Dr.

Ram Manohar Lohiya National

Law University, Lucknow

B.A.LL.B(Hons.), Semester I, Session

2015-16
Subject: History

Topic: Education System in Ancient India

focussing on Nalanda University
SUBMITTED TO:
SUBMITTED BY:
Dr. Vandana Singh
Monisha Purwar

Assistant Professor
Roll no. 85

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History
Semester I

Dr. RMLNLU
B.A. L.L.B. (Hons)

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 Table of Contents
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT............................................................................................ 3
INTRODUCTION....................................................................................................... 4
AIMS OF EDUCATION............................................................................................... 4
SUBJECT OF STUDY................................................................................................. 4
METHODS OF LEARNING......................................................................................... 5
FAMOUS EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS....................................................................5
THE DECLINE.......................................................................................................... 6
HOW RESIDENTIAL UNIVERSITY SYSTEM IN ANCIENT INDIA EVOLVED?....................8
INTRODUCTION................................................................................................... 9
NALANDA- A MYSTERY......................................................................................... 11
INFERENCES FROM THE NAME NALANDA.............................................................12
WHY NALANDA BECAME SUCH AN IMPORTANT CENTER OF LEARNING................13
OBSERVATIONS BASED ON ARCHAELOGICAL FINDINGS.......................................15
ACCOUNT OF VISITORS.......................................................................................... 16
XUANZANG ACCOUNT........................................................................................ 16
I-TSING ACCOUNT.............................................................................................. 16
ELIGIBILITY: ROLE OF GATEKEEPERS AT THE UNIVERSITY......................................17
IS NALANDA THE BIRTHPLACE OF SARIPUTRA ?......................................................18
B- Sources that refer to either the birthplace of Sariputra or a place called Nalanda but not both
together in a given context........................................................................................ 19
Asanga, Vasubandhu and Nagarjuna and Nalanda........................................................20
LIBRARY AND CURRICULUM.................................................................................. 22
DESTRUCTION OF NALANDA................................................................................. 22
BIBLIOGRAPHY..................................................................................................... 24

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 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Firstly, I would like to thank my Economics Teacher, Dr. Mitali Tiwari for having provided
me with the inspiration and guidance for this project. Without her help this project wouldnt
have been possible. I would also wish to thank our Vice-Chancellor who constantly exhorts
us to deliver our best at every level. I would also express my gratitude towards my seniors
who were a source of constant support and inspiration. Lastly, yet equally importantly, I am
grateful to my family and my friends for supporting me all the way through the making of
this project.

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 ANCIENT EDUCATION SYSTEM IN
INDIA
INTRODUCTION

In ancient India a child followed the occupation of his father, either religious or professional
and his training in that particular field was provided by his father in his house. Over a period
of time two system of education developed, the Vedic and the Buddhist. As the name
indicates in the former system Vedas, Vedangas, Upanishads and other allied subjects were
taught while in the latter system, thoughts of all the major school of Buddhism was taught.
While Sanskrit was the medium of instruction in the Vedic system of education, Pali was the
medium of instruction in the Buddhist system of education. But both system offered
vocational education apart from religious education of their respective faiths. There was also
a purely vocational system of education wherein master craftsmen and artisans taught their
skills to students who worked as apprentice under them.

AIMS OF EDUCATION

The aims of education were to provide good training to young men and women in the
performance of their social, economic and religious duties. Also preservation and enrichment
of culture, character and personality development and cultivation of noble ideals were the
other aims of education in ancient India.

SUBJECT OF STUDY

The main subjects of study in the Vedic system of education were the four Vedas, six
Vedangas (phonetics, ritualistic knowledge, grammar, exegetics, metrics and astronomy), the
Upanishads, the six darshanas (nyaya, vaiseshika, samkya, yoga, mimamsa and vedanta),
puranas (history), tarka shastra (logic), etc.

The chief subjects of study in the Buddhist system of education were the three Pitakas (sutta,
vinaya and abhidhamma), the works of all the eighteen schools of Buddhism, hetu-vidya,
sabda-vidya, chikitsa-vidya, etc. The Vedas were also studied for acquiring comparative
knowledge.

The art of writing was known in India for a long time. Those who wanted to become religious
leaders had to learn several scripts. In Jaina works like Samavaya Sutraand Pragnapara
Sutra reference to 18 different scripts are available. Buddhist literary works
like Lalitavistara and Mahavastu mention different types of scripts in vogue. While the
former refer to 64 types of scripts the latter to about a dozen types of scripts. Regarding the

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curricula of school students, the Chinese traveller Hiuen Tsang says that children began by
learning the alphabet and then began the study of five subjects like grammar, arts and crafts,
medicine, logic and philosophy. This was the general scheme of studies for laymen of all
sects. Other subjects of study were law (dharmashastras), arithmetic, ethics, art and
architecture (silpasastra), military science (dhanurvidya), performing arts, etc.

