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CHAPTER - I Indian Buddhist and Brahmanical deities A comparative Study Buddhism, which originated in India in about the 6th century B.C., underwent remarkable changes in respect of its tenets, philosophy and ceremonial practices. Such changes were of a radical nature across the centuries. With the growth of the Vajrayana system Buddhism went a step further from its primitive form and lost all its pristine purity. Buddhism of the Vajrayana-Tantrayana phase came to know of a large number of gods and goddess belonging to a well-developed hierarchical set up. Interestingly enough, many of these Vajrayana dieties were of Brahmanical origin or inspiration. Vajrapani and Manjusri,for example, are the Buddhist counterpart of Brahmanical Indra and Brahma. Likewise, Jambhala and Vasudhara are the Buddhist counterparts of Brahmanical Kubera and Laksmi respectively. A similarity can also be found in the features of Avalokitesvara and Visnu¹. The Brahmanical goddess of progeny Sasthi has conceptual affinity with the Buddhist deity called Hariti. Sarasvati and Ganapati of the Brahmanical pantheon are represented in Buddhism by their own name with little variations². While Heruka, the prominent Buddhist god of Eastern India has 1. Development of Hindu Iconography, p.558. id 2. Indian Buddhist Iconography, p.344.

; - 20 conceptual proximity to the terrific Bhairava aspect of major Brahmanical god Siva. Nispannayoqavali, the celebrated Buddhist text of c. 12th century A .D. gives us a detailed idea about the large number Brahmanical divinities that are included in the Buddhist pantheon. Nispannayogavali is a unique work on Mandal and is remarkable for its richness of informations on the host of Buddhist as well as Buddhist-Brahmanical deities. The Manjuvara Mandala of the above mentioned work described different deities, e.g. the sixteen Bodhisattvas, the twelve paramitas, the twelve Vasistas and etc. Most of these deities are A perusal of Nispannayogavali, Sadhanamala and other Buddhist texts shows that Buddhism incorporated many Brahmanical deities in different manner. converted to Buddhist faith which are evidenced by the fact that a large number of these deities are still revered with great honour in purely Buddhist countries. The study of the method of classification of the Brahmanical gods determining their colours and directions are highly interesting. Sometimes they are given very humiliating roles and some of the deities are often trampled under the feet of the angry Buddhist gods to show their aversion to the Brahmanical faith. Ganesa, as for example, is found trampled by different Buddhist gods. Similarly four important 1. Sadhanamala composed in A.D. 1165..

- 21 Brahmanical gods, e.g. Brahma, Visnu, Siva and Indra are considered to be the 'Maras' or 'Wicked Beings' and different gods of Buddhism are often found trampling them under their feet. Interestingly enough, Brahma also has been treated very humilatingly by the Buddhists. "Brahma should be very old with grey beards" as Brahmanical tradition says, but "the Buddhist deities mercilessly hold the heads by the matted hair and flourish them in their hands. In this way the Buddhists tried to impose superiority of their gods over the Brahmanical deities. Now an attempt is being made to discuss in brief the features of a few counterparts of Brahmanical gods in Buddhist pantheon and some Buddhist gods of Brahmanical origin.