Some remarks on the Great Tope at Sânchi / by S. Beal.

  • Samuel Beal
Date:
1870
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Some remarks on the Great Tope at Sânchi / by S. Beal. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    Again, on p. 165 of the same work, we read, “ He then caused a shower of red rain to pour down over the assembled multi- tudes. . . . This is not, said Buddha, the only time when such a wonder has happened ; the same thing once took place when I was Prince Wethandra. He went on relating the most in- teresting circumstances of that former state of existence.” Again, in the account of the mission of Song-yun, p. 195 (Travels of Buddhist Bilgrims), we have an allusion to the sacredness of the spot, where Yessantara underwent his self- imposed sufferings. This place, according to Julien, was called Dantaloka (Jul. ii. 122). The Prince, both in Song-yun and Julien, is called “ Sudatta,” but I have identified this person- age with Yessantara (Buddhist Pilgrims, p. 194, note), on grounds that will not be disputed. But, finally, the best and fullest account of the Yessantara Jataka is found in Hardy’s Manual, p. 116. It will be necessary, for the purpose of identification, to give a precis of this relation. “ In former times, in a city called Jayatura, reigned a king called Sanda or Sanja; his principal queen was called Phusati, and their son was called Wessantara, so named from the street in which his mother was passing at the time of his birth. [Observe the very curious similarity between this name and Wessanagara, the old Besnagar, close to Sanchi; compare Tree and Berpent Worship, p. 90.] From the moment he could speak he gave proof that his disposition was most charitable. [Compare the Chinese Shen-chi, “the charitable one” (Song-yun, p. 194).] When arrived at the proper age he married Madri-dewi, the daughter of the King of Chetiya. [Compare, again, the singular coincidence in the account of Mahanama: “ Asoka, when sent to be Governor of Hjjeni, tarried at Chaityagiri, and there married Devi, the daughter of the chief.”] They had a son Jdliya, and a daughter KrishnajinS.. At this time there was a famine in Kalin ga from the want of rain; but the king, having heard that Wessantara had a white elephant that had the power to cause rain, sent eight of his Brahmans to request it. Wessantara at once gave it up, on which he was banished from the kingdom to the rock Wanka-giri. His
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