METHODS OF LEARNING

In ancient India close relationship existed between the pupil and the teacher. The teacher used
to pay individual attention on his students and used to teach them according to their aptitude
and capability. Knowledge was imparted orally and the different methods of learning were-

Memorization The preliminary stage of learning was learning by heart the sacred
text through indefinite repletion and rehearsal by both the teacher and the taught.

Critical Analysis This was another method in which knowledge was comprehended.
It was through critical analysis that Sri Ramanuja and Sri Madhvacharya differed
from their teachers on the interpretation of the Brahmasutra composed by Sri
Shankara and later came out with their own interpretation of the Brahmasutra.
Madhvacharya even made his teacher subscribe to his view which shows that gurus
were open to new ideas and views articulated by their students.

Introspection Sravana (listening), Manana (contemplation) and Nididhyasana

(concentrated contemplation) of the truth so as to realize it was another method to
study Brahma Vidya (Vedanta).

Story telling The teacher used stories and parables to explain. This was the method
Buddha used to explain his doctrines.

Question and Answer method In this method the pupils used to ask questions and
the teacher used to discuss at length on the topics and clear their doubts.

Hands-on method For professional courses including medical science,

students/apprentices used to learn by observation and through practical method.

Seminars The students also gained knowledge thought debates and discussions
which were held at frequent intervals.

FAMOUS EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS

Takshasila: This was a chief center of learning in 6 th century B.C. Here sixteen
branches of learning were taught in different schools; each presided by a special
professor. There were schools of painting, sculpture, image making and handicrafts.

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 But this university was reputed for its medical school. One famous student of this
medical school was Jivaka who cured king Bimbisara of Magadha and the great
Buddha. Jivaka had studied here for seven years under the Rishi Atreya.

Nalanda: Renowned for its cosmopolitan and catholic character, the University of
Nalanda was famous for its faculty of Logic.

Vallabhi: While Nalanda was the famous seat of learning in eastern India, Vallabhi
was the renowned seat of learning in the western India. If Nalanda was specializing in
the higher studies of Mahayana Buddhism, Vallabhi was the center for the advanced
learning in Hinayana Buddhism. Secular subjects like Arthasastra (economics), Niti
Shastra (law) and Chikitsa Sastra (medicine) were also taught here and like Nalanda
students from all parts of India used to come here to study. Students who graduated
from this university used to be employed in the royal courts as administrators with
huge responsibilities. Just like Nalanda University was destroyed by Muslim invaders,
Vallabhi also met the same fate.

Vikramasila: The University of Vikramasila was renowned for Tantric Buddhism.

Ujjain: It was famous for its secular learning including mathematics and astronomy.

Benaras was well-known for teaching theology.

Salotgi in Karnataka was an important Centre of learning. It had 27 hostels for its
students who hailed from different provinces. This college was richly endowed in 945
A.D. by Narayana the minister of Krishna III with the revenues of houses, land and
levies on marriages and other ceremonies.

Ennayiram in Tamilnadu provided free boarding and tuition to 340 students. Other
important centers of learning in South India were Sringeri andKanchi.

THE DECLINE

With the invasion of Muslim conquerors nearly all the centers of higher learning of the
Hindus and Buddhists were destroyed. Nalanda was burnt to the ground in 1197 A.D. and all
its monks were slaughtered. Kanauj and Kashi were looted and plundered. Temples and
educational institutions and libraries were put to destruction and they were replaced by
mosques. In spite of such merciless and extensive destruction, Hindu educational institutions
remained a living reality. They sustained strength from its inherent vitality and vigour and
maintained the Hindu education system. Even during the reigns of terror and turmoil,
merciless persecution and wanton destruction, the Hindu culture and scholarship continued to
survive, though it had to migrate to more congenial regions within the country. (B.N.Luniya
Life and Culture in Medieval India, Kamal Prakashan, Indore. 1978, p. 271).

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While the Buddhist system of education was extinguished, the Vedic system of education
found patronage in the southern peninsula in places like Hampi, Sringeri and Kanchi. It was
under the patronage of Vijayanagara rulers that the Vedic savants Sayana and Madhava wrote
commentaries on the Vedas. It was in the south that Ramanujacharya, Basaveshwara and
Madhvacharya propounded the philosophy of Vishishtadwaita, Shakti Vishishtadwaita and
Dwaita. With regards to the vocational system of education many new crafts and skills were
introduced in India after the advent of Muslim into India and till the establishment of British
rule in India, many industries like textile manufacturing, ship building, jewelry making and
other allied industries flourished which shows the skill and expertise Indians had and in turn
the knowledge they had received from their teachers. The products of Indian industries not
only fulfilled the needs of Asian and African countries, but were also in great demand in the
markets of Europe.

