Importance of Sasanavamsa in the development of Pali literature

 

Written by  Dai Sung Han

 

Some rights are reserved, 2012.

 

The Sasanavamsa “The history of the Religion” is an ecclesiastical chronicle of Burma. It  deals with account of the growth and expansion of Buddhism in India and the nine countries of Ashokan missionaries. The full name of the chronicle is Sasanavamsappadipikā (The light of the history of the religion). The Pali term ‘sasanameans ‘teaching; order; message; doctrine; a letter’ andvamsarenders as ‘1. A race; lineage; family; 2. A bamboo; 3. Tradition, hereditary custom; 4. Dynasty.’ Thus the title can be translated as ‘tradition of the Teaching or the Doctrine.” The text is based on two palm-leaf MSS in the British Museum. It is a non-canonical literature written in Burma by Bhikkhu Pabbāsāmi who dates his book 1223 of the Burmese Common Era (1861 C.E.), was the tutor and mentor of the Burmese King Min-don-min. The author calls himself the pupil of the Savgharaja of Mandaly. Besides the Sasanavamsa, Pabbāsāmi is credited with the authorship of a number of other books; viz. Silakathā, Upāyakathā, Nāgarājupptti-Kathā, Nirayakathādipikā, etc. The author of the text gives unmistakable evidence of sound knowledge of the canonical as well as non-canonical literature of Burma and Ceylon.

 

This text consists of ten chapters with the table of contents (mātikā). The author of the chronicle declares the motivation of the compilation of the text as ‘at the request of the monks who have came to a foreign land from the island of Ceylon, I will compose the Sasanavamsa. The table of contents promises a general history of Buddhism drawn from a few well-known Pali and Burmese works. The first chapter is dedicated to the religious history of India and the rest nine chapters are allocated to the nine countries which Moggaliputta Tissa thera sent Buddhist missionaries during the reign of Piyadassiashoka. But of these nine regions, five are placed in Indo-China. In the first chapter the author gives an outline of Buddha’s life and briefly deals with the three Buddhist councils held during the three Indian kings, Ajātasattu, Kālāsoka, and Asoka. After the Third council over, Moggaliputta Tissa thera sent Buddhist missionaries to different countries for the propagation of the Buddhist faith. Among the nine countries in which the missionaries were sent the account of Ceylon and Burma seems to be more careful and complete than those of other matters of this group.

 

The name of missionaries and nine countries which Buddhist missionaries were sent

1: Mahamahindatthera  ̶ Sihaladipa

2: Sonatthera uttaratthera  ̶ Suvannabhumi, 

3: Maharakkhitatthera  ̶ Yona

4: Rakkhitatthera  ̶ Vanavasi

5: Yonakadhammarakkhitatthera  ̶ Aparantarattha

6: Majjhanti katthera  ̶ Kasmiragandha

7: Maharevatthera  ̶ Mahimsakamandala

8: Mahadhammarakkhitatthera  ̶ Maharattha

9: Majjhimatthera  ̶ Cinarattha

 

The Sasanavamsa is a modern Pali work and its sources are derived from many Pali texts and Burmese traditions. The Pali Atthakathās, the Vinaya Pitaka, the Mahāvamsa, the Dipavamsa, the Samantapāsādikā (a commentary on the Vinaya), the Burmese Rajavamsa and the Kalyāni Inscriptions of king Dhammaceti (1474 C.E.) are some of the sources utilized unreservedly by the author. The Porānā i.e. the ancient texts are also referred to. Many verses from the Mahāvamsa are reproduced verbatim. Over all, we come across the names of about three hundred religious books in the text.

 

N.R. Ray states “It has, moreover, a reliable chronological sequence and even assigns dates to events, authors, and their works which are verifiable with reference to their independent sources.” Its value lies in that it enables us to present a brief but connected account of the religion.” The whole text is written in prose except for a few verses here and there. ‘The style is plainly founded on that of Buddhaghosa and his successors,’ says Mabel Bode in her introduction of the P.T.S. edition. It ‘faithfully follows the old pattern’, says Winternitz (History of Indian literature). Thus no linguistic peculiarities could be traced. But the author has not been so able as to bring out that lucid and placid style which is manifested in the Atthakathās. The text sometimes remains rather weak in expression and inferior in style.

 

The nature of the book is ecclesiastical. The name of the text itself is an index to the context. Mabel Bode describes “It is confused, rambling and prejudiced. A High ecclesiastic of Min-Don-Min’s reign, belonged by all his convictions and traditions to the Ceylonese school (as distinct from and opposed to the Burmese school),” and else where says “limited by a certain feeling of national pride.” However the author is conscious enough of the theme of the text and seldom goes out of the track. A number of anecdotes, miraculous accounts are narrated here and there and they all are imbibed with ecclesiastical zeal. The succession of kings with their dates is discussed one after another, but the author never misses to refer to the religious benefactions or persecutions and other important religious events.

 

The Sasanavamsa is a modern chronicle of Burmese’s which has very ecclesiastical nature. Most of the contents of the text are derivative from various Pali literature and Burmese books. The author has indeed tried to incorporate all the available information of Pali and Burmese religious books, which is remarkable. The book gives us an interesting record of the part played by the Buddha’s religion in the social and intellectual life of the ten countries which were the center and destinations of missionaries of Ashoka.   

 

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