The Purana Text of the Dynasties of the Kali Age c4.s8: Mauryas

The Purāṇa Text of the Dynasties of the Kali Age c4.s8

Language: English

Mauryas

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*Text*—AMt 272, 23–26; AVā 99, 331–336; Bḍ iii, 74, 144–149. *Corresp. passages*—CVṣ iv, 24, 7–8; GBh xii, 1, 13–16ᵃ.

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This dynasty is given by all five Purāṇas, but the account of it has suffered more than that of any other dynasty ¹. Three versions exist here, the earliest in the

*svās tat.* Bḍ *tat-paścāt tat.* ²⁵ In *bfgMt sutā; eVā satā.* ²⁶ *Hy* omitted in *jMt*; *bMt* †*sraṃtyai*, corrected in margin to *hy aṣṭau*; *gVā hy etc.* ²⁷ In *dBh talaś c°*; *cBh yasya c°*; *qBh tasya tvāṣṭau, gBh tasyāvā°*. *Vṣ tasyāpy astau sutāḥ.* ²⁸ In *jMt vai nṛpāḥ*; *kMt saṃsmṛtāḥ.* ²⁹ In *hklVṣ Sumāly-adyāḥ*; *abVṣ Sumāl-ā°*; *Vṣ genly Sumāty-ā°*; *fyVṣ Sumaty-ā°.* ³⁰ In *gMt*, *fmVā °yāyo*: *dVā payāye* altered to *dāyādā*; *eVā bhāryāyām.* ³¹ In *dBh pṛthivīm*; *fBh ye bhokṣyanti mahīm etām*: v.r. in *GBh mahīm bhokṣyanti ya imām.* ³² In *kMt nṛp-ottamāḥ.* ³³ *Ca* in *arsBh.* ³⁴ In *kBh taśam.* *Vṣ agrees*— Mahāpadmaḥ tat-putrāś ca ekaṃ varṣa-śatam avani-patayo bhaviṣyanti. ³⁵ So *Vā* genly: *jVā dvir aṣṭatiḥ*; *eVā driṣaṣṭibhiḥ*: *a¹Vā mahābalaḥ.* *Bḍ* agrees, but ends *dvija-ṛṣabhaḥ*, which may be the true reading (see *Bh* reading). *Mt* reads differently— uddhariṣyati Kauṭilyaḥ samair dvādaśabhiḥ sutān: where *bMt* ends *sutāḥ*; *cnMt sa tān*; *fMt sa tā*; *gMt śatam*; *jMt samāt*; *kMt kramāt.* For *dvādaśabhiḥ* read perhaps *dvija-ṛṣabhaḥ.* After this line *bfglnMt* insert the first line of the next dynasty.

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¹ Because its great fame in Buddhism disgraced it in brahmanical eyes.

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Matsya, the second in *e*Vāyu, and the third in the Vāyu generally and the Brahmāṇḍa. They agree in general purport but have many differences. The second forms a stage of recension intermediate between the first and the third, and is the only copy that has preserved the names of all the kings. The Matsya version in all copies is incomplete and has one of its verses (v. 23) misplaced; thus, only 5 MSS mention Candragupta, the second king is always omitted, and the account generally begins with that verse 23, putting the last two kings first, and then mentions only four kings, Aśoka and his three successors. All three versions are important, but cannot be reconciled merely by criticism; and, as they cannot all be exhibited side by side, the Matsya version is given first, and the two other versions are printed side by side; but in the Matsya version verse 23 has been removed to its proper place after verses 24 and 25.

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The Viṣṇu and Bhāgavata mention the kings in the same order as the Vāyu and Brahmāṇḍa with some differences in names, but the latter omits Daśaratha, and *b*/*Bh* want the whole.

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In the Matsya version, *j*Mt omits lines 4, 5, 8, 9; *k*Mt l. 8, and inserts l. 9 after l. 12 of the following Śuṅga dynasty; *hp*Mt want the whole. In the Vāyu version, *a*Vā omits ll. 1–3; *k*Vā ll. 12, 13; *g*Vā has only ll. 1–5; *h*Vā wants the whole. In *e*Vā the account is omitted at first, and inserted long afterwards, out of place, after the first line about Viśvasphāṇi.

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The versions vary in the number of the kings. Mt says 10, but names only 7; *e*Vā says 9 but gives 12; Vā and Bd say 9 and mention 9. Vṣ says 10 and names 10. Bh says 10 but gives only 9. The best attested number is 10, and the omissions can be particularized: but *e*Vā combines the Mt and Vā versions and has probably duplicated two kings in the middle.