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 RESIDENTIAL UNIVERSITY
SYSTEM
HOW RESIDENTIAL UNIVERSITY SYSTEM IN ANCIENT INDIA EVOLVED?
For several centuries organised public institutions for education did not exist in ancient India.
Education was left entirely to private agencies. Teaching was made the religious duty of one
section of the society viz. the Brahmanas and religion had so strong hold over public mind
that for centuries this class went on discharging its obligations without stupilating for any
fees. Brahamans had no corporate organisation like the Buddhist church. In early times
several Vedic Sakhas and Charanas were formed,but these did not develop into schools. In
some tribes and localities Brahamans used to form a Parishad, which used to be the custodian
of traditional law and prescribe punishment for those who violated its rules. 1We also find
young scholars like Swetaketu approaching their tribal parishad at the end of their education
to get recognition for their scholarship.2In later times tribal Parishads split into local bodies of
learned men to which scholars, who had finished their education, used to be formally
presented by their teachers.3But these Parishads in their corporate capacity do not seem to
have taken any steps to organise purely educational institutions. Education was left entirely to
individual teachers. Teachers too did not think of combining into public societies for
organising educational institutions. Both at Takshasila and Benares, which were centers of
education of hoary antiquity, these were, as we shall see presently, no public schools or
colleges. Education was given by private teachers entirely on their own account. Corporate
educational organisations were first evolved in connection with Buddhist monasteries. The
Buddha had emphasised the vital importance of imparting systematic education to novices, w

ho were required to be trained for 10 years. Buddhist monasteries became big institutions
from the time of Ashoka onwards, and they gradually developed into centers of education, at
first for the monks and nuns only, but later on for the lay population as well. hindu
educational institutions,so far known, are all later than the time of the Nalanda University. It
is probable that the starting of organised public institutions for education may have been
suggested to the Hindus by the transformation of Buddhist Monasteries into colleges and
universities.

1 Bau.Dh.S.,11,1,44

2 Br.Up.,VI,2,1.

3 Ante,p.41

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 NALANDA UNIVERSITY
INTRODUCTION
The rise of Nalanda which is about 40 miles to the southwest of Patna, has to be placed
towards the middle of the 5th century A.D.4When Fa- Hein visited the city in about 410 A.D.,
it was only an unimportant village possessing only one Stupa to commemorate the memory of
Sariputta, the right hand disciple of the Buddha.Very soon thereafter Nalanda rapidly rose
into importance owing to the patronage of a number of Gupta emperors. That the Gupta
rulers, who were themselves orthodox Hindus, should have contributed a lions share to the
development, equipment and endowment of the greatest Buddhist monastery and University,
speaks volume for the catholicity of the age.Sakraditya, who was probably Kumaragupta I
(414-454 A.D.), laid the foundation of the greatness of Nalanda by founding and endowing a
monastery there.The Buddha temple in this monastery, which he built, was for centuries the
central place of worship for the congregation.

Thathagatagupta (who cannot yet be definitely identified), Narsinhhagupta Baladitya,(468-

472 A.D.) and Buddhagupta (c.475-500 A.D.) added one monastery each to its
establishment.5Vajra, an unidentified successor of Baladitya, and another unnamed king of
Central India added two further monasteries t the establishment.

The history of Nalanda during the 6th Century is obscure.Mihirakula, the barbarian Huna
ruler, had an intense hatred aainst Buddhism.He is said to have penetrated right up to the
capital of Magadha and driven its ruler Baladitya to the Bay of Bengal.It is quite possible that
Nalanda may have suffered from the Huna conquerer on his way to Patliputra.The Harsha
Sasanka war of the first quarter of the 7 th century may have also affected the fortunes of the
place.In his intense hatred of Buddhism, Sasanka is said to have uprooted the Bodhi Tree and
burnt the monasteries at Bodh Gaya.Since Nalanda is so near to this place, it is quite possible
that it may have to some extent suffer from Sasankas attentions.At the time of Yuan
Chawngs visit, however, the damages of war and bigotry,if any, were repaired and the
establishment was in its full glory.The central college had seben halls attached to it.Monastic
buildings were superb, several stories in height.Hwui Lis statement that the topmost storey
towered above the clouds and enabled a spectator to see how the clouds changed their shape
is of course an exaggeration, but it receives an unexpected corroboration from the Nalanda
stone inscription of Yasovarman, which also avers that the tops of the Viharas at Nalanda

4 According to Taranath,Aryadeva, a disciple of Nagarjuna,was a Nalanda

Scholar.This, if true, would take back the antiquity of Nalanda by about a couple
of centuries.The identity of both Nagarjuna and Aryadeva and their precise time
are not yet definitely determined.Bose,Indian Teachers,pp. 108-9

5 The sequence of these rulers and their time, given both by Yuan Chwang and
his biographer, seem to be wrong.See Watters, II.p.164 ;Life,pp.110-111.

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touched the clouds.6We may therefore take it that the towers and turrets of the Nalanda
temples and monasteries must have been of impressive height.There were also deep and
translucent ponds covered with blue lotuses, which added to the beauty of the place and
supplied water and flowers to the establishment.The whole colony was surrounded by an
encircling wall with a door in the southern side.7

When I-tsing was living at Nalanda (c.675 A.D.), there were more than 3000 monks residing
in the establishment.8The biographer of Yuan Chwang states that in the second quarter of the
seventh century the number of the monks at Nalanda would always reach 10000 9. The
biographer had never been to India.Hois information, therefore, was second hand.

