History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v5.c74.t2.233

v5.c74.t2.233

According to Dr. Rajendralal Mitra (in 'Bodh-Gayā' pp. 14-18) the story of Gayāsura is an allegory of the vanquishing of Buddhism by Brahmanism. O' Malley thought (J. A S. B. vol. LXXII part 3 p. 7 for 1904) that the Gayāsura legend represents an amalgamation or compromise of Brahmanism with the popular demonolatry which preceded Brahmanism. Dr. Barua critisizes both theories and appears to hold (vol. I. pp. 40-41) that the idea underlying the legend is to impress on people's minds the high sanctity of the Gayā range of hills along the western bank of the river Phalgu, that Gayā figures nowhere in Buddhism, that Gaya ¹⁴⁹² or Namuci or Vṛtra is represented as a demon of darkness and as an enemy of Indra and that the Vedic word Trivikrama and the interpretation of Aurṇavābha are the nucleus of the legend of Gayāsura. From considerations of space it is not possible to discuss these theories here. To my mind it appears that Gayā had become a famous pitṛtīrtha centuries before Christ and that the legend of Gayāsura is a *post facto* attempt to account for the sanctity of the place and the numerous shrines and holy places that had sprung up round Gayā.