History of Kanauj to the Moslem Conquest c14.15

c14.15

Lectures on various topics were delivered to them from about 100 pulpits every day, and these discourses were so important and instructive that none of the students ever thought of missing them “even for a minute.”³ There they studied the “Great Vehicle,” and also (the works belonging to) the eighteen sects, and not only so, but even ordinary works, such as the Vedas and other books, the Hetuvidyā, Śabdavidyā, the Cikitsāvidyā, the works on magic (Atharvaveda), the Sāṅkhya; besides these they thoroughly investigated the “miscellaneous” works.⁴ During his stay of five years at Nalanda Yuan Chwang himself received instruction in “all the collection (of Buddhist books), and the sacred books of the Brahmans.”⁵ Among the specific subjects, which he learnt under the guidance of Śīlabhadra, are mentioned the Yoga-Śāstra, the Nyāya-Anusāra-Śāstra, the Hetuvidyāśāstra, the Śabdavidyā, the Vyākaraṇa etc., besides such Buddhist works as Koṣa, Vibhāṣā and others.¹ Thus it appears from this comprehensive curriculum that the main object of the establishment was not so much to instruct the pupils in any barren and jejune system of dogmas and creeds, but to rouse them to mental activity and spiritual speculation. The success of Nalanda may best be shown by giving the names of some of its brilliant scholars—men "of model character and perspicacious intellect"—like Śīlabhadra, Jñānacandra, Dharmapāla, Candrapāla, Guṇamati, Sthiramati, Prabhāmitra and Jinamitra, the fame of whose abilities and learning had travelled abroad and attracted seekers after knowledge from all parts of the Buddhist world. Indeed, Nalanda had become so celebrated that "those who stole the name (of Nalanda Brother) were all treated with respect wherever they went."²