His figure seem to be a little exaggerated since it is given in round number, and since Yuan
Chwang himself simply observes that there were some thousand brethren residing at the
place.10It would, however, seem certain that the actual number of monks studying at Nalanda
must have been at least about 5000 toward the middle of the 7 th century A.D.Rooms were
assigned to the monks according to their seniority, and redistribution took place every
year.Excavations have now shown that some of the rooms were single seated and double
seated; each room had one or two stone cots for sleeping, a nitch for the lamp and another for
books.Chullas(hearths) of huge dimensions have been unearthed in each monastery, showing
that the messing arrangements were common.

NNalanda, however, was not a mere monastery; it had become so important a monastery
primarily because it was a very famous cenre of learning.Yuan Chawng says, In the
establishment were some thousand brethren, all men of great learning and ability, several
hundread being higly esteemed and fomous; the brethren were very strict in observing the
precepts and regulations of their order; learning and discussing they found the day too short,
day and night they admonished each other, juniors and seniors mutually helping to
perfection.Hence foreign students come to the establishment to put an end to their doubts
and then become celebrated, and those, who stole the name (of Nalanda) were all treated
with respect wherever they went.11

6 E.I.,XX,p.43

7 Beal,The Life Of Hiuen Tsang by Shaman Hwui,pp.109-114.Watters,II, pp. 164-

171 and I-tsing, pp 30,65,86 and 154

8 I-tsing p.154

9 Life,p.112.

10 Watters,II,p.165

11 Watters,II,p.165

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 NALANDA- A MYSTERY
If today, we think of the most prestigious universities of modern times we think of Oxford,
Harvard, Yale, Stanford, the IITs or some other.The grandeur of Nalanda was much more than
any of these universities and it lasted for more than 700 years.
In the times when modes of communications were awfully slow, it claimed its fame to the
best University and catered to scholars from the entire civilized world of the time.
Not just that after enjoying the luxury of the best teachers from the era and multitudes of
students, it ceased to exist in the 13th century without leaving much traces behind to give us
any insight into its existence and then 500 years later it resurrected from the rubble and now
presents itself as the most mystical discoveries waiting to be resolved.

The fact that this place was buried under the pile of earth for almost 5 centuries and has
absolutely no written history to describe its legacy is prompting to most historians.This
project will try to piece the history of Nalanda together from the remains of the place and
from the accounts of its students and travellers of the area. This project will re-visit each
piece of evidence and question our reasoning and deductions.

Also, there are many theories and legends about Nalanda. With each individual fact as
fascinating as that there is absolutely no room for any legends or any myth but like with any
captivating mystery, in certain cases they were required to make the story complete and just
add to the charm of the area.

Nalanda prospered from the patronages of several great kings and that tells us a lot about our
culture, our belief in strong education and respect for knowledge and wisdom. It ran
uninterruptedly for 700 years and as Xuanzang points out there werent any power tussles and
issues over hierarchies that were ever disclosed.

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INFERENCES FROM THE NAME NALANDA

When it comes to Nalanda if we change the name we might loose an important link to the
past.

Heres an etymology:

1- Na+Alam+Da
Na- No
Alam- Sufficient
Da- Giving or Giver
This is interpreted as a place where any offering is not sufficient
Limitless charity/ Charity without intermission / Insatiable in offering

2- Naram+Da
In Sanskrit La and Ra are not distinct, Nara means the special property that makes human
being a different from other living things i.e. Wisdom.
And a Place that offers wisdom is called Nara (La) mda

3- Na+Alam+ Da
Alam also means useless, another interpretation is The place that offers nothing useless

4- Nalan-Da
Nalan- Lotus stalk
It is also believed that the place derived it name Nalanda because of lotuses which grew in
the ponds spread in this area. Nalan means lotus and the Place which provides lotus is
Nalanda. Also Lotus is seat of Goddess Saraswati, goddess of Wisdom and education and
the Place which offers wisdom and education is Nalanda

5- Xuanzang says about south of the sangharama in the middle of amra van there is tank. The
naga of this tank was called Nalanda. By the side of the tank is the sangharama therefore
takes the name of the naga. But another account which he feels is true says Buddha in
previous birth was king of this place. Moved by the pity of the living things, he delighted in
continually relieving them, and the charity without intermission is in perpetuation of his
benevolence.

6- Itsing and Hwui Lun also attribute the name of the sangharama to The Naga from the
tank at the south of monastery.

7- Dharmasvamin, who was here in 1235 AD, said Nalanda in Tibetan meant lord of
men and he further adds it was built by a king and therefore the name originates from it.

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WHY NALANDA BECAME SUCH AN IMPORTANT CENTER OF LEARNING
It is indeed strange that the most famous Buddhist centre of education should have been at a
relatively obscure and unimportant place like Nalanda, which was neither a royal capital nor
in any way connected with the life of the Buddha, and therefore of any particular sanctitity to
the Buddhist world. Why it should have suddenly risen and become an international centre of
learning in the 5th century A.D. is still a mystery. Patronage of Gupta kings was of course the
cause of the rise of Nalanda, but we cannot explain why the Guptas should have selected for
their liberal patronage this particular monastery in preference to numerous others that existed
in their dominion

Why Nalanda was chosen as the location for such a monumental establishment. There must
have been some deep roots and connections to the past to lay a strong foundation.

