Dr. Priyatosh Banerjee (Indian and Central Asian Scholar)

Dr. Priyatosh Banerjee (An Exponent on Indian and Central Asian Art)

BIRTH OF BUDDHA AND ITS VEDIC PARALLEL

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The conception and birth of Gautama Buddha are miraculous. The canonical texts dwell on the miraculous nature of these events in great detail. According to the Accariyabbhutadhama-sutta (Majjhima, 111, 118), quoted by Thomas,1 - Ananda recited these events on certain occasions to the Buddha as he had heard them earlier from the Master. This text describes the events as follows:

Mindful and conscious the Bodhisattva stayed in the Tushita body.

Mindful and conscious the Bodhisattva descending from the Tushita body entered the womb of his mother.

When the Bodhisattva descended from the Tushita body, there appeared a great splendour surpassing the divine majesty of the gods. The universe of ten thousand worlds shook and quaked.

As other women give birth to children sitting of lying low, not so the Bodhisattva's mother. She gave birth to Bodhisattva standing. When the Bodhisattva was born, first the gods took him and then men.

As soon as the Bodhisattva was born he stood on the earth and took even steps, saying 'I am the best in the world. This is my last existence. I will have no birth again.

The Nidanakantha also describes these dramatic events effectively. However, in a slightly different manner and with a few more additional facts.

It was the time when the people of Kapilavastu celebrated the festival of the full moon day of the month of Asadha (June-July). Queen Maya celebrated the festival avoiding all intoxicants and spending her time in giving alms and listening to scriptures. On the seventh night, she dreamt that four divine kings carried her in her bed to the Himalayas. Then, their queens appeared, bathed her with the water of the lake, Anotatta, to free her from human stain, clothed her in human raiments and anointed her with celestial perfumes. The Bodhisattva then appeared in the form of a white elephant and entered her womb. This is followed by an account of an earthquake, and a list of the thirty-two signs that appeared at this time.2 The first of them is the boundless great light as a result of which the blind received the power of seeing, the deaf of hearing and the lame of walking.

Towards the end of the tenth lunar month, when the time of her confinement drew near, queen Maya requested the king to allow her to go to her parents' home at Devadaha. The king agreeing, the queen set out on her journey in a palanquin accompanied by a number of women, including her sister, Mahaprajapati, Gautami.

When queen Maya reached the Lumbini garden, she wished to stop there. As she stood holding a bough of a Sala tree, the throes of birth came upon her. The Bodhisattva appeared from the right side of the mother and was received at once by the gods and then by men. He came down from their hands, took seven steps and explained. 'I am the foremost of all. This is my last birth. I will cross the ocean of existence.'

Now to sume up the main points, we find that the Bodhisattva entered the right side of his mother in the form of a white elphant, that he appeared from the right side of his mother and that, as soon as he was born, he took seven steps.

The miraculous nature of the Bodhisattva's birth is heightened in the Mahavastu and the Lakitavistara. The Mahavastu says: 'The supreme of men are born from their mother's side, it is here that all the valiant men abide when in their mother's womb.' Further it says that as the Bodhisattva's body came out of the womb, the side of the mother was not rent when he was born.

Here is a happy blending of history and myths. Buddha was a historical person. But around him, like all other great men, developed in the course of time a number of extraordinary fables or myths, including the story of his birth. The account of his birth, as given in the canonical texts quoted above, seems to be based on the story of the birth of Indra who is the greatest of Vedic gods or the national god of the Vedic India. Buddha is a composite personality and Buddhism is a synthetic religion. As an offshoot of Vedic or ancient Indian culture, it has retained and, in many cases, remodelled many an old idea and myth.

Now for comparison let us refer here to the Vedic verses describing the birth of Indra. Two entire hymns of the Regveda are devoted to the birth of Indra which indicate that Indra too was born in an unnatural way, that is, through the side of his mother. We may quote below the relevant Vedic verses in connection with Indra's birth.

This is the ancient and accepted pathway by which all the gods have come into existence.

Hereby one could be born, through waxen mighty.

Not this way I go forth, hard is the passage; forth from this side, obliquely, I will issue.

Much that is yet undone I will accomplish. One must I combat and the other question.3

There are also other supernatural things that attended Indra's birth.

'Scarcely born he sets the wheel of the sun in motion.'4 Through fear of him when he is born, the firm mountains, heaven and earth are agitated.'5 'Through the fear of his wrath, all the gods feared him'. He was born supereminent at a distance, bearing a name renowned in far off region.'6

Further, the Rigvedic poet thus praises Indra: 'O Indra thou art equally the teacher of heavenly hosts and human generations.'7

The above hymn tell us that Indra had an extraordinary birth inasmuch as he was born from the side of his mother. Both the Buddhist texts and Rigvedic verses say that all the mighty persons are born in this way.

