Ancient Indian Colonies in the Far East (Vol. I: Champa; Vol. II: Suvarnadvipa) v2.c20.s7.t3: III. Independent Old-Javanese works
Ancient Indian Colonies in the Far East (Vol. I: Champā; Vol. II: Suvarṇadvīpa) v2.c20.s7.t3
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III. Independent Old-Javanese works
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5. Sapta-bhuvana¹—This book gives a mystic interpretation of a number of categories containing seven elements, e.g., the sapta-giri (seven mountains) in the east, the saptāgni (seven fires) in the south, the saptaoṃkāra (a, u, m, oṃ, nāda, vindu and ardhacandra) in the west, the Sapta Veda (seven Vedas—details not given) in the north, the saptaloka (seven heavens) above, and sapta-pātāla (seven hells) below. It identifies the navagraha (nine planets), the sapta-dvīpa, and sapta-samudra, with the different parts or elements of human body, the eight mountain-ranges with the tattvas, etc.
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¹ Goris, pp. 108-115 ; Cat. 1, Vol. II, p. 275.
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6. Ṛṣiśāsana². It begins with a verse about Manu, the first king, who gave Śivaśāsana to the Śaivas. It then refers to the four kinds of Śāsana, viz: (1) Dharmaśāsana; (2) Rājaśāsana for kings e.g. Sara-samuccaya, Manuhagamanava; (3) Devaśāsana for religious sects; and (4) Ṛṣiśāsana for Yogīśvaras. It then deals in detail with the Yogīśvaras specially dwelling upon their rights over the freehold property enjoyed by them.
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² Tantu, pp. 299-300.
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7. Devaśāsana³. It also deals with the position of the Yogīśvara or Devaguru, the head of a Dharma or maṇḍala. He enjoyed large power and privileges and was under the patronage of the king, and often related to him. The Devagurus were the same as Bhujanggas or the spiritual leaders referred to in Nag. Kr.
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³ Tantu, pp. 289-291.
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8. Rājpatiguṇḍala¹, attributed to king Kṛtanagara, resembles Devaśāsana in its contents and deals with Yogīśvaras and Bikus (both male and female) and the different sects.
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¹ Tantu, pp. 291-294.
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9. Śivaśāsana². It deals in detail with the privileges of spiritual leaders, specially those in respect of the sovereign.
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² Tantu, pp. 300-302.
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10. Vratīśāsana³. It deals in detail with the rules and regulations to be observed by a religious disciple. His food, dress, rules of purity, moral conduct, religious rituals, etc. all come within the purview of this work, and follow on the whole the Indian ideal.
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³ Tantu, pp. 295-299.
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11. Śilakrama⁴. It deals in detail with the duties of a Śiṣya (disciple) towards his guru (preceptor).
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⁴ Tantu, pp. 302-3.
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12. Wit ing Tapabrata⁵, describes the different kinds of asceticism.
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⁵ Cat. 1, Vol. II, pp. 284-5.
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13-14. Nitibrata and Pabratan⁶ deal with different kinds of Bratas or religious vows and ceremonies.
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⁶ Cat. 1, Vol. II, pp. 266-269.
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15. Pratasti Bhuvana⁷. It begins with a description of the four Yugas—Kṛta, Tretā, Dvāpara, and Kali—giving names of the prominent kings, sacred books, and a general description of the people in each. Among the kings of Kaliyuga it mentions several names which may be easily identified with well-known kings of Java. The Linggapurāṇa is placed in Dvāpara, while Kuṭamanava and Samūrcaya, together with Manūḥ śāsana and Ṛṣi-śāsana are mentioned in respect of Kaliyuga. Origin and privileges of maṇḍalas, the high position of Śiva-maṇḍala and the duties and privileges of Biku are described in detail.
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⁷ Tantu, pp. 294-295.
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16. Kuñjarakarṇa¹ is a Mahāyānist work in which the philosophy and principles of that sect are expounded in the shape of a story. Yakṣa Kuñjarakarṇa receives religious instructions from Dhyānī-Buddha Vairocana, and, at his command, goes to the hell or abode of Yama, not only to witness the miseries entailed by sin, but also to take lessons from Yama. On his return Vairocana again taught him religious doctrines and philosophy.
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¹ Edited and translated by Kern ( V.G. Vol. X ). On the origin and spread of the Buddhist story all over the world, cf. T.B.G. Vol. 71 (1931), pp. 107-132.