But like everything else from the area, the origin, the demographic, the importance of its
place in history before the university is an unsolved mystery. Because of lack of documented
evidence that would state the obvious, we have to dig into various sources to corroborate the
facts.

The earliest record of the Nalanda Mahasanghrama comes from the accounts Xuanzang,
Itsing and Hwui Lin where they mentioned about the temples and stupas raised at the places
associated with Buddha; a temple at the place were Buddha preached law for 7 days, a Stupa
where foreign Bhikkhus met Buddha, another stupa were Buddha preached and a tree
developing from the tooth pick of Buddha.

These observations by the pilgrims inform us that Nalanda was an important destination even
during Buddha times. Pali commentaries and Jain literature too mention about a prosperous
Nalanda where Buddha and Mahavira had rich devotees.
So, on the basis of Xuanzang travelogue, we can say that the Nalanda of Buddha times is
same as the Nalanda of Mahasanghrama. Also, these travelogues dont mention any other
place named Nalanda in the vicinity of Nalanda Mahasanghrama.

It is important to note that Fahiens travelogue does not leave a detailed account of this place
leading us to assume that Nalanda was not a prominent place at the time of his visit. Also his
stay in this particular area was very brief; he didnt visit Kulika, the birth place of
Moggallana.

Another important logical connection is as per Pali literature; the Nalanda that was associated
with Buddha was about 1 Yojan from Rajgir ( DA.i.35, More about Nalanda)and the Nalanda
University ruins are about that distance from Rajgir. These facts help us establish the link
between both.

Besides that the other evidence is provided by a recent discovery of year 2008 at the
excavations of a mound Daman Khanda. This mound is part of the unexcavated stretch
located one kilometer north of the excavated monastic units and has rich deposits of NBP
(Northern Black Polished pottery dating upto 1200 BC) ware, which would lead us to believe

15
that the place was populated during the times of Buddha and Mahavira. And the Monasteries
were built over the remains of some habitation most probably the ancient Nalanda.

Archaeological evidence at the Nalanda University ruins suggests the earliest settlement at
the place was during the 5th century AD. The evidences are not conclusive because of lack of
reliable dating technology at the time of Excavation in early 20th century. The earliest brick
found here are of dimensions 18In X 13In X 4.5In, not properly burnt at the centre, at the
innermost layer of temple no- 3. The brick size hints it to be pre Gupta bricks as the biggest
Gupta brick are of dimensions 15 X 9 X 3. This is strong evidence that the earliest
structures at the Nalanda Mahasanghrama belong to an earlier era than that mentioned by the
initial archaeologists.

Corroborating all the facts mentioned above, we can conclude that the excavated monastic
site might have been a part of the mango grove where Buddha stayed during his varsavaas
(rainy season stay) as told by Xuanzang and Hwui Lun. Further north could be the actual
habitation of Nalanda at the time of Buddha. Its also a possibility that Nalanda lost its
prominence in the post Buddha centuries but still continue to be part of some Buddhist and
Jain traditions. And the place revived during the Gupta period when the mahasanghrama was
established and with the growing popularity of the university Nalanda regained its
prominent place in history.

If we continue on that chain of thought then, there was probably a monastery here at the time
of Buddha before the foundation of the great University was laid; and it became insignificant
during the later years.
In the interim when Nalanda monastery lost its significance some Jain traditions took roots
here as we find mention of the place in Jain Accounts namely Sammetasikharatirthamala
by Pandita Vijaya Sagara in 1623 AD.

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 OBSERVATIONS BASED ON ARCHAELOGICAL FINDINGS
1. Proofs of patronage to particular monasteries by respective kings are not available and
could not be established on the basis of archaeological finds.
2. All the monasteries are broadly categorized in Pre-Devapala, Devapala and post Devapala
layers. This piece of information is too scanty to draw conclusion of which monasteries
existed at the time of Xuanzang stay.
3. Little evidence like coins was found in few monasteries. This is not conclusive enough for
establishing that the monastery is built by the particular king.
4. Potsherds were not found in enough quantity to sequence the exact chronology period-wise
of different monasteries
5. The technology available at the time of excavation was not equipped for a correct dating
6. Dating of monasteries 1A and 1B goes against the logic and available literary evidences.
As per the archaeology evidences the sites were constructed in 7th century and later. But this
doesnt match with the description in the travelogues. 1A & 1B are the monasteries which are
not following the planned row which was a late development. Also the sizes of these
monasteries are small suggesting an earlier period.
7. Monastery no 1, is most unusual in many sense, it is connected to monastic site no 5,
which was actually a granary/store. And there was a passage between the two. Also found
were two chambers in the courtyard whose purpose is still not clear. The cells in this
monastery are of relatively bigger size and had small chambers by its side in the eastern rows.
8. Some later archaeologists have observed that the courtyard of the 2nd layer of the
Monastery no 1A & 1B are in same level with the courtyard of 5th layer of Temple no 3.

