Education in Ancient India c7.s5: Vikramśila
Education in Ancient India c7.s5
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Vikramśila
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³ Tibetan sources inform us that this monastery was situated in Bihar on a hill on the right bank of the Ganges. Mr. De's identification of Vikramaśilā with Patharaghata hill, 24 miles to the east of Bhagalpur, seems to be correct. The place is full of ancient and extensive ruins, and may yield a rich reward to the excavator. *J. A. S. B.*, N. S., V, p. 7.
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An International University: Vikramaśilā monastery, founded by king Dharmapāla in the 8th century, was a famous centre of international learning for more than four centuries. King Dharmapāla (c. 775-800 A. D.) was its founder; he built temples and monasteries at the place and liberally endowed them. He also erected several halls for the lecturing work. His successors continued to patronise the University down to the 13th century.¹ The monks of the establishment were usually distinguished scholars and the fame of the monastery soon spread beyond the Himalayas. There was continuous intercourse going on between Tibet and Vikramaśilā for four centuries. A special guest house was maintained for the use of Tibetan scholars coming to learn at the feet of Indian Pandits.² One cannot help admiring the continuous tradition of high scholarship that was maintained at Vikramaśilā throughout its history. Tibetan sources inform us that Buddha, Jñānapāda, Vairochana, Rakshita, Jetāri Ratnākara-Śānti, Jñāna-śrī-mitra, Ratnavajra, Abhayankaragupta, Tathāgata-rakshita and a host of other Vikramaśilā scholars wrote numerous books in Sanskrit and translated scores of them in Tibetan. The most distinguished in this galaxy of Vikramaśilā scholars was undoubtedly Dīpaṅkara Śrī-Jñāna, more commonly known as Upādhyāya Atīśa, who flourished in the 11th century A.D. He went to Tibet at the invitation of its king Chan Chūb and played an important part in the reformation of the Buddhism of that country. As many as 200 books, both original and in translation, have been attributed to him by the Tibetan tradition.³
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¹ Bose, Indian Teachers, pp. 30 ff.
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² Das, Indian Pandits in the Land of Snow, p. 58.
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³ Bose, Indian Teachers, pp. 32-105.
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Strength of the University : When there was such a distinguished galaxy of scholars at Vikramaśilā, it is but natural that the numerical strength of the establishment should have enormously increased by the number of scholars attracted to the establishment. In the 12th century there were 3,000 monk scholars residing at the place.¹ The college possessed a rich and extensive library, which excited admiration even of its Muslim destroyers.
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¹ Ibid, p. 84.
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General Administration : The administrative management of the Vikramaśilā establishment was entrusted by the Pāla rulers to a board of six monks presided over by the chief abbot. Different members of the board were assigned different administrative duties like the ordination of the novices, supply and supervision of servants, distribution of food and fuel, assignment of monastic work, etc. Monk professors led a simple life, the cost of maintaining one of them being equal to the cost of supporting four ordinary monks.²
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² Ibid, p. 85.
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Academic administration : Academic administration was vested in a council of six dvārapaṇḍitas presided over by the chief abbot. The function of the Dvārapaṇḍita was to test the scholarship of those seeking admission to the college. During the reign of king Kanaka (?), the following were the Dvārapaṇḍitas of the establishment :—
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Eastern Gate : Ācārya Ratnākara-śānti Western , : Vāgīśvara-kīrti of Benares Northern ,, : Naropa Southern ,, : Prajñākara-mati First Central Gate : Ratna-vajra of Kashmir Second Central Gate : Jñān-śrī-mitra of Gauḍa¹
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¹ Vidyabhushana, History of Indian Logic, p. 520.
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Courses of Study and degrees : Grammar, logic, metaphysics, Tantras and ritualism were the main subjects specialised at the institution. The curriculum was thus not so wide or catholic as that at Nālandā, outlined above. Unfortunately we have no information of the duration or the gradation of the course at Vikramaśilā, but there is every probability that it was more systematically organised than was the case at any other centre of ancient Indian education. For, unlike at any other college, we find diplomas and titles being given to the Vikramaśilā students at the end of their course by the reigning kings of Bengal. Tibetan authorities inform us that Jetāri and Ratnavajra had received degrees at the hands of kings Mahīpāla and Kanaka respectively.² The memory of the distinguished alumni of the place was kept ever green in the mind of the congregation by their pictures being put on the walls of the college halls This honour is known to have been shown to Nāgārjuna and Atīśa.
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² Bose, Indian Teachers, p, 47, p. 61
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Destruction of the University : In 1203, the Vikramaśilā monastery was destroyed by the Mahomadens under Bakhtyar Khilji, who seem to have mistaken it for a fort. At that time Śākya-śrī-bhadra was at the helm of the monastic affairs. The account of the destruction of the monastery has been preserved by the author of *Ṭabakāt-i-nāsiri*. We read, ‘The greater number of the inhabitants of the place were Brahmanas (i. e. Buddhist Bhikshus) and the whole of these Brahmanas had their heads shaven, and they were all slain. There were a great number of books on the religion of the Hindus there, and when all these books came under the observation of the Mussalmans, they summoned a number of Hindus that they might give them information respecting the import of these books; but the whole of the Hindus had been killed. On becoming acquainted (with the contents of those books), it was found that the whole fortress and city was a college’.¹ Śākya-śrī-bhadra and a few others, who escaped the general slaughter, fled to Tibet. Such was the tragic end of this famous college.
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¹ Raverty's translation of *Tabākāt-i-Nāsiri*, Vol. I, p. 552; (1881).
Linked texts (1)
- Ṭabaqāt-i Nāṣirī — Minhāj al-Dīn Jūzjānī