The inscriptions in ancient Cambodia are a valuable information of Sanskrit and Sanskrit-based Indian culture. They serve like epigraphic records of Bharat
PROF C UPENDER RAO
Cambodia is officially known as Kingdom of Cambodia and is one of the environmentally rich countries situated in South East Asia. Cambodia and India possess a long relation from ancient time. The arrival of Indian scholars in Cambodia improved the Cambodian culture. In very ancient period Cambodia was known as Kambuja-de?a. ????apura was its capital city in the 7th century A.D. But from 9th to 13th centuries the A?gkor Empire had flourished with its new capital ‘Ya?odharapura’ near the present day Siem Reap City. Cambodia has a magnificent past. The only reliable source to know its history is the stone inscriptions and luckily most of them were collected during the French rule in Cambodia. The language used in most of these stone inscriptions was Sanskrit, which was widely used in India during that period. These Sanskrit inscriptions are the real sources to reconstruct the history of Cambodia. The inscriptions in ancient Kambuja constitute the most valuable information of Sanskrit and Sanskrit based Indian culture, they serve like epigraphic records of Bharat. They are the only evidences for recognising the flourishing situation of Sanskrit language and literature in Cambodia which is situated far off from India. They suggest about the survival of Indian language and culture for more than 800 years. A large number of Sanskrit inscriptions have been found all over the Cambodia from 5th to 14th century A.D.
Number of Sanskrit inscriptions published as far back as 1885 and many other came into the notice of scholars from time to time especially after the foundation of the ‘Ecole Francaise d’Extreme orient’ in 1900. But for many years, scholars, mainly Indians were unaware of this fact. Ironically, the study of ancient Indian culture in south-east Asia is still in its infancy in India. This happened mainly due to the fact that the research of recent past, ongoing and other information which gained momentum during the French rule was mainly developed in French and other
foreign languages like Dutch and these languages are not known to most of the Indian scholars. The other reason being the lack of well established academic relations between Southeast Asia and India may be due to the
political compulsions of many countries, especially of Cambodia in Southeast Asia. The only popularly known foreign language in India is English, in which a little
information was available about the Southeast Asia, till some years ago.
Inscriptions
Most of the Sanskrit inscriptions found in Cambodia are ?aivite in character but some belong to Vai??ava and few of them belong to Buddhist texts also, though it sounds surprising as Buddhism is the main religion in Cambodia now. Indeed, these inscriptions prove the fact of association of Hindu traditions by royal families of Cambodia. Even today the Buddhism is the state religion Cambodia. We must understand that all these Sanskrit inscriptions were basically prepared by the Royal families and therefore obviously ?aivism and Vai??avism are the significant themes of these inscriptions.
?aivism and Vai??avism
All Sanskrit inscriptions of Cambodia reveal the Indian culture and civilisations in all aspects. When Indian eachers and kings reached and settled in Kambuja in 1st century A. D. the local people were almost semi-savages without wearing their clothes, but gradually Indian social and religious ideas got deeply implanted in them. They started worshipping ?iva, Vi??u and Buddha. The
interesting fact is that they worshipped Vi??u and Buddha side by side, and this system continues even today in Cambodia. Many religious sects of India like; Bh?gava?ha, P?ñcar?tra and Pa?upata were prevalent in Cambodia. The Devadasi system and the caste system were also there. Ved??gas and Upavedas and other Vedic literature were studied in Kambuja. The adaption of purely Indian names was prevalent among not only kings and nobles but also among common people of the society.
The baying temple inscriptions dated 546 A.D. engraved on a single face of a sandstone stele contains 12 Sanskrit verses composed in Va??astha, Upaj?ti, Vait?lik? and Anu??ubh meters. The inscription records the pious works of a br?hma?a named Vidy?vindu who was a grandson of Dhruva and Dhruva Pu?yak?rti. The complete rendering of this inscription is not available as some fragments of verses were dilapidated. But the word Dhruva Pu?yak?rti appears to be an epithet.