If this is true than the earliest dating of 1A & 1B will go to 5 or 6 the century.

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 ACCOUNT OF VISITORS

Visitors who traveled through the area between 7th and 13th centuries

The travelogues and journals given below help us to resurrect the glory of Nalanda in a
chronological order
1. Xuanzang account637 to 639 AD
2. Itsing account- 675 -685AD
3. Hwui Lun
4. Dharmasvamin account- 1235-1237 AD

XUANZANG ACCOUNT

As Xuanzang describes it, the site of Nalanda Mahavihara was originally a mango grove
presented to Buddha. At its south was a pool where a Naga named Nalanda lived.
Xuanzang also stayed with Buddhabhadra (Nephew of Shilabhadra), in the college of
Baladitya-raja, which had 4 storeys.

I-TSING ACCOUNT

Itsing writes about a lot of things that Xuanzang mentioned; same pond, mango grove and
Naga story for the origin of name Nalanda. Mentions about 8 halls with 300 rooms,
sangharamas were built in rows and the monasteries were 3 to 4 storied. At his visit he
observed that only foundations of the Sakraditya monastery were visible. He describes the
Baladitya Chaitya as very beautiful.

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 ELIGIBILITY: ROLE OF GATEKEEPERS AT THE UNIVERSITY
Nalanda university was a very prestigious and popular seat of education of its times and
scholars from far away places came here to study and gain knowledge. Though the reputation
of its teachers and students is well established, it is not clear what was the procedure for
entering such an institution and how did they ensured the quality and commitment of their
students.

It is generally believed that the gatekeepers of the Nalanda Mahasanghrama posed questions
to new students before allowing them to pursue studies in the Mahasanghrama. Xuanzang
provides reference about the Gatekeeper as the Examiner/ Interviewer is given in Travels
accounts but the version Life doesnt mention the process of admission in the
Mahasanghrama at all.
Hwui Lun and It-Sing the other visitors to the Nalanda Sangharama also dont describe the
entrance procedure in any detail and role of the Janitor.

Here are excerpts from the translations of the Travels, by Beal and Thomas

Travels S. Beal book IX, P-171

The keeper of the gate posses some hard questions; many are unable to answer, and retire.

Travels T. Watters vol. II, P-165

Of those from abroad who wished to enter the schools of discussion the majority, beaten by
the difficulties of the problems, withdrew; and those who were deeply versed in old and
modern learning were admitted , only two or three out of ten succeeding.

As we can see Beal has clearly defined the role of the gatekeeper in the admission of students
in the university but Thomas watters has not and the explanation is forthcoming

At the centre of the discussion is the interpretation is the word mn-che that is used in the
original passage of A, B and D edition of the original Text.
mn-che indeed means Janitor but the interpretation of the word in the context of the
sentence is different. Watters further say that Julien has severed the word (mn-che) from
the preceding word and this has resulted in its wrong interpretation. Thomas watters interpret
the word as it is accepted among the native scholars. (Inferred from, Thomas watters,
Travels, Vol II- P-168)

S. Beal translation of the Buddhist records of the western world is partly translated from
the Chinese and partly from the Juliens work.

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 IS NALANDA THE BIRTHPLACE OF SARIPUTRA ?
Before we discuss birthplace of Sariputra, we first try to correlate the places from various
sources in history and establish possible relation among them.

A- Sources mentioning about Nalanda (of Pavarika & University) and Birthplace of
Sariputra in one context

There are two strong contemporary references which speak about Nalanda and birth place of
Sariputra in same breath and yet maintain it to be different places. The first and the major
source of evidence are the Pali sources which are the record of events and place associated
with Buddha and his disciples.

To reach any conclusion we need to know more about what other old texts says about places.
We have a detail history of places and events around Rajgriha at the time of Buddha which
are very well maintained in the Pali traditions. The Pali proper name dictionary is compilation
of all the places mentioned in Pali sources.

Nalanda- A town near Rajgriha and according to Buddhaghosa one league away
Nalanda finds mention in Digh Nikaya, page 35, Kevatta sutta, Majhima Nikaya etc
As per the Kevatta sutta Nalanda was an influential and prosperous place
Some Pali sources maintain that Nalanda was 1 Yojan from Rajgriha and Pavarika mango
grove was a part of it.

Nala/ Nalaka /Nalika

A Brahmin village in Magadha not far from Rajgriha. It was here where Sariputra was born.
Mahasudassana-Jataka also mention Nala birth place of Sariputra
Pali sources and the Pali Tripitaka are the contemporary accounts as far as Buddha and
Sariputra are concerned. This was orally maintained for centuries before it was first written in
Singhalese script in Srilanka. Whole of the Pali sources available till date uniformly
maintains Nala (Nalaka & Nalika) as the birth place of Sariputra. And there is no single
instance of Nalanda and Nala being mentioned as same. Pali sources have been preserved by
Theravada sect who is traditionally believed to preserve the Words of Buddha Verbatim.

