The University of Nalanda c11.61

c11.61

In this capacity, he received Hiuen Tsiang, when the latter arrived at Nālandā, after visiting many other places. He appointed Jayasena to teach Yogaśāstra to the Chinese visitor when the latter requested Śīlabhadra to instruct him in the work. Later on he “deputed the Master of the Law to expound to the congregation the Mahāyānasamparigrahaśāstra and comment on the difficulties of the Vidyāmātrasiddhi śāstra.”¹ To him, as the head of the University, Harṣa wrote “to send four men of eminent ability well acquainted with one and the other school and also with esoteric and exoteric doctrine to the country of Orissa.”² It was, again, under his presidentship, that Hiuen Tsiang won over and converted to his faith a heretic of the Lokāyata philosophy tearing to pieces shred by shred the doctrines of the different heretical schools, namely, the Bhūtas, Nirgranthas, the Kāpālikas and Jutikas, the Sāmkhyas and the Vaiśeṣikas.³ But, for him, Hiuen Tsiang would not have gone to the King of Kāmarupa, for the pilgrim was hesitating, being afraid to undertake a long and perilous journey. He did so only when Śīlabhadra explained to him that by visiting Kāmarupa he would be doing the most meritorious act, namely, the conversion of Kumārarājā and his family to Buddhism.⁴