History of Mediaeval Hindu India (being a History of India from 600 to 1200 A.D.) v1.c7.21

v1.c7.21

We will now proceed to describe the kingdoms to the east of Mid-India, or in what are now the provinces of Behar and Bengal. The first kingdom to notice was that of Magadha. Hiuen Tsang relates that before his time a king named Pūrṇavarmā who was supposed to be a descendant of Aśoka ruled in Magadha where he had rebuilt the wall round the Bodhi tree which had been thrown down by Śaśāṅka king of Karṇasuvarṇa. Magadha was the chief place of Buddhist worship. It contained the Bodhi tree and Buddha's footprint stone. Besides, the Nālandā monastery, the chief seat of Buddhist learning was in Magadha. Beyond Magadha were Hiraṇyaparvata or Monghyr and Champā or Bhagalpur, Kajugal or Rājmahāl and Paundravardhana or Rangpur ruled by kings of whom we have no information. Beyond was Kāmarupa or Assam which was ruled at this time by Bhāskaravarmā whose other name was Kumāra. He was a friend and ally of Harsha from the first as we have already described. Strangely enough the accounts of this king given by Hiuen Tsang and Bāṇa, two contemporary witnesses agree almost to the last detail. At page 186 of the Records, Vol. II, (Watters) we read, "The reigning king who was a Brahmin by caste and a descendant of Nārāyaṇa Deva was named Bhāskaravarmā, his other name was Kumāra. The sovereignty had been transmitted in the family for 1,000 generations. His Majesty was a lover of learning. Men of ability came from afar to study here. The king though not a Buddhist respected accomplished Śramaṇas,” Bāṇa at page 294, H. C., says.—महावराहसंपर्क-संभृतगर्भाया भगवत्या भुवो नरको नाम सूनुः। तस्यान्वये भगदत्त-पुष्पदत्त-वज्रदत्त प्रभृतिषु यक्तेिषु बहुषु महीपालेषु प्रपौत्रौ भूतिवर्मणः पौत्रो चंद्रमुखवर्मणः पुत्रो स्थितवर्मणः सुस्थितवर्मा नाम महाराजाधिराजो जज्ञे। तस्यच भास्करवर्मा नाम तनयः कुमारः समभवत्। Although the name Bhāskaravarmā sounds as that of a Kshatriya his being a Brahmin as mentioned by Hiuen Tsang may be accepted to be correct. Brahmins who followed the Kshatriya profession often took a Kshatriya name and those who followed Vaiśya professions took a Vaiśya name. The fame of Assam for learning continued for some centuries more down to the days of Śankara. The legendary origin of the family is, of course, unhistorical, but that it was a long-continued family may be believed as Assam, being out of the way, must have remained undisturbed by the ambitions of conquering heroes. We shall have to speak of this Kumāra again as we have spoken of him before.