Travelogues of Xuanzang who visited both the places in 7th century, maintains it to be two
different places. There are chances that Nalanda of Pali reference and Nalanda of University
have some connection but the Nalanda of University and birth place of sariputra are two
different places.

These two evidences establish that Nalanda Monastery and Nalanda of Pavarika mango grove
are different from the birth place of Sariputra. Yet there are no clues that would suggest a
correlation between Nalanda monastery and Nalanda of Pavarika mango grove.
Also it does not negate another possibility of a monastery named Nalanda at Nala, the birth

20
place of Sariputra.

And since we are on the topic of discussing sariputra and the monastery named after him, the
guides at Nalanda ruins mention the temple no. 3 as Sariputra Chatiya when it is evident from
Xuanzangs travelogue that it is related to the Buddha himself.

B- Sources that refer to either the birthplace of Sariputra or a place called Nalanda but
not both together in a given context
For this we first discuss the Fahien account that Visited birth place of Sariputra Nala but
doesnt mention any thing about Nalanda. Fahien visited Nala around 407 AD when Raja
Vikramaditya was the king.

Fahien reached at this place traveling 1 Yojan south west from Indrasaila Guha and finds one
stupa which he says still existed. He says that Sariputra was born and died at the place, and
there was a stupa built at the site where his body was burnt.

Fahien has provided pretty detailed description of all the monasteries and ruins of
monasteries that he witnessed. It is evident when we read the accounts of Gridhkutta,
Indrasaila guha and Venuwan, but such detailed description of the sariputra stupa is missing
and that would lead us to conclude that perhaps the stupa at the birth place of Sariputra was
not huge or majestic enough. For when he went to Rajgriha to visit the stupa built by
Ajaatsatru over his share of Buddhas body relics, he speaks at length about its size,
magnificence and appearance.

Also if we observe the word used for describing the Sariputras stupa is still in existence,
which may mean that it was not in the best condition. From this we may confer that at the
time of Fahiens visit the place was not of much relevance as far as monastic activities are
concerned. According to lama Taranatha during the time of Fahiens visit the place must be
an important destination.

He also associated Nalanda with Asanga and Vasubandhu. Other historical evidences
maintain that Vasubandhu was a prominent adviser to the king Samudra gupta in 330AD.
Both were born in Purushapura (modern Peshawar) and there were active in around Ayodhya.

Also Fahien didnt mention about any monastery at the present site of Remains of Nalanda
Mahavihara and would be corroborated by the archaeological finds which suggest that the
structure wasnt built before the gupta period.

Other sources which have a mention about Nalanda are Jain and brhaminical literature. These
sources talk about Nalanda but dont have any reference to the Birth place of Sariputra.

But still one possibility remains that the birth place of Sariputra is different from the Nalanda

21
(Pavarika + University site) and there still exists a monastic establishment at birth place of
Sariputra called Nalanda and it was here that Nagarjuna was an Acharya.

To come to any conclusion we need to carefully observe what Xuanzang and Fahien say and
what they dont say about the birth place of Sariputra. Xuanzang when he reached Kalpinaka
found a stupa built by Ashoka Raja at the place of Parinirvan, he gives a complete account of
how Sariputra joined the Sangha and his association with Moggallana and also how he
achieved Nirvana. Xuanzang doesnt say anything about any monastery existing or any
monastic ruins. Xuanzang has given a complete description about the structures and
establishments at the places he visited. His complete silence raises doubt if there was any
small or big monastery existing at the place before his visit.

The detail he has given about the Nalanda Mahavihar doesnt find any mention about any
contribution of Ashoka. The chronology of monastic units provided by Xuanzang starts with
king Sakraditya which according to him was already in ruins in the 7th century.
The list of Acharyas who were associated with Nalanda provided by Lama Taranatha includes
Nagarjuna, Asanga and Vasubandhu. Xuanzang visited the very places where these Acharyas
made their major contributions and in his description of Nalanda he never associates any of
these Acharyas with Nalanda mahasanghrama.

Asanga, Vasubandhu and Nagarjuna and Nalanda

In book no II of Life page no 73
Xuanzang reaches Sakala (modern Sialkot), here he says Vasubandhu Bodhisattva composed
treatise Shing-i-tai-lun.

Page no 76
He arrived at Takka kingdom at a city (Modern Lahore), here he stayed for one month
studying sutras composed by a disciple of Nagarjuna.
Page no 79 -80
At matipur he again speaks about an event in life of Vasubandhu
Book III page 85
At Ayodhya in a monastery, Xuanzang says Vasubandhu composed treatise and preached for
the good of the community. In Ayodhya he speaks about the association of Asanga
Bodhisattva with another monastery. Where Asanga ascended to heaven and received
Yogasastra from Maitreya Buddha. Here he mentions that these brothers are from Gandhara
and are principal composer of sastra in India.

Page 91
At Kaushambi Xuanzang speaks about a monastery where Vasubandhu composed
Vidyamatra-siddhi-sastra. And raja Ashok raised stupa by the monastery.