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All agree that the dynasty lasted 137 years. The regnal periods added together (excluding the Mt list which is incomplete) are 160 years in *e*Vā, and (Śāliśūka being omitted) 133 in Vā and Bd; or, if we add Śāliśūka's reign to the latter, the total is 146 years; and the total in *e*Vā would be reduced to about 145 years if we correct its duplication in the middle. This figure, 145 or 146, is compatible with the stated duration, 137 years, if (as is probable) the total of the several reigns is nominally raised above the true total by reckoning fractions of years as whole years.

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*Matsya.*

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Kautilyaś Candraguptaṃ tu tato rājye 'bhiṣekṣyati ¹
ṣaṭ-triṃśat tu samā rājā ² bhavit-Aśoka ³ eva ca
saptānāṃ ⁴ daśa varṣāṇi tasya naptā bhaviṣyati (24)

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¹ This line is found only in *bfgln*Mt where it is misplaced (see p. 26, note 35); *b*Mt *Koṭiśaś Candraguptas*; *n*Mt *Kautilyaś Candraguptasya tato rāṣṭe*; and *l*Mt ends *rāṣṭre niveṣya*.

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² But *cn*Mt *samā rājā tu* (*n*, *ṣaḍiṃśat* = *ṣaṭ-triṃśat*); *b*Mt *ṣaṭ-triṃśati samā rājā*.

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³ *Aśaka*; *ce*Mt *°Ākośa*; *l*Mt *°Ayoda v-eva ca*. Instead of the double expletive the true reading might be *°Aśokavardhanaḥ* as in Vṣ, Bh.

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⁴ So Mt genly; *d*Mt *+saptāno* (or *°nām*); *l*Mt *+śatānām*. Can the true reading be *Suyaśā*, who is named by Vṣ and Bh? Cf. *daśonaḥ sapta* in *e*Vā version, l. 7.

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rājā Daśaratho ⁵ ’ṣṭau ⁶ tu tasya putro bhaviṣyati ⁷ bhavitā nava varṣāṇi tasya putraś ca ⁸ Sampratiḥ ⁹ (25) bhavitā Śatadhanvā ¹⁰ ca ¹¹ tasya putras ¹² tu ṣaṭ samāḥ ¹³ Bṛhadrathas tu ¹⁴ varṣāṇi tasya putraś ca ¹⁵ saptatiḥ ¹⁶ (23) ity ete daśa ¹⁷ Mauryās tu ye bhokṣyanti ¹⁸ vasundharām sapta-triṁśac-chatam ¹⁹ pūrṇaṁ tebhyaḥ Śuṅgān ²⁰ gamiṣyati ²¹ (26)

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⁵ In cMt °rath-aṣṭau: see note ³⁵. ⁶ Jyau in bMt; dMt au. ⁷ In a¹kMt bhaviṣyanti ca tat-sutāḥ. ⁸ Tu in bfgnMt. ⁹ Mt genly †saptatiḥ; dnMt °ti. Emended to Sampratiḥ as in eVā; see note ³⁶. ¹⁰ In nMt Ṣaḍadh°; mMt Sudh°. ¹¹ Tu in bcdefgjnMt. ¹² Putrās in a¹a²bdMt. ¹³ In fyMt tat-samaḥ; lMt ṣaṣṭhamaḥ; mMt padmapaḥ. ¹⁴ In dMt °rathasya. ¹⁵ In dejnMt tu; bfMt putrasya. ¹⁶ So Mt genly, probably a misreading of sapta vai in Pkt form; see Vā, Bd, and Introdn. § 41: eMt viṁśatiḥ. ¹⁷ So all MSS, though they name only 6, or 7 at most. ¹⁸ In bMt bhokṣyanti ca as in Vā, Bd. ¹⁹ In cenMt sapta-viṁśa-śatam. ²⁰ In dMt Śuṅgān; ceMt Śuṅgāṁ; kMt svargam; bMt svargī; lMt sarva. ²¹ Vasundharā being understood: see p. 26, note ¹²; Śuṅgas, note ⁵³. ²² Vṣ says—Kautilya eva Candraguptaṁ rājye ’bhiṣekṣyati; where kVṣ has Kauṇḍilya.

