Indian Art: A History of Indian Art from the Earliest Times up to the Third Century A.D. c13.s5.70

c13.s5.70

There were a number of Buddhist establishments at Mathura during the Śaka-Kushāṇa period as known from the inscriptions, e. g. Guhāvihāra of Kshaharāta- Śakas built in the time of Shoḍaśa on the banks of the Yamunā (Lion capital Ins.), Āpānakavihāra (No. 1612), Khaṇḍavihāra (No. 2801), Kraushṭikīyavihāra (No. 2740), Hārushavihāra (No. A 2), Śirivihāra (No. 461), Yaśaḥvihāra, Suvaṇṇakaravihāra, Chutakavihāra (1350) etc., through which the four great sects, viz. the Sarvāstivādins Mahāsāṃghikas, Sammitīyas and Dharmaguptakas were functioning with vigorous activity. The earliest to appear on the scene were the Sarvāstivādins followed closely on the heels by the Mahāsāṃghika teachers both of whom established their Stūpas under the patronage of the Khaharāta Kshatrapas. The Sarvāstivādins were interested more in symbol worship but seem to have taken interest also in image worship as shown by a seated Bodhisattva image on which the title Kshatrapa and the name Sarvāstivādin (Śavathivādiyanaṃ) appear together, but the main initiative in formulating the image came from the Mahāsāṃghiyas who were decidedy of Mahāyāna persuasion and were responsible for the installing of a large number of images, e.g. A 65, 1612, 2740. The Mahāsāṃghikas were giving a lead on several fronts, being liberal in their Mahāyānic outlook and patronising other subsidiary cults in the service of Buddhism.