History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v7.c90.170.2

v7.c90.170.2

Mārkaṇḍeya promises in chap 36 to narrate stories about eleven avatāras (among whom Balarāma, Kṛṣṇa and Buddha are included) and in chapters 37–54, the stories of all avatāras except Buddha are given and it is added¹⁴¹² in chap. 54 that ‘I have spoken of the ten incarnations of Viṣṇu. The devotee of Nṛsiṁha who always listens to these attains Viṣṇu’. It may be noted that Balabhadra is mentioned in a half verse (36. 8) which is found only in ms. ‘ga’ of the three mss. of the printed edition. In chap. 53 a few exploits of Balarāma and Kṛṣṇa are narrated in the same chapter and so the half line was inserted later. As the story of Buddha is not given Prof Hazra holds that the verse in 36 9 is undoubtedly spurious (pp 230 and 249). It never occurred to Prof Hazra that the sectarian zeal of a bigoted Vaiṣṇava might have never cared to give the life of Buddha who was not concerned with (but was antagonistic to) the varṇa system and the Vedas or might have omitted the story of the life of Buddha even if it occurred in the ms from which he copied The present author thinks that 36.9 is a genuine verse and enumerates Buddha as an avatāra following the universal belief held in India at least from the 9th or 10th century A. D. that Buddha was an avatāra, but probably bigotry led to the omission of the details of Buddha’s life. Besides, the verse is capable of another interpretation. It is only the stories of ten avatāras (excluding Buddha) that lead a devotee to Viṣṇu.