The Sdokak thom stele inscription of King Uday?dityavarman is historically an important inscription among all Kambuja inscriptions, it relates to the history and religious foundation of a priestly family for two centuries and a half (802 – 1052 A.D.) and incidentally gives account of various things of this priest family and the details starting from Jayavarman II to Uday?dityavarman II. This inscription was edited by Finot. The temple sdokak thom stele is 15 miles away from Sisophon. The inscription contains 192 lines in Sanskrit, 29 lines in Khmer followed by 2 lines in Sanskrit and 117 lines in Khmer. The Sanskrit text consists of 110 verses; the meters which were used to compose this inscription are ?loka, Indravajra, Upendravajra, M?lin? etc. Several facts can be revealed by the intense study of this inscription and
several names of Hindu Gods can be found in it. The inscription starts with a salutation to God ?iva – “Nama? ?iv?y?stu yad?tmabh?vo…” In verse no.4 it also mentions the God Vi??u-
Lak?m?patirvvovatu yasya lak?m?rvak?asthit?
kaustubha-bh??a??ya
Snihy?mi s?ha? ka?hinasvabh?ve?vapy??rite?vyatra sadeti n?nam
His majesty Parama?iv?loka founded the town of Ya?odharapura and took the royal guard from there to Harihar?laya. Then the King erected the central mountain V?ma?iva, the preceptor installed the li?ga in it with the aid of Royal service and informed the King. He was anxious to make another foundation and requested the King to grant him a land in Var?avijaya close to Bhadragiri which belonged to Ste? añ rudr?carya. He founded their villages called Bhadrapattana and Bhadr?v?sa. The King gave him the li?ga more than two cubits high of the central mountain to be installed at Bhadrapattana. He also gave an image of Bhagavat? which was installed in the country of Bhadr?v?sa in the land of Bhadrapa??a?a. In the kingdom of ?r? S?ryavarman interestingly, he installed the images of ?ankara (Lord ?iva), ??r?g? (Vi??u) and Saraswat? (Goddess of education) in Bhadrapa??a?a following the rules of Sanskrit scriptures, and worshipped them for a long period.
In this way the entire Sdokak thom stele inscription of Uday?dityavarman is full of the descriptions of various Hindu Gods and Goddesses and T?ntrism and the use of actual t?ntric texts which are well known in India.
The Sanskrit inscriptions were found in many countries but those found in Kambuja are indeed the extraordinary compositions as they were written in a beautiful and impeccable Sanskrit K?vya style. It is not difficult to understand the Sanskrit scholars, who were living in Kambuja, and their thorough acquaintance with different meters of Sanskrit poetics. The Vat Thipedi inscription of ???navarman II dated 832 A.D. is a fine example of this. The Vat Thipedi (Adhipathi in Sanskrit) is a name of a small temple in the district of Siem Reap. This inscription is written in Sanskrit and contains 19 verses in it.
After invocation of ?iva, Vi??u, Brahma and Um?, it continues a eulogy of King Ya?ovarman (He ascended the throne in 811 A. D. of ?aka era) and of his two sons, Har?avarman I and ???navarman II. These three Kings had highly honoured a learned ascetic named, ?ikh??iva whose learning and virtues are highly described in this inscription.
This Vat thipedi inscription of ???navarman II offers a good specimen of Gau?? style (Gau??-r?ti of Sanskrit
poetics). The French scholar G. Coedes had regarded the author to be the inhabitant of Gau?a region. The exquisite K?vya style can be found in the following verses of the inscriptions –
Namo’na?g??ga-nirbha?ga-sa?gine’pi vir?gi?e
a?gan?paghan?li?ga-l?n?rdh??g?ya ?ambhave……………..verse 1
P?tu va? pu??ar?kak?avak?o-vik?iptakaustubham
Lak?m?stanamukh?kli??a-ka?a?ak??ma-c?ndanam……………..verse 2
Bodadhva-dhv?ntasa?rodha-vinirdh?ta-praj?dhiye
dhv?nta-dhvad-dvedan?darddhi-medhase vedhase nama?……………..verse 3
In eastern Baray stele inscription of Ya?ovarman, we can find figures of speech used in many verses e.g. one of the verses of this inscription explains the composer’s
profound knowledge of Sanskrit poetics.
