Narrative of Vikramshila University: The Ganga of Knowledge II

From inside the Museum
6 December 2010

1:47 pm

While walking around the exhibits neatly arranged along with the walls, I am mesmerized by the collections that were discovered during the excavation. Each exhibits has its own story to tell. Some of them carry the captions and  the framed descriptions so that visitors should know the rich past of the Vikramshila University. Now I jot down some descriptions:

Vikramshila University caption reads:

As described by Taranath, the eminent Tibetan monk historian of 16^th-17^th century A.D., each student aspiring to take admission in the university had to pass through a severe test examination at the gate guarded by dvar-pandits who were scholars of his distinctions. Persons arriving late after closing of the gate had to take shelter in a dharmashala outside the gate. Different pandits were specialized in various branches of knowledge. Subjects like theology, philosophy, grammar, metaphysics, logic etc. were taught here, but the most important branch of learning was the tantras. Besides, the teachers and students were also engaged in copying and translating the manuscripts. There was a big library for the students. The teaching was both professional and tutorial. Every student was required to choose a monk from the order as his Acharya with whom a cordial father-son relationship was maintained. There were about one thousand students and more than one hundred professors in addition to the Acharyas and superintendents.

On the pattern of Senate or Academic council of modern universities, it was managed by board of eminent professors presided over by the High Priest. Its main functions was to supervise and issue instructions to the teachers. It granted the diploma of Pandit to all distinguished alumni, the diploma being conferred by the reigning king in the annual convocation programme. The board at Vikramshila also governed the affairs of Nalanda University.  

The king endowed the institution with rich grant fixing allowances for the maintenance of priests and students. For the support of resident pupils, there were free board hostels. In additions, there were establishment for temporary residents.

Navagrahas

From the time immemorial, people in India believed in the power of the planets either for good or for the evil. The Hindus, Buddhists, and Jains alike shared in this belief and in all these three religions the planets were defined. Traditionally the nine planets of the solar system namely, the Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Saturn, Rahu and Ketu-are referred as navagrahas.

Buddhism

In the original form, Buddhism was a socio-religious reform movement against prevailing rituals and corrupt practices. It was simply a code of conduct for leading a simple life free from miseries. Later on people started worshiping Buddha as a god. Initially Buddha was worshipped only in symbolic form like wheel, empty throne, foot prints, stupa, etc. This phase of Buddhism is known as Hinayana wherein a follower aims only at his own nirvana, by his own efforts. Subsequently, it was believed  that a follower  could attain not only nirvana, but Buddhahood also and could also help others to attain nirvana. This phase of Buddhism came to be known as Mahayana. By this time people started worshiping Buddha in human form. As time further progressed it was felt that a common man cares more for material prosperity in this world than for the nirvana preached by the religion. So a new element of eternal bliss (Mahasukh) was added to the concept of nirvana leading to Vajrayana form of Buddhism. For accomplishment of desire, it approaches psychic resource of the man through a combination of mantras, magic, yoga, etc. Vajrayana introduced a large number of gods and goddesses including the Saktis.

Buddhist

The Buddhists believe that the world is composed of five primordial cosmic elements- Samja (name), Vijnana (consciousness), Rupa (form), Sanskara (conformation) and Vedana (separation). These eternal cosmic forces are deified in Vajrayana as the five Dhyani Buddhas namely Amitabh, Akshobhay, Vairochan, Amoghsiddhi and Ratnasambhav respectively. These five Buddhas are the progenitors of the five families of deities constituting the whole of Buddhism pantheon. The queens of Dhyani Buddhas are called Budhha Saktis. The Bodhisattavas are a class of deities deriving their origin from the five Dhyani Buddhas. They not merely seek to win salvation but also aim at becoming a Buddha by passing through transmigrations. The term is applied to him upto the very time he achieved the Buddhahood. The female counterparts of Bodhisattavas are known by the generic names Saktis. Tara is the common name applied to a specific group of comprising a large number of feminine deities in Buddhism. Many Hindu deities were also incorporated into Buddhist pantheon; notable among those are Mahakal, Ganesh and Saraswati.

