The Sun-Worshipping Sakadvipiya Brahmanas
by Martina Palladino | 2017 | 62,832 words
This page relates 鈥楰ing Bhoja and the Sun cult鈥� of study dealing with the Sun-Worshipping Sakadvipiya Brahmanas (i.e., the Shakdwipiya Brahmin) by researching their history, and customs from ancient times to the present. The Sakadvipiya Brahmanas have been extensively studied since the 19th century, particularly for their origins and unique religious practices.
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5. King Bhoja and the Sun cult
Another very interesting issue in the history of the development of a peculiar type of Hind奴 sun cult is the name of the king Mihira Bhoja (cf. TRIPATHI 1999: 321 f.; CHAURASIA 2002: 207 ff.; ROTHERMUND 2007: 6, 111) of the Gurjara-笔谤补迟墨丑腻谤补 dynasty,[1] who ruled over Northwest India from 836 to 885 A.D. He was the successor of R膩mabhada and he reigned for half a century. His kingdom was characterized by peace and prosperity, and he respected learned men; Raj Shenkhar was his court poet. The Arab traveller Sulaiman (or Soleiman) alTajir wrote about him in 851 A.D.: 鈥楾he king of Gurjars maintains numerous faces and no other Indian prince has so fine cavalry. He has great riches and his camels and horses are numerous. There is no country in India more safe (sic!) from the robbers鈥� (CHAURASIA 2002: 207). He adopted the title of adivaraha, the primordial boar, 补惫补迟腻谤补 of 痴颈峁ａ箛耻, which was also depicted on his coins. Mihira Bhoja was a devotee of 痴颈峁ａ箛耻, attesting to the fact that in the ninth century, Saura and 痴补颈峁ａ箛补惫补 elements were deeply intermingled.
In 叠丑补惫颈峁补-辫耻谤腻峁嘺 I. 140鈥�141,[2] we find some references to women of the Bhoja family; 厂腻尘产补 made them marry the Magas, and from their union the Bhojakas were born:
摆鈥 bhojakany膩su j膩tatv膩d bhojak膩s tena te sm峁洺倌遽弗 //
鈥楤ecause they were born from Bhoja women, they were known as Bhojakas鈥� (叠丑补惫颈峁补-辫耻谤腻峁嘺 I. 140, 35a).
Obviously, the Bhoja to whom the Pur膩峁嘺 refers could be the well-known king Bhoja (ca. 1000鈥�1500 A.D.) of the 笔补谤补尘腻谤补 dynasty. He seems to have been an exceptional ruler, fond of learning and literature, and himself the author of a large number of works on grammar, astronomy, yoga and architecture, as well as poetry. He is also associated with the Bhoj艣膩l膩, the centre of Sanskrit studies, and the foundation of the Bhojpur temple.[3] Moreover, this sovereign is mentioned in relation to the poet 惭补测奴谤补, the author of the 厂奴谤测补艣补迟补办补, discussed previously; Jaina literature locates the poet at this king鈥檚 court (cf. QUACKENBOS 1917: 29, 41鈥�43).
In addition to these historical figures, the name Bhoja is well-known in literature, too, especially in epic and Pur膩峁噄c materials. Two kings in the 惭补丑腻产丑腻谤补迟补 are called Bhoja: the king of an ancient country named M膩rttrik膩vata (膧诲颈-parvan) and the king of 驰补诲耻惫补峁兣沘 (艢腻苍迟颈-辫补谤惫补苍).[4] 鈥楤hoja鈥� is also the name of a clan that takes part in the story of the birth of the mace, as told in the Mausala-parvan. A Bhoja is present in the 峁沢惫别诲补, too; he is a follower of 厂耻诲腻蝉, who helps 痴颈艣惫腻尘颈迟谤补 in performing his 补艣惫补尘别诲丑补. Finally, he is known as the king of 碍腻苍测补办耻产箩补 in the Skanda-辫耻谤腻峁嘺.[5]
Therefore, it is very difficult to decide which historical or mythological figure could be the king Bhoja mentioned in the 叠丑补惫颈峁补-辫耻谤腻峁嘺, though this piece of information is not particularly important. What is meaningful is that the name Bhoja had great resonance, and was associated with great figures, both in history and in mythology. This would have conferred respect and greatness to his offspring, Bhojakas included.
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
The origin of Gurjara dynasty is uncertain. Probably, they entered India along with the Hephtalites (or White 贬奴峁嘺蝉) around the fifth century, although most historians now believe that they had an indigenous origin. In any case, the name 鈥楪urjara鈥� does not appear before the end of the sixth century (see s.v. 鈥楪urjara-Pratihara dynasty鈥�, in the Encyclopaedia Britannica online, available at https://www.britannica.com/topic/Gurjara-Pratiharadynasty#ref173884).
[2]:
叠丑补惫颈峁补-辫耻谤腻峁嘺 I. 140: mag膩n膩峁� k膩ra峁嚹乺thena pr膩rthit膩 bhojava峁兣沘j膩岣� / vasudevasya pautre峁嘺 gotrajena mah膩tm膩n膩 // 8 办补苍测腻诲腻苍补峁� 办峁泃补峁� te峁Ｄ佱箖 mag膩n膩峁� bhojakottamai岣� // 蝉补谤惫腻蝉 迟腻岣� sahi迟腻岣� 办补苍测腻岣� prav膩lama峁噄bh奴峁迟腻岣� // 9 叠丑补惫颈峁补-辫耻谤腻峁嘺 I. 141: 摆鈥 诲补迟迟腻 bhojakulotpann膩 诲补艣补bhyo 诲补艣补kanyak膩岣� / 6a d膩sakany膩s tu y膩艣 c膩峁ａ弓au bhojakany膩艣 ca y膩 诲补艣补 / et膩s te峁Ｄ佱箖 kum膩r膩峁嚹佱箖 j帽ey膩s t膩 诲补艣补 c膩峁ａ弓a ca // 7 tatra te bhojakany膩su dvijair utp膩di迟腻岣� su迟腻岣� /
bhojak膩s t膩n ga峁嚹乶 pr膩hur br膩hma峁嚹乶 divyasa峁僯帽it膩n // 8
[3]:
WILLIS 2012: passim. For further information about king Bhoja I, see for instance the first issue of volume 22 of the Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain & Ireland (2012), entirely dedicated to him and his dynasty.
[4]:
Cf. VETTAMM膧NI 1979: 138.
[5]:
Ibid. f.