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The book also contains the story of Pūrṇavijaya, a Vidyādhara and a friend of Kuñjarakarṇa. The latter learned, while in hell, that Pūrṇavijaya was destined to suffer great miseries in hell on account of his many sins. On his advice Pūrṇavijaya, too, became a disciple of Vairocana, and got religious instructions from him. Accordingly when he went to hell and was going to be thrown into a red-hot pan on fire, the firepit disappeared and a Kalpataru appeared in its place. He was then set free and came back to the world. Then the two friends Kuñjarakarṇa and Pūrṇavijaya went to Mahāmeru and practised hard austerities for twelve years. As a result of this they became Siddhas and went to heaven.
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The text lays stress on the immortality of the soul, the transmigration, the effect of karma or action upon the next birth, and the penance and austerities as a mode of self-purification. The Mahāyāna doctrine pervades the entire work.
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Kern, who translated the text, refers it to the twelfth century A.D., but Juynboll places it two centuries later.²
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² B.K.I. Vol. 72, pp. 401, ff.
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17. The superiority of Buddhism is the subject-matter of another Old-Javanese work, Singha Langghyāla³ which belongs to the same period as Kuñjarakarṇa. It describes how Cāya-puruṣa, the Śaiva king of Śvetanadipura, undertook an expedition against Kāmarūpiṇī the Buddhist queen of Singha Langghyāla, but failed. His brother Lakṣmīkiraṇa, a Vaiṣṇava, then made a similar attempt, but fared no better. Rati and the Vidyādharis came to the help of the Buddhist queen against the joint forces of the two brothers. At last Śiva intervened. The text seems to be an allegorical representation of the rivalry between the three religious sects and the innate supremacy of the Buddhists.
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³ Cat. 1, Vol. II, pp. 169-70.
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18. Putrupasaji.¹ It deals with worship of different gods and describes the benefit accruing from the eating of all kinds of animals—fish, birds, fourfooted animals, insects etc. It also gives a list of animals that men should not eat and also a list of mountains which should be visited by men desirous of going to heaven.
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¹ Cat. I, Vol. II, pp. 270-271.
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19. Raṇayajña.² It describes the different hells to which men go after death according as they are killed by different weapons. The battlefield is compared to a sacrifice (hence the name of the book), the body and the blood etc. corresponding to the fire-wood, oil, etc.
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² Cat. I, Vol. II, pp. 271-272.
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the Lacedaemonians, who had been waiting for the signal, now attacked the city. The Plataeans, seeing the enemy already inside and their own men falling, and knowing nothing of the plot, were seized with panic and, thinking that the Thebans were far more numerous than they really were, surrendered at discretion. But when they discovered that the Thebans were few, they took heart and, resolving to attack them, closed the gates and fell upon them.
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The Thebans, finding themselves in a trap, began to defend themselves. Twice or thrice they repelled the attacks of the Plataeans, but when the women and slaves began to shout and throw tiles and stones from the houses, and a heavy rain began to fall, the Thebans, confused and blinded, broke and fled through the city. Most of them, not knowing the way in the darkness and rain, fell into the drains or were killed by the Plataeans, who knew the streets. The gate through which they had entered had been shut by a Plataean who had found a javelin-head and used it as a bolt, so that there was no way out. Pursued through the city, some climbed the wall and jumped down, most of them perishing; others reached the gate and, finding it shut, were cut down by the women and slaves. A small party, seeing a large building with an open door, rushed in, thinking it was a gate, and were captured.
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Meanwhile, the main body of the Thebans, who were to have arrived at daybreak to support the first party, had been delayed by the rain and the swollen river Asopus. When they heard of the disaster, they hurried to the city, intending to seize any Plataeans who might be outside the walls. The Plataeans, suspecting their intention, sent a herald to them, warning them not to harm the prisoners they had taken, and threatening to kill them if they did not withdraw from their territory. The Thebans, upon this, retired.
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The Plataeans, having thus cleared the city, collected their dead and the prisoners. The prisoners, numbering about one hundred and eighty, were executed the next day, despite a message from the Thebans claiming that they had surrendered on terms. The Plataeans denied this, asserting that they had promised to spare them only if they did not commit further acts of violence.
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Thus ended the attempt of the Thebans upon Plataea, an event which was the immediate cause of the war between Athens and the Peloponnesians. The Plataeans, having secured their city, sent a messenger to Athens with the news, and the Athenians, fearing for the safety of the Plataeans, sent a garrison to their aid and removed the women and children to Athens.
Cites (2)
- Liṅgapurāṇa — Vyāsa, Sanskrit
- Sārasamuccaya — Kulabhadra, Sanskrit