













66 Ancient Indian Weights. [No. 2, 
In the field are the Bédhi tree,* the Swastika cross,} and a later form 
of one of the devices under No. 16 of the old series of emblems. Le- 
gend, in Bactrian-Pali :— ' 
Rajah Kranandasa Amogha-bhratisa Mahdérajasa. The concluding 
title of Mahéraja is separated from the rest of the legend, and placed 
independently at the foot of the reverse.t 
* This tree is another chosen emblem of later Buddhism; but, as I have 
before remarked, it did not appertain exclusively to the Buddhists in early times, 
as it is to be seen on a very ancient coin implying a directly opposing faith, in 
the fact of its bearing the name of Vishnu-deva in old Indian-Pali characters, 
(J. A. 8. B. iii. pl. xxv. fig. 1, and Prinsep’s “ Essays,” ii. 2, vol. i. pl. vii. fig. 1.) 
So also Q. Curtius, in his notice “ Deos putant, quicquid colere eceperunt; arbores 
maxime, quas violare capitale est” (viii. 9, § 34), refers to Indians in general, and 
not to Buddhists in particular). Another suggestive question is raised by the 
accompanying devices on the surface of this piece, one of which represents a 
half-moon—a totally exceptional sign, which in conjunction with the name of 
Vishnu, may be taken to stand for a symbol of Brahmanism as opposed to 
Buddhism, a coincidence which may be further extended to import the pre-exis- 
tence of Chandravansas, in designed contrast to Surya Vansas ; and an eventual 
typical acceptation of the name in combination as Chandra-Gupta Vishnu-Gupta 
(Chanaky a)—all evidencing an intentional hostility to the “ Children of the Sun” 
of AyopHya, with whom Sakya was so immediately identified. I may as well 
take the opportunity of adding that the remaining objects on the obverse of 
this coin consist of the triple Caduceus-like symbol, under D 16 in the Plate, 
together with a deer above the half-moon, and a reverse device of a horse. 
+ Let the primary ideal which suggested the cross of the Swastika be what it 
may, the resulting emblem seems to have been appropriated by the Buddhisis 
as one of their special devices in the initial stage of the belief of Sakya-Muni. 
The Tao szu, or “‘ Sectaries of the mystical cross,” are prominently noticed by 
Fa-Hian. (cap. xxii, xxiii.), and their doctrine is stated to have formed ‘‘ the 
ancient religion of Tibet, which prevailed until the general introduction of 
Buddhism in the ixth century.” Mr, Caldwell has instituted an interesting in- 
quiry into the ancient religion of the Dravidians, which bears so appositely on 
the general question of the rise of subsequent sects in India, that I transcribe 
the final conclusion he arives at :—‘‘ On comparing their Dravidian system of 
demonolatry and sorcery with ‘ Shamanism’—the superstition which prevails 
amongst the Ugrian races of Siberia and the hill tribes on the south-western 
frontier of China, which is still mixed up with the Buddhism of the Mongols, 
and which was the old religion of the whole Tartar race before Buddhism and 
Muhammadanism were disseminated amongst them—we cannot ayoid the con- 
clusion that those two superstitions, though practised by races so widely sepa- 
rated, are not only similar but identical.”—Dravidian Grammar, p. 519 
See also Mahawanso, p. xly. 
{ Panini enumerates the Swastika among the ordinary marks for sheep in use 
in his day (Goldstiicker, p 59). It eventually became a symbol common to’ 
Buddhists, Jainas and Brahmans, The symbols of the 24 Jainas are enumerat- 
ed by Colebrooke, (As. Rs. ix. 301) as follows, No.1, A Bull; 2, an Hlephant ; 3 a 
Horse ; 4, anape; 5, a Curlew; 6, a Lotus; 7,a Swastika; 8, the moon ; 9, Makara; 
10, a [four-petalled] Sriratsa ; 11, a Rhinoceros ; 12, a Buffaloe ; 13, a Boar ; 14, a 
Falcon; 15, a thunderbolt, 16, an Antelope ; 17, a Goat ; 18, Nanda varta [an ara- 
besque figure, seemingly designed to repeat the Swastika as often as possible 
in its component lines]; 19, a jar; 20, a Tortoise; 21, a blue waterelily; 22, a 
conch; 23, a Serpent ; 24, a Lion, 
Kuyera’s treasures or nine Gems, also illustrate the history of Indian symbols, 
