐨱 𐨤 𐨭 𐨤𐨯 𐨪 𐨀 𐨧 𐨪 pitramahi Pispasria bhra her father s mother Pispasi and her brother A8 𐨟 𐨪 𐨱𐨩 𐨀𐨪 𐨣 𐨯𐨢 𐨱𐨣𐨕𐨣 tra Hayuarena sadha hanacana Hayuara and together with the hanacana A9 𐨀𐨙𐨀 𐨪 𐨣 𐨱 𐨪𐨐𐨤 anaurena horakapa anaura donors A10 𐨪 𐨬𐨪 𐨣 𐨀 𐨭 𐨤 𐨪𐨢𐨬 𐨤 𐨪𐨟 rivarena isa pradhaviprate retinue in this place of the earth A11 𐨭 𐨣 𐨯 𐨨 𐨭𐨪 𐨪 𐨤 𐨪𐨟 𐨛𐨬 𐨟 se nisime sarira prateṭhavito outside the monastery boundary a relic is established A12 𐨧𐨐𐨩𐨟 𐨭𐨐𐨨 𐨞 𐨯 𐨦 𐨢𐨯 bhakavato Sakamuṇisa Budhasa of the Lord the Sakya sage Buddha A13 𐨭𐨐 𐨨 𐨪𐨩𐨯 𐨭 𐨤𐨀 𐨧 𐨯𐨬 𐨱 Sakimurayasa spae Bhusaviha king of the Sakya in his own Busa A14 𐨪 𐨠 𐨬 𐨕 𐨯𐨓𐨪𐨨 𐨯𐨓𐨪𐨨 𐨕 𐨕𐨟 ra thuva ca sagharama ca catu monastery and also a stupa and quarters for the community and the community of the four A15 𐨡 𐨭𐨯 𐨯𐨓𐨯 𐨯𐨪 𐨬 disasa saghasa sarva directions the sangha of the A16 𐨯 𐨟 𐨬𐨟𐨣 𐨤𐨪 𐨒 𐨪𐨱 stivatana parigrahe Sarvastivadas possesses it B1 𐨨𐨱𐨐 𐨮𐨟 𐨪𐨬𐨯 mahakṣatravasa The Great Satrap B2 𐨬𐨗 𐨫𐨤 𐨟 𐨪𐨯 vajulaputrasa Rajuvula s son B3 𐨭 𐨜𐨯 𐨐 𐨮𐨟 𐨪𐨬 Suḍasa kṣatrave the Satrap Suḍasa E4 𐨐 𐨐𐨪 𐨟 ka karita makes E1 𐨑𐨪𐨀 𐨯 𐨟 Kharaosto Kharahostes E 𐨐𐨨 𐨀 𐨩 𐨬𐨪𐨩 Kamuio yuvaraya Kamuia the young king E2 𐨑𐨫𐨨𐨯 𐨐 𐨨𐨪 Khalamasa kumara Prince Khalama E3 𐨨𐨗 𐨐𐨣 𐨛 Maja kaniṭha and Maja the youngest E4 𐨯𐨨𐨣 𐨨 𐨡 samanumoda applaudants M1 𐨐 𐨮𐨟 𐨪𐨬 𐨭 𐨜 𐨯 kṣatrave Suḍise The Satrap Suḍasa J2 𐨣 𐨯 𐨨 𐨐𐨪 𐨟 𐨣 𐨩𐨟 𐨟 nisimo karita niyatito outside the monastic boundary he offers M2 𐨀 𐨨 𐨤𐨢𐨬 imo padhavi of the earth M3 𐨤 𐨪𐨟 𐨭 prateso this region I2 𐨣𐨨 𐨐𐨢 namo kadha called I3 𐨬𐨪 varo the encampment I1a 𐨬 𐨩𐨀𐨡 𐨪 𐨞 Veyaadirṇa Veyaadirṇa I4 𐨬 𐨩𐨀 Viyaa and the Viyaa I1b 𐨐𐨢𐨬𐨪𐨐 𐨦 𐨯𐨤 kadhavare Busapa encampment from the Busa J1 𐨪 𐨬𐨟𐨐 𐨣 𐨤𐨫 𐨖 𐨣 rvatakena palichina Mountain separated KL3 𐨀 𐨟𐨀 𐨣 𐨀𐨩𐨨 𐨟 utaena ayamita It is accepted by the water KL1 𐨀𐨩𐨪 𐨀𐨯 ayariasa by the teacher KL2 𐨦 𐨢𐨟 𐨬𐨯 Budhatevasa Budhateva F1 𐨦 𐨢 𐨫𐨯 𐨣𐨐𐨪𐨀𐨯 Budhilasa nakaraasa By Budhila a city dweller F2 𐨧 𐨑𐨯 𐨯𐨪 𐨩 𐨯 𐨟 𐨬𐨟𐨯 bhikhasa Sarvestivatasa and Sarvastivada monk G1 𐨨𐨱𐨐 𐨮𐨟 𐨪𐨬𐨯 𐨐 𐨯 𐨫𐨀𐨯 𐨤𐨟 𐨐𐨯 𐨨 𐨬𐨐 𐨯 mahakṣatravasa Kusulaasa Patikasa Mevakisa in honour of the Great Satrap Patika Kusulaka and of Mevaki G2 𐨨 𐨩 𐨐𐨯 𐨐 𐨮𐨟 𐨪𐨬𐨯 𐨤 𐨩𐨀 Miyikasa kṣatravasa puyae Miyika the satrap J3 𐨯𐨪 𐨬𐨯 𐨟 𐨬𐨟𐨣 𐨤𐨪 𐨒 𐨪𐨱 Sarvastivatana parigraha in the possession of the Sarvastivadas N1 𐨀𐨩𐨪 𐨀𐨯 𐨦 𐨢 𐨫𐨯 𐨣𐨐𐨪𐨐𐨯 𐨧 𐨑 ayariasa Budhilasa nakarakasa bhikhu The teacher Budhila city dweller and monk N2 𐨯 𐨯𐨪 𐨬𐨯 𐨟 𐨬𐨟𐨯 𐨤𐨪 𐨒 𐨪 sa Sarvastivatasa parigra of the Sarvastivada community his act of possession N3 𐨣 𐨨𐨱𐨯𐨓 𐨀𐨣 𐨤 𐨪 na Mahasaghiana pra to the Mahasaṃghikas N4a 𐨙𐨬 𐨟𐨬 navitave must be announced P1 𐨯𐨪 𐨬𐨯 𐨯𐨐𐨯 𐨟 sarvasa Sakasta In the whole of P2 𐨣𐨯 𐨤 𐨩𐨀 nasa puyae Sakastan s honour O1 𐨯𐨪 𐨬𐨦 𐨢𐨣 𐨤 𐨩 𐨢𐨨𐨯 sarvabudhana puya dhamasa may all the Buddhas be honoured may the Dharma O2 𐨤 𐨩 𐨯𐨓𐨯 𐨤 𐨩 puya saghasa puya be honoured may the Sangha be honoured R1 𐨟𐨐 𐨮 𐨫𐨯 Takṣilasa Of Taxila R2 𐨐 𐨪 𐨣 𐨣𐨯 Kroninasa Of Kronina N4b 𐨑𐨫 𐨫𐨯 Khalolasa Of Khalola Q1 𐨑𐨪 𐨡𐨀𐨯 Khardaasa Khardaa Q2 𐨐 𐨮𐨟 𐨪𐨬𐨯 kṣatravasa the Satrap J 1 𐨑𐨫𐨭𐨨 Khalasamu Khalasamusa J 2 𐨭 so C1 𐨐𐨫 𐨀 Kaluia