BAUDDHA TRACTS FROM NEPAL. 47I 



appears to be traceable to K^MARUP or western Asam. There is no doubt 

 that the system has principally prevailed in Bengal, Rungpore, Cooch Behar, 

 and Asam ; and, following the same direction, has probably spread into Nepal. 

 There seem to be some hints to this effect in the concluding stanza of the 

 Tract that has been translated. 



The literal purport of this verse is, that AbjapXni, whoever he might be, 

 came to Lalitapury after having gone from Saukhavati to Banga. Saukhavati 

 is called a Lokadhdtu, a peculiar Bauddha division of the universe, and proba- 

 bly not in this world ; but Banga desa is never applied to any country, except 

 the east or north of Bengal. Abjapanj, or Padmapani, is a metaphysical Bo- 

 dhisatway but in the present work all these nonentities are converted into sub- 

 stances, and he is therefore a mortal teacher of the Bauddha faith, or employed 

 for the occasion in that capacity. He was invited, the tradition records, to reside 

 in Nepal on the occasion of a famine, by Narendra Deva, Raja of Bhatgongt 

 and Bandhudatta, a Vqjrdchdrya, and came in consequence. He comes 

 attended by Bhairavas and wearers of Ja^i^, and may therefore he suspected 

 of having come in the garb of a Saiva priest, if not as his identical self, yet as 

 ah Ansa, or portion, which the orthodox Bauddhas leave out of view. They 

 have, however, no objection to the Siva Margis worshipping Abjapani, under 

 any name they please, and his annual festival is attended by all sects alike. 



The invitation of a foreign teacher by Narendra Deva, is noticed by 

 Colonel Kirkpatrick ; but the individual is called by him Matsyendra Nath,* 



* An original legend sent me by Mr. Hodgson narrates, that the Loheswara Padmapani des- 

 cended by command of Adi Buddha as Matsyendra. He hid himself in the belly of a fish, in 

 order to overhear Siva teach Parvati the doctrine of the Yoga, which he had learned from Adi 

 Buddha, and which he communicated to his spouse on the sea-shore. Having reason to suspect a 

 listener, Siva commanded him to appear, and Padmapani came forth, clad in raiment stained with 

 ochre, smeared with ashes, vj^earing ear-rings, and shaven, being the chief of the Yogis ; He was 



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