8. Religion and Religious Tolerance

There were three competing religions viz., Brahmanism, Buddhism and Jainism flourished in the time of Harṣavardhana. The king Harṣavardhana^[1] used to give equal support to all the religion. From the description of various sects,^[2] here they are offered brief elaboration.

1 Jainism:

At that time the sight of a necked Jain ascetic (Digambara sect) was believed to be a very bad omen. The description of nagnāṭaka, reveals that Jainism also flourished in that age.^[3] It is found that people hated the Digambaras or kṣapaṇakas^[4] because of their uncleanliness. But it is known that Jainism was admired^[5] and Jain was cultured.^[6] keśaluñcana is also mentioned by Bāṇa as Jainism.^[7]

2 Buddhism:

Bāṇabhaṭṭa mentions that at that time Buddhist had fairness and tolerance^[8] and, therefore, princess Rājyaśri was invoking Buddha in her distress time. Even at last, she wanted to accept Buddhism taking red robes.^[9] Although, the writer Bāṇa himself is an orthodox brāhmaṇa, he speaks about various Buddhist doctrines in his writings.^[10] He asserts king Harṣavardhana was follower of Buddhism.

Therefore, Bāṇa speaks about him thus—

paramasaugatamapyavalokiteśvaram.^[11]

P. V. Kane comments that—

“avalokiteśvara is a bodhisattva specially worshiped in Northern India.”^[12]

The prince Rājyavardhana is called as paramasaugataḥ.^[13]

The Buddhist ascetics were known as bhikṣu^[14] and Buddha as avalokiteśvara.^[15] Haṃsavega, the messenger of kumāra Bhāskaravarman had delivered great speeches about saugata^[16] (i.e., the Buddhist follower to the emperor Harṣa) stating that they did not positively believe on existing entity in the world.

3 Brāhmanism:

It should be mentioned concerning the inscription of Harṣa that even in the royal family there was no strict adherence to a particular deity or form of faith. The three immediate ancestors of Harṣa are described as great devotees of the Sun^[17] and paramamaheśvara.^[18] Again, his father Prabhākaravardhana is described as paramādityabhaktaḥ (i.e., worshipper of the Sun) who worshiped the Sun everyday with red lotuses.^[19] The remote ancestor of Harṣa, named Puṣpabhūti, also was a devout worshipper of Śiva,^[20] who followed the vow of Śiva.^[21] Under his reign, the entire citizen of his state also worshiped the lord Śiva.^[22] It is found in the Harṣacarita, that Harṣa set out on his expedition after worshipping the Lord Śiva,^[23] and even the emblem of his royal gold-coins was crest of a Bull (i.e. vṛṣa)^[24] which was the symbol of lord Śiva. It shows he was very much devoted Śiva.

It is also described in the Harṣacarita that Prabhākaravardhana, the father of king Harṣa celebrated many sacrifices,^[25] which are already informed about popular religious practices^[26] and observances that were in the 7^th century A.D. Description is found of making dharmaśālās, prapās or pānīyaśālikā, strūpas and stambhas in various places^[27] of various deities with the royal supports of Harṣa’s ancestor Puṣpabhūti.

Different types of ascetics, who came to meet the emperor Harṣa^[28] are described by Bāṇa. From the description of kṣapaṇaka, pārāśarī, mantrasādhaka, maskarī, eindrajālika etc. who were the friends of Bāṇa,^[29] it appears that there was complete religious tolerance at that time. From this description, again, it may be assumed that different religion and sects flourished in the writer Bāṇabhaṭṭa’s time, side by side having no conflicts among them. From the description of various sects present in one place,^[30] it infers that there were mutual understandings between them. Therefore, the Chinese traveler Hiuen Tsang mentions clearly “there were certain root-ideas, certain habits of taught and modes of life which were common to all.”^[31]

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

narapatidarśanakālamadhyāsyamānam…..jainairārhataiḥ pāśupataiḥ pāraśaribhirvarṇibhiśca…..rājadvāramagamat, Ibid., II.p.28

[2]:

Ibid.

[3]:

abhimukhamājagāma śikhipicchālāñchano nagnāṭakaḥ, Ibid.,V.p.75

[4]:

[a] kajjalamaya iva bahudivasamupacitabahalamala-paṭalamalinitatanurabhimukamājagām…… nagnāṭakaḥ, Ibid. [b]..mayurapitcavāhi kṣapaṇaka…, Kādambarī,p.31

[5]:

[a] jinadharmeṇena jīvānukampitā…, Ibid.,p.106 [b] na jinasyevārthavādaśūnyāni darśanāni…, Harṣacarita,II.p.35

[6]:

śikṣitakṣapaṇakaḥ…, Ibid.,II.p.22

[7]:

Ibid.,VIII.p.128

[8]:

bhagavana bhaktajane sañcariṇi sugata supto’si, Ibid.,VIII.p.134

[9]:

iya tu grahīṣyati…..kāṣayaṇi, Ibid.,VIII.p.140

[10]:

[a] sakalajanopakārasajjā sajjanatā jainī, Ibid.,VIII.p.133 [b] bhagavana bhaktajane sañcariṇi sugata supto’si, Ibid.,VIII.p.134

[11]:

Ibid.,VIII.p.128

[12]:

Ibid., p.283

[13]:

paramasaugataḥ sugata iva parahitaikarataḥ…., Epigraphica Indica, vol.IV.p.208

[14]:

Harṣacarita,I.p.19

[15]:

Ibid.,II.p.32

[16]:

saugatasyevārthaśūnyavijñaptijanitavairāgyasya kāṣāyanyabhilaṣataḥ, Ibid.,VII.p.120

[17]:

paramādityabhaktaḥ, Epigraphica Indica, IV.67

[18]:

Ibid., IV.208

[19]:

nisargata eva ca nṛpatirādityabhakto babhūva……pratidinamudaye…… sūryānuraktena raktakamalaṣaṇḍenārcāṃ dadau, Harṣacarita,IV.p.58

[20]:

akṛtavṛṣabhadhvajapūjāvidhirna svapne’pāhāramakarot, Ibid.,III.p.45

[21]:

śaivenavidhinā dikṣitaḥ…, Ibid.,III.p.50

[22]:

gṛhe gṛhe bhagavānapūjyat khaṇḍaparaśuḥ, Ibid.

[23]:

…viracaryya paramayā bhaktyā bhagavato nīlalohitasyarcām….., Ibid.,VII.108

[24]:

…vṛṣāṅkāmabhinavaghaṭitāṃ hāṭakamayīṃ mudrām…, Ibid.

[25]:

yasmin ca rājani nirantaraiyūpanikarai….adhvaradhūmaiḥ..…., Ibid.,IV.p.57

[26]:

[a] prayatavipraprastutasaṃhitājapana…., Ibid., V. p.76 [b] pathayamānamahāmāyurī…, Ibid.

[27]:

…..sabhāsatraprapāprāgvaṃśamaṇḍapaiḥ prasūtamiva…...., Ibid.,IV. p.57

[28]:

ekāntopaviṣṭaiśca jainairāhataiḥ pāśupātaiḥ pārāśaribhirvanibhiḥ sarvadeśajanmabhiśca…upāsyamānam, Ibid.,II.p.28

[29]:

Ibid.,I.p.19

[30]:

Ibid.,II.p.28

[31]:

Buddhist Records of Western World, vol.I.p.214-215.