Kaluia C2 𐨬𐨪𐨗 Varajo Varaja C3 𐨐𐨨 𐨐 Kamuka Kamuka D 𐨣𐨀 𐨫 𐨡 Nauludo Naaluda H 𐨢𐨨𐨡𐨣 dhamadana Dharma gift H 𐨒 𐨬 𐨱𐨪 guhavihara in the cave monastery Interpretation edit nbsp The Saptarishi Tila statue possibly representing Kambojika the Chief Queen of Mahakshatrapa Rajula Found in the Saptarishi Mound the same mound where the Mathura lion capital was found c 1st century CE Other angles 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 11 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 12 References edit Salomon Richard July 1996 An Inscribed Silver Buddhist Reliquary of the Time of King Kharaosta and Prince Indravarman Journal of the American Oriental Society 116 3 442 doi 10 2307 605147 JSTOR 605147 Jason Neelis 19 November 2010 Early Buddhist Transmission and Trade Networks Mobility and Exchange Within and Beyond the Northwestern Borderlands of South Asia BRILL p 122 ISBN 978 90 04 18159 5 Red Sandstone Pillar Capital British Museum Archived from the original on 16 December 2010 Retrieved 1 August 2010 Rosenfield John M 1967 The dynastic art of the Kushans University of California Press p 134 Konow Sten 1929 Kharoshthi Inscriptions With The Exception Of Those Of Asoka India p 35 a href Template Cite book html title Template Cite book cite book a CS1 maint location missing publisher link List of the inscriptions on the Mathura lion capital Jongeward David Errington Elizabeth Salomon Richard Baums Stefan 2012 Catalog and Revised Text and Translations of Gandharan Reliquary PDF Gandharan Buddhist Reliquaries Seattle Early Buddhist Manuscripts Project p 219 222 ISBN 978 0 295 99236 5 Albery Henry 2020 Buddhism and Society in the Indic North and Northwest 2nd Century BCE 3rd Century CE PDF Munich Ludwig Maximilians Universitat Munchen pp 352 361 Harmatta Janos 1999 Languages and scripts in Graeco Bactria and the Saka Kingdoms In Harmatta Janos Puri B N Etemadi G F eds History of civilizations of Central Asia Vol 2 Delhi Motilal Banarsidass Publishing House p 409 416 ISBN 978 8 120 81408 0 Thomas F W 1907 1908 Hultzsch E Konow Sten eds Epigraphia Indica Vol 9 Kolkata Office of the Superintendent of Government Printing India pp 135 147 Sten Konow Corpus Inscriptionum Indicarum Vol II Part I p xxxvi p 36 Harry Falk Ten thoughts on the Mathura Lion capital reliquary Bhandare Shailendra amp Sanjay Garg eds Felicitas Essays in Numismatics Epigraphy and History in Honour of Joe Cribb Mumbai pp 121 141Sources editBaums Stefan 2012 Catalog and Revised Texts and Translations of Gandharan Reliquary Inscriptions In David Jongeward Elizabeth Errington Richard Salomon and Stefan Baums Gandharan Buddhist Reliquaries pp 219 222 Seattle Early Buddhist Manuscripts Project Gandharan Studies Volume 1 Baums Stefan and Andrew Glass 2002 Catalog of Gandhari Texts no CKI 48 British Museum Collection Online Reg No 1889 0314 1 1 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Mathura lion capital amp oldid 1199950348, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