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Bh says— sa eva Candraguptaṁ vai dvijo rājye ’bhiṣekṣyati. ²³ So eVā, instead of Vindusāras. ²⁴ So Vā genly, Bd. Vṣ rightly Vindusāra. Bh Vāris°; gbH Vāris°; emBh Vārikāra. Both add, ‘son of Candragupta’; Vṣ tásy= api putro, Bh tat-suto. ²⁵ Ṣaḍ-viṁśat in Ca²a⁴Vā only, which AVā adopts. ²⁶ In gVā ca; fmVā sa. ²⁷ In fmVā mahā-rājā. ²⁸ So Vā. Vṣ, Bh call him Aśokavardhana; jVṣ Asoka°; fBh Aloka°; kVṣ Ayośoka°: see Appendix II, § 1. Bd Aśokānāṁ ca tṛpti-daḥ, perhaps a play on the name. ²⁹ An easy misreading of Kunālas. ³⁰ So CVā here and in next line. But a¹-⁴bdfgklmVā, Bd Kusālas, jVā Kaśālas, which all have Kusāla- in next line, except bVā Nuśāla- and lost in gVā. Vṣ, Bh call Aśoka’s successor Suyaśas; chVṣ Svay°; gVṣ Stuy°; bVṣ Sudhaśāḥ. Kunāla is so named and said to have been Aśoka’s son in Buddhist books, e.g. Divyāvadana, pp. 403, 406 ff, 430.

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*e Vāyu.* Kulāla-tanayāś c=âṣṭau bhoktāro Bandhupālitāḥ ³² Daśonaḥ sapta ³³ varṣāṇi teṣāṃ naptā bhaviṣyati rājā Daśarathas tv ³⁵ aṣṭau tasya putro bhaviṣyati bhavitā nava varṣāṇi tasya putras tu Sampratiḥ ³⁶ Śāliśūkaḥ ³⁷ samā rājā trayodaśa bhaviṣyati sapta varṣāṇi ³⁸ Devadharmā bhaviṣyati narādhipaḥ rājā Śataṃdhanuś c=âṣṭau tasya putro bhaviṣyati Vṛhadrathas tu varṣāṇi saptâśītim ⁴³ bhaviṣyati

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*Vā genly and Bd.* Kunāla-sūnur aṣṭau ³¹ ca bhoktā vai Bandhupālitaḥ Bandhupālita-dāyādo daśa bhāv=Indrapālitaḥ ³⁴

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bhavitā sapta varṣāṇi Devavarmā ³⁹ narādhipaḥ rājā Śatadhanuś ⁴⁰ c=âṣṭau ⁴¹ tasya putro bhaviṣyati Bṛhadrathaś ⁴² ca varṣāṇi sapta ⁴⁴ vai bhavitā nṛpaḥ

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³¹ In dVā adau, altered to ādau; bVā ādau : mVā °sūnur [atrunur] aṣṭau. ³² Sic, showing that the preceding plurals are probably wrong, through misreading aṣṭau as applying to tanaya instead of as years. The line should probably be— Kulāla-tanayaś c=âṣṭau bhoktā vai Bandhupālitaḥ. ³³ Compare l. 3 of Mt version. There seems to be some metathesis. ³⁴ Ca°a'klVā read daśamānindrapālitaḥ; a'a'fmVā daśa°; bdVā daśamānind° (altered in d to daśanānind°); jVā daśamānandrapālitā. • Bd bhavitā c=Endrapālitaḥ, which suggests that Vā reading should be daśa bhāv=Indrapālitaḥ, and I have emended it so: but it might also be daś-abdān Indra° as suggested in CVā. ³⁶ Actually carṣasamāsv, no doubt for Daśarathas tv (see l. 4 of Mt), and I have emended it so, since Vṣ agrees in this name and places him after Suyaśas (see note ³⁹): cdVṣ Dāśaratha; bVṣ Daśaratna. Bh omits him. Three of his records are extant, see Lüders' List of Brāhmī Inscriptions, nos. 951-6, in Epig. Ind. x, Appendix. ³⁶ Cf. note ⁹. Samprati is the Sanskrit form of Pali Sampaḍi. Sampaḍi was Kunāla's son (Divyāvadana, p. 430), and was established in the kingdom (id. p. 433, where his descendants are named). See SBE, xxii, 290 note, for Samprati. Vṣ, Bh place a king Saṅgata here, which is no doubt another reading of the same name; dBh Saṃyuta, an easy misreading of Saṃprata. Bh adds ‘son of Suyaśas’, Suyaśaḥsutaḥ. ³⁷ First Śāliyuṅkaḥ, then corrected to °śūkaḥ. Vṣ, Bh corroborate. Bb, cdkVṣ Śāliśūka; Vṣ genly, sBh °śuka ; jVṣ °śmūka ; bVṣ °śulla : lVṣ Śālaśūka. Bh genly Śāliśūkas tatas tasya; jBh °kas tu Suyaśaḥ, where Suyaśaḥ is meant for a genitive. ³⁴ Actually varṣaṇi; see Appendix I, § 1. ³⁹ In bVā Dacav°. Vṣ, Bh Somaśarman. ⁴⁰ So Bd. Vṣ, Bh Śatadhanvan; kBh Sata°; hBh Śāta°; deVṣ Śaśa° : bVṣ Śatadharman; qBh †śatayitvā. Vā Śatadharaś. ⁴¹ So Vā. Bd merely c=api. ⁴² So Bd. Vṣ, Bh agree; cBh Ūhad°. Vā Vṛhadaśvaś, but has correct name Bṛhadratha in p. 31, l. 1 : mVā omits ca. ⁴³ Sic. ⁴⁴ In dVā sama; bVā samu.

