A History of Indian Literature v2.c19.s6.t4.236

v2.c19.s6.t4.236

The Suhṛl-Lekha or "Letter to a Friend,"³ has a more rightful claim to be regarded as a work of the great master, though it contains no Mādhyamaka doctrines whatsoever. As a matter of fact, there is nothing in the epistle which could not just as well be in the Pāli Canon, and certain verses coincide word for word with the Dhammapada and similar texts, other verses agreeing with Brahmanical sayings. The Chinese pilgrim I-tsing praises this work of Nāgārjuna very highly, and reports that in his day it was widely read and memorised in India.⁴ The Chinese mention Sātavāhana as the friend, to whom the letter is addressed.⁵ Now Sātavāhana is not the name of a king, but the title adopted by the rulers of the Andhra dynasty, which held sway in Southern India from the middle of the 3rd century B.C. until the beginning of the 3rd century A.D. The first prominent Andhra sovereign, who called himself Sātavāhana, and who favoured both Brahmans and Buddhists, was Gautamīputra (119-128 A.D.). His successor was Rājā Vāsiṣṭhīputra Śrī Pulumāyi, who reigned over 30 years. In the period which we have assumed for Nāgārjuna, Gautamīputra Yajñaśrī, who reigned in 166-196 A.D., would come into question.¹