As noted above, as Indra was born he said that he would perform mighty acts. His birth was also attended by earthquakes. He was born supereminent bearing a name renowned in far off regions.

The above discussion reveals beyond doubt striking similarities between Indra and Buddha in respect of their births and their aims and assertions. It is thus apparent that buddha's personaility was modelled to a great extent on the character of Indra who, according to some scholars, was also born a mortal, though deified later.

The Vedic Indra is shown in Buddhist art and literature in a subordinate position. Further, the descent of Gautama Buddha into his mother's womb in the form of a white elephant also reminds us of the close connection between the early Indra cult and Buddha cult. The elephant is a fertility symbol.

Indra is known for his combat with Vritra. He slew Vritra and released the waters for man. Indra's victory over Vritra is celebrated as a great act both in the Vedic and epic literature. One of vritra's name is Namuci. It is interesting to note that Namuci is also a name of Mara in Buddhist texts, and enemy of liberation. He attacked Buddha with his numerous hosts and tried to disturb his meditation. Addressing Mara he said, 'This, Namuci, is thy army, the host of them the black one. The coward overcomes it not, but he that overcomes it gains happiness. The coward overcome sit not, but he that overcomes it gains happiness. I am wearing Munja-grass: shame on life in the world. Better to me is death in battle than that I should live defeated.8

It will be good to compare here the similar idea expressed in the Bhagavadgita. Arjuna was at first reluctant to fight with his own kinsmen. But Krisna exhorted him to fight for a right cause and said that it would bring disgrace to his fair name if he deserted the righteous battle.

Atha cetvimam dharmam sangramam no karisyasi

Tatah svadharmam kirtinca hitva papamavapsyasi

Akirtincapi bhutani Kathayisyanti te'hyam

Sambhavitasya cakirtirmaranadatiricyate

If you do not undertake this right, then you forsake your own dharma (duty) and the fame and incur disgrace and sin.

People will speak of your disgrace. Honourable people prefer death to earning disrepute.

The Rigvedic verse (No.III 34.2) addresses Indra as a teacher of heavely hosts and human generations, as noted above. The same idea occurs in the following passage of the Samyutta-Nikaya which is even today repeated by millions of Buddhists as a part of their daily worship. Iti pi so Bhagava Arham sammasambuddho vijjacarasampanno sugata Lokavidu Anuttaro Purisa-damma Sarathi Sattha devamanussanam Buddha Bhagva'iti (He is the Lord, the Arhat, the all enlightened, the endowed with knowledge and conduct the happy one, knower of the world, supreme charioteer of men to be tamed, teacher of Gods and Men, Buddha, the Lord.9

In the case of Indra, the Vedic poet says that, as soon as he was born, he set in motion the wheel of the sun and through his fear, the firm mountains, heaven and earth were agitated. This passage reminds one of Buddha's setting in motion the Wheel of Law after his enlightenment (the dharma-cakra-pravartana) and the earthquakes that followed his conception. Indra was born supreme and he accomplished many great acts. This is equally true of Buddha. The Buddhist texts inform us that the Bodhisattva, soon after his birth, stood on the earth and took seven steps which can be compared with the steps of Visnu.

God and men worshipped him with scented garlands and said addressing him thus: 'Great being, there is here none like thee.' Continuing the narration, the Nidanakatha says that Mahabrahma held a white Parasol over him and other divinities followed him with the other symbols of royalty in their hands. The Bodhisattva at the seventh step said loudly, 'I am the chief in the world'.

We have given many instances of striking similarity between Buddha and Indra, especially in respect of their birth, aims and achievement. Buddhism shows a double process of assimilation and assertion. While assimilating many older ideas, it gave overall superiority to Buddha. Some important aspects of Indra's career formed the basis of Buddha's greatness, but the role of Indra (and other Hindu gods) in Buddhism has been one of a subordinate nature.

 

  Notes

 

1 E. J. Thomas, The Life of Budha as Legend and History, London, 1949, pp. 29 ff.
2 Ibid.
3 Rigveda, IV. 18, 1 and 2.
4 Ibid., I.130.9.
5 Ibid., I.61.14.
6 Ibid., V. 30. 5.
7 Ibid., III. 34.2.
8 Thomas, op. cit., p. 73.
9 Sangharakshita, Bhikhu, A Survey of Buddhism, 1957, p. 302.

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