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*cVāyu.* ity ete nava Mauryās ⁴⁵ tu ye bhokṣyanti vasundharām sapta-triṁśac-chatam pūrṇaṁ tebhyaḥ Śuṅgo ⁵⁰ bhaviṣyati.

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⁴⁵ Actually *nara Mlauryyās* (an easy misreading of *nava*): but it has mentioned 12 kings. ⁴⁶ So Vā, Bd: *nava* may have been substituted since they name only 9 kings. Vṣ names and says 10— *evam Mauryā* * daśa† *bhūpatayo bhaviṣyanti abda*-śatam sapta-triṁśad-uttaram: where * *kVṣ Soryyā*, *lVṣ Mauryā [dayo]*, see Appendix II, § 1: †*jVṣ adda*, *hVṣ aṣṭa*, *kVṣ arū*: ‡*hVṣ viṁśad*. Bh says 10, though it names only 9— *Mauryā hy ete* * daśa nṛpāḥ sapta-triṁśac chat-ottaram *samā bhokṣyanti pṛthivīm Kalau, Kuru-kul-ôdvaha*: where * *jrbh tv ete*, *aBh te te*: *dBh* reads the first line thus— *Maur[v]yā ete śata-nṛpāḥ sapta-triṁśottaram śatam*. ⁴⁷ So Bd; *a*Vā *Mūrjā vai*; *a*a*bklVā Mūrtyā°; *d*Vā *nara [Su]Mūrtyā°* (altered to *Namda-sambhūtā* wrongly): *fm*Vā *Mauryā ye*, *C*a*g*Vā *bhūpā ye*; *j*Vā *yoyā (or yopā) yo*. ⁴⁸ In *a*a*b*Vā *ye bhokṣyanti*: *kl*Vā *yo°*. ⁴⁹ Similarly Vṣ, Bh; see note ⁴⁶: *d*Vā *chatam (altered to chatāt) pūrṇāt*. ⁵⁰ Actually *Śuṅko*. ⁵¹ So *a*b*dflm*Vā, Bd; *k*Vā *Śugo*; C*Vā* *tu gaur*: but *a*²-*j*Vā *Śuṅgān*, which A*Vā* adopts and seems preferable. ⁵² C*Vā* *bhaviṣyati*. Vṣ says— *teṣām ante* * pṛthivīm* * Śuṅgā bhokṣyanti*: where * *l*Vṣ *anretām*; †*abh*Vṣ add *daśa*: *j*Vṣ *crp*. Bh omits this statement.

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*Vā genly and Bd.* ity ete nava ⁴⁶ Mauryā vai ⁴⁷ bhokṣyanti ca ⁴⁸ vasundharām sapta-triṁśac-chatam pūrṇaṁ ⁴⁹ tebhyaḥ Śuṅgo ⁵¹ gamiṣyati ⁵². 15

Linked texts (7)

Bhāgavatapurāṇa — Vyāsa, Sanskrit
Brahmāṇḍapurāṇa — Vyāsa, Sanskrit
Vāyupurāṇa — Vyāsa, Sanskrit
Matsyapurāṇa — Vyāsa, Sanskrit
Divyāvadāna — Sanskrit
Epigraphia Indica
Viṣṇupurāṇa — Vyāsa, Sanskrit