346 Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal. [Sept., 1914. 



contributed much to the decline of Jainism in that country. 

 Buddhism gave a turn to the thoughts and ideas that pre- 

 vailed at the time, shaped the character of the nation, and 

 sent Hindu civilization running through a new channel. A 

 new era dawned, which lasted for five hundred years or so, as 

 predicted by Buddha himself; and then it was replaced by 

 new thoughts, new rites and new philosophy, — an admixture 

 of the past and the present. The improvement which Nagar- 

 juna introduced into original Buddhism in the 1st century 

 a.d., and which was known by the name of Mahayana system, 

 assumed a new phase on the revival of Brahminical doctrines 

 during the early Gupta period, and gradually developed into 

 Tantrism from the 8th century when the Pala kings began 

 to rule over Magadha and Gauda. The worship of the images 

 of Buddhas and Bodhisvattas with their female energies 

 (iaktis) and other Buddhist gods came into vogue, which 

 during the continuance of the rule of those monarchs still 

 further developed into mysticism and sorcery. The Mantra- 

 yogacaryas maintained the popular propensity for magic rites 

 and mystic practices by the performance of marvellous feats. 

 Hinduism also imbibed the spirit of the time, and the 

 Buddhist Tantric rites were absorbed in its system. The 

 tide of Buddhism, however, was checked when Sankaracarya 

 visited the country of Anga. 1 But it appears that Krsna 

 cultus was introduced in Ariga by Satyajit, son of Amrtajit, 

 who was an unbeliever before, but whose faith and devotion 

 to Krsna grew up by listening to the JanmastamI story.* In 

 the Mahabharat a, 8 the people of Anga have been described as 

 Sujati or of good birth, but in later times we find one of the 

 Saihhitas interdicting journey to Anga, Banga, Kalinga, 

 Saurastra and Magadha without doing penance except for the 

 purpose of pilgrimage. 4 Baudhayana also is to the same 

 effect: he describes the people of Anga, Banga, Kalinga, 

 Saurastra and Magadha as of mixed origin, and prescribes 

 the penance of Punastoma or Sarvaprstha for those who visit 

 these countries. 5 There cannot be 'the slightest doubt that 

 the prohibition to visit the countries named above was due 

 to the people having abandoned the Vedic rites and adopted 

 the Jaina and Buddhist doctrines, and we are confirmed by 

 the fact that according to Manu the Brahmans and Ksatriyas 



* Ind. Ant, vi, 170— On the Krishna] 

 8 ii, 52. 



4 



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6 Pras. i, ch. i, Khands I, 2, vs. 13, 14 {S.B.E., xiv) 