Tantric Buddhism

Tantric Buddhism is not a development of Buddhism, but an amalgamation of Buddhism with a form of religion called tantricism which affected certain branches both of Hinduism and Buddhism. Known variously as Tantrayana or Vajrayana, it was best flourishing between 7^th to 10^th centuries A.D. and is distinguished by the use of tantras for the benefit of its followers. Tantras are a combination of religion, philosophy, science, mysticism, magic, yoga, etc. and allow its followers to disregard social laws. It also permitted use of wine, flesh and women even by men leading a religious life. The Mantras were supposed to possess great magical powers for protection against all evils. In order to preserve its secret nature, institution of master and pupil was introduced.

Vajrayana

In the Vajrayana phase of Buddhism several Hindu gods were incorporated into its fold. Among them Mahakal is of great significance who is the prototype of Shiva. He is a ferocious god worshipped in tantric rites for the destruction of enemies.He is also regarded as a terrible spirit supposed to eat the culprits raw and drink his blood. He inspires awe in the minds of those who were not respectful to their teachers or scriptures.  

Narrative of Vikramshila University: The Ganga of Knowledge I

6 December 2010

1.13 pm

Before I enter the premises of the ancient Vikramshila University, I leave my bicycle  out near the entrance of the site of the ruins. I read the ticket rates on the counter: for Indians Rs 5, for foreigners Rs 100. Now I am proud to be an Indian as I have saved Rs 95! And foreigners come here like migratory birds-once in a blue moon.

Now I am sitting on an iron bench lying in the premises of Vikramshila Museum. The newly built museum is a part of the site of ancient Vikramshila University ruins that is located in a small village (around 40 km east from the district headquarter) of Bhagalpur district of Bihar, India.  The entire site and the museum are maintained by India’s patron for historical heritage: the Archaeological Survey of India. Though the building that houses the museum is small in size, the lawn which surrounds it, is a beautiful and calm place to relax. The winter sky is almost cloudy. The lawn has grown natural grass and is dotted with the patches of rose bushes and other plants. Those visitors of rural background are less interested in the articles and antiquities kept inside the museum than in taking photographs in the lush green lawn (with family, kids and friends). Besides digital camera and cellphone camera, still camera is also in vogue. They narrate the development and heritage of rural Bihar simultaneously.

From outside of the Museum

1.30 pm

The introductory board of the Vikramshila Museum reads:

The Vikramshila museum established in 2004 displays some selected antiquities unearthed in excavations conducted by Archaeological Survey of India (1972-82) at the nearby site identified to be remains of Vikramshila Mahavihar, the celebrated ancient university founded by Pala king Dharmapala in late 8^th or early 9^th century A.D. which prospered for about four centuries.

The excavation has revealed a large Buddhist monastery with and imposing stupa in its centre and votive stupas in addition to some small shrines of later period including a Tibetan and a Hindu temple. The general plan of the monastery greatly resembles the contemporary Somapura Mahavihar, Paharpur, Bangladesh.

The antiquities from Vikramshila belong to a single cultural period ranging from 8^th to 12^th century A.D. but their features specially noticed in sculptures are testimony of a distinct school of art termed as Pala art or the mediaeval eastern Indian School of art. The Pala sculptures are mostly stele carved in high relief showing fine craftsmanship, delicate carving and intricate ornamentation. In addition a remarkable shine is noticed in some of the sculptures carved out of coarse or fine grained black basalt quarried from the hills of Rajmahal, some sculptures are made in limestone from Pathargatta hills.

Apart from a large number of architectural fragments, many stone sculptures and bronze images of gods and goddesses from Buddhism as well as Hinduism have been found in the excavation. Notable among the Buddhist images are Buddha, Avalokiteshvara, Maitreya, Manjusri, Tara etc. while the Brahmanical images include Vishnu, Uma Maheshvar, Mahishasurmardini, Ganesh, Surya, etc.

Other antiquities of Vikramshila include terracotta discs, toy rattles, skin rubber, seals and sealings, beads of stone glass and terracotta, household earthen utensils of different shapes, coins, inscriptions, antimony rods, copper rings, copper and ivory bangles, bronze nose rings, dices of ivory, bone points, antlers, iron arrowheads daggers and shields.