Krodh?divahnayoyasya na man?k?ekur?k?itum
Tanniv?se?vara?iro-ga?g?raya-bhay?diva
Which means the fires of anger etc. could not venture to disturb the mind of ?iva as if they are afraid by the waters of river Ganges which is on his head. Here, we can find a figure of speech named Utprek??. According to Sanskrit poetics the words; manye, ?a?ke reveal Utprek?? and the word iva also is capable of revealing Utprek??.
King Ya?ovarman was described as a conqueror of Poet Pravarasena. Poet Pravarasena and his famous Pr?k?t poem, ‘Setubandha’ are very phenomenal in Indian Pr?k?t Literature. By this we can understand that not only Sanskrit even Pr?k?t has entered from India into Kambuja.
Vedic Literature
In Pre Rup stele inscription of Rajendravarman dated 883 A. D. (edited by G. Coedes) (I C- 73) one can find many references of Vedic scriptures. It testifies to an intimate knowledge of literature on the part of the author. Apart from allusion to epic and Pura?ic legends and mythology there are evident references to Atharvaveda, R?m?ya?a, Mah?bh?rata and P??ini. One of the verses reveals the knowledge of Atharvaveda which its composer possessed.
Vyat?tavaty?m ?aradi-krame?a di?cakrav?l?ttatavappalak?amy?
Hemanta-lak?m?rabhi?ektum??a? yamyogyam?tharva?ik?va-siddhi?…………….verse 94
Likewise, Vedas, Vend??gas and Up??gas were
mentioned in various verses of Sanskrit inscriptions of Kambuja.
R?m?ya?? and Mah?bh?rata
In the same Pre Rup stele inscription of Rajendravarman dated 883 A. D. we can find the references of R?m?ya?? and Mah?bh?rata. The enemies of the King were afraid like the demon M?r?ca was afraid of R?ma. In another verse of the same inscription the legend of Mah?bh?rata can be found. In this verse all important names of warriors of Mah?bh?rata are revealed like; Yudhi??hira, Bh??ma, Duryodhana etc. Also a subsequent verse reveals the legend of Mah?bh?rata.
Pur???s
The Pre Rup stele inscription of Rajendravarman dated 883 A.D. reveals the knowledge of pur???s in many places describing the qualities of the King R?jendravarma. The author of the inscription says that in which way Lord K?ish?a had protected the cows by lifting a mountain named Govardhana steadily in the same way the King had ruled the earth.
Vy?kara??
Vy?kara??, the science of grammar is considered to be the most important sciences in ancient India (prathame hi vidv??so vaiy?kara??? etc – ?nandavardhana in the 1st Udyota of Dhvany?lok?). The Pre Rup stele inscription of R?jendravarman dated 883 A.D. also gives the profound knowledge of Sanskrit grammar of its composer. Describing the qualities of the king the poet says,
Nakevalam padavidhou ya?v?gvar??a-vidh?vapi
vy?p?t? nopameyaiva samartha-paribh??aya
In this verse the poet describes the method of ruling the way of the King giving the example of Paribh??a s?tra of grammar. This inscription begins with the eulogy of Lord ?iva, Brahma, V?sudev and N?raya??.
The Sdok kak thom stele inscription of Uday?dityavarman consists of 130 Sanskrit verses composed in various meters were used. Some of the meters used in this inscription are ?loka, Indravajra, Upendravajra, Malin?, Aupacchandasik?, Vasantatilak?, Pu?pit?gr? and Samav?tta. Likewise, Pre Rup stele inscription of Rajendravarman also consists of many Sanskrit meters such as Vam?asth?, Upaj?ti, Vasantatilak?, Mand?kr?nt?, ?ard?lavikr?dita, Sragdhar? and ?ry?.
The four Eastern Baray inscriptions of king Ya?ovarman were written in North Indian script. Each one of these inscriptions contain the 108 verses. They have many parameters of ??ramas in which fresh arrivals from India lived and they were not acquainted with the local script of Kambuja and therefore they followed their own script. Such migrations were depicted in several inscriptions.
(The writer is Professor of Sanskrit and Pali, Special Centre For Sanskrit Studies, JNU)
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