In book III page no 109

Xuanzang speak about abode of Bodhisattva Dharmpala at Nalanda Sangharama.
Book IV page 135

22
In southern Kosala he visits the monastery where Nagarjuna Bodhisattva dwelt.

Conclusion
From all the references mentioned above we can conclude the following,

1- Birth place of Sariputra is different from the site of Nalanda Monastery.

2- Available evidence disapprove of any association of Noted Acharyas with Birth place of
Sariputra and Nalanda monastery as said by lama Taranatha

3- Nalanda Monastic site and Nalanda of Pavarika mango groove can be same or different
places or could be in very close vicinity.

4- There is a possibility that there existed a monastery with name of Nalanda near Rajgriha
and that had no link with birthplace of Sariputra and Nalanda monastery (as mentioned by
Xuanzang and existing remains at Bargaon).

We have literary evidence; the Pali sources have maintained that Nalanda and Nala/Nalak are
two different places. The archaeological findings at the site are the biggest evidence which
support Xuanzangs travelogue. And also even the earliest findings doesnt go before 450 AD
and so there almost no scope of any Ashokan contribution to the Nalanda University.
Xuanzang in his travelogue has linked the site with Buddha. He says the site was originally
an amra garden and merchants bought it for ten kotis of gold pieces and Buddha preached law
here for three months, later a temple was built to mark the place. How ever it is not clear if it
was Pavarika mango grove that finds its mention in the Pali texts.

The literature of lama Taranatha is so replete with Myths, dogmas and miracles that its
difficult to correlate it with known historical facts about Nalanda. V. P Vasilev in his
introduction to the Russian translation of Taranathas history of Buddhism in india has said
that the account is not a faithful exposition of something unknown. It is also a well accepted
fact that lama Taranatha himself never visited India. Taranathas work is basically a
translation and collection of information from various Biographies. Lama Taranatha had
access to authentic works of Ksemendrabhadra, Indradatta and Bhataghati, and it was very
prevalent to link their legends with well known personalities. Though he mentions about
them but doesnt give sufficient details on their lives and works.

23
 LIBRARY AND CURRICULUM

The library of Nalanda, known as Dharma Gunj (Mountain of Truth)

or Dharmagaja (Treasury of Truth), was the most renowned repository of Buddhist
knowledge in the world at the time. Its collection was said to comprise hundreds of thousands
of volumes, so extensive that it burned for months when set aflame by Muslim invaders. The
library had three main buildings as high as nine stories tall, Ratnasagara (Sea of
Jewels), Ratnodadhi (Ocean of Jewel)

Courses were drawn from every field of learning, Buddhist and Hindu, sacred and secular,
foreign and native. Students studied science, astronomy, medicine, and logic as diligently as
they applied themselves to metaphysics, philosophy, Samkhya, Yoga-shastra, the Veda, and
the scriptures of Buddhism. They studied foreign philosophy likewise.

DESTRUCTION OF NALANDA
Nalanda University, which was set up at Rajgir in Bihar in 413 AD during the Gupta dynasty,
had emerged as a world seat of learning before it was destroyed sometime in the 11th century.

The creation of new varsity came into existence in 2010 through an Act of Parliament
seeking to recapture the lost glory of its earlier avatar. Many of the dailies published reports
on varsitys past glory, its decay, theories of uprooting of Buddhism etc. Unfortunately, most
of these carried fabricated and concocted stories on destruction of the varsity, peddling a
perverse perception of the Indian past.

The most amusing was to read Nalanda varsity set to capture erstwhile glory in new
avatarin Hindustan Times, Patna,on September 1, 2014. In the write-up it was stated
thatthe university fell upon hard times when it was overrun by the Huns under Mihirakula
during the reign of Skandgupta (455-467 AD). But it was restored by his successors. The
university was destroyed again by the Gaudas in the early 7th century but was restored again
by king Harshvardhana (606-648 AD). But it could not recover from the third and final blow
dealt in 1193 AD by Bakhtiar Khilji, a general of Qutubuddin Aibak, out to uproot Buddhism.
The Turkish invaders set blaze and destroyed the huge library of the university, said to rival
one at Luxor in Egypt. On September 15, 2014 the same daily, again, reiterated that the
original Nalanda Universitywas burnt down by an army of Turkish invaders in 1193.
(Nalanda varsity set to capture erstwhile glory in new avatar, Hindustan Times,
Patna,September15,2014)

Another leading daily of Patna, The Times of India, in its September 20, 2014 issue stated
that , Nalanda Mahavihara was reduced to ruins by foreign invaders. Daily Pioneer from

24
Delhi, on September 20, 2014, reported that Nalanda University was burnt down 800 years
ago by a Turkish army(September 20, 2014). Without mentioning the name these dailies
have indicated that it was none else than Bakhtiyar Khilji who destroyed Nalanda University.

Abaqat-i-Nasiri, an elaborate history of the Islamic world by Minhaj-i-Siraj, mentions that

"thousands of monks were burned alive and thousands beheaded as Khilji tried his best to
uproot Buddhism. The burning of the library continued for several months and smoke from
the burning manuscripts hung for days like a dark pall over the low hills"

25
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