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Shri Mahavir Jain Aradhana Kendra
www.kobatirth.org
Acharya Shri Kailassagarsuri Gyanmandir
BUDDHISM IN KASHMIR
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chronicles the Nilamatapurāna and the Rājatarangini relate how Kashmir was created out of water and left to the care of the Nāgas of whom Nila was the chief. The Buddhist chronicles also speak of Kashmir as a land of lakes under the control of the Nāgas. They are generally associated with watery and mountainous regions, and so it is quite likely that Kashmir should be called a land of Nāgaworshippers,' and attribute the origin of its rites and ceremonies to Nila. Buddhism probably undermined the faiths of the people and this was supposed to be possible partly on account of the abhiññās (supernormal powers) acquired by the advanced Buddhist monks. Madhyāntika is said to have succeeded in winning over a large section of the populace by the show of his miraculous powers. Kalhaņa also states it in the Rajatarangini, verse I, 178:
ते वादिनः पराजित्य वादेन निखिलान् बुधान् ।
क्रियां नोलपुराणोक्तामच्छिन्दन्नागमद्विषः ॥ १७८ ॥ Translation: The (Buddhist) disputants the Veda-haters after defeating all wisė men in disputations brought to an end the rites and ceremonies prescribed in the Nilapurāņa.
The Nilamatapurāna also could not ignore its influence and help prescribing as follows: -
विष्णुर्देवो जगन्नाथः प्राप्त ब्रह्मण कलौ युगे। अष्टाविंशतिमे भावी बुद्धो नाम जगद्गुरु ॥ ६८४ पुष्ययुक्त निशानाथे वैशाखे मासि काश्यप । तस्मात् कालात् अथारभ्य काले भाविण्यतः परम् ॥ ६८ । शुक्ले सम्पूजनं तस्य यथा कार्य तथा शृणु । सर्वोषधैः सर्वरत्नैः सर्वगन्धैस्तथैव च ॥ ६८६ बुद्धार्चास्नापनं कार्य शाक्योक्तर्वाणैस्तथा । सुधासिताच कर्तव्याः शाक्यावासाः प्रयत्नतः ॥ ६८७
1 Traces of Naga-beliefs are still to be found in the names of spots in Kashmir like Verinag, Anantanag, Scrhnag, etc.
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