Sarnath: Echos of Enlightenment in the Sacred Silence
Tucked away on the fringes of the holy city of Varanasi, Sarnath (in present-day Uttar Pradesh) entices with its age-old charm and has immense relevance in understanding the Buddha’s path to enlightenment. During the Age of the Mahajanapadas i.e. by 600 BCE in ancient India, there emerged sixteen major kingdoms or oligarchic republics called Mahajanapadas. Kashi was one of the Mahajanapadas. Its capital was Varanasi and Sarnath was part of this Mahajanapada. It is located near the confluence of the Ganga and Varuna rivers. Come, let’s explore Sarnath and its fascinating history, architecture and spiritual significance that draw tourists from all over the world.
- Buddha in a past incarnation as a deer and Mrigadava: The word Sarnath is derived from Sarangnath (the master of deer). Sarang means spotted deer in Sanskrit. In ancient India, Sarnath was known as Mrigadava, Migadaya, Isipatana or Rishipattana. The word for deer in Sanskrit is mriga. Mrigadava was home to many deer. A Jataka tale states that the Buddha, in his capacity as a Boddhisattva, was born in Sarnath as a deer. He went under the name Nyagrodha-mriga in this existence. For his nourishment, the King of Kashi would hunt a deer every day. But his hunting expedition would cause a lot of commotion among deer. So, as the leader of the herd Nyagrodha started offering one deer to the king every day after drawing lots. When a pregnant doe's turn arrived one day, he made the decision to give himself up in order to save two lives. The monarch was changed upon witnessing this, and he decided to spare the lives of the herd at Sarnath. Hiuen Tsang, a 7th c. Chinese traveller who visited several Buddhist sites in ancient India, including Sarnath, credits the Jataka ruler for the construction of a deer park as a deer sanctuary. Thus, the Jataka story creates yet another crucial link between the Buddha and the significant Buddhist location of Sarnath, aside from the fact that it is also the place where the Buddha delivered his first sermon.
Source: Dr. Richa Singh
Deer Park, Sarnath
- First Sermon and Third Major Event: The utmost significance of Sarnath lies in its association with one of the four key events which occurred in the life of the Buddha. It is here that in a large deer park that he preached his first sermon to five monks who were his former disciples. His new doctrine so captivated the ascetics that they abandoned their austerities and became his disciples again and this way, the Buddha “set in motion the Wheel of Law”. Therefore, Sarnath is regarded as the birthplace of Buddhism. This third pivotal episode of his life was preceded by the second major one when he attained the enlightenment (bodhi) under the Tree of Wisdom (bodhi vriksha) at Bodhgaya. The third event is called the Dharmachakrapravartana (in Sanskrit) or Dhammaccakkappavattana (in Pali) and the discourse he delivered is called the Dhammaccakkappavattana Sutta in which he outlined the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path. Together they form the basis of Buddhist doctrine. Therefore, Sarnath is regarded as the birthplace of Buddhism. Now let’s briefly delve into these profound concepts of Buddhism.
Dhammaccakkappavattana Sutta = Arya Satya + Ashtangika Marg |
Ar Arya Satya or the Four Noble Truths:
I. Dukh: The world is full of dukh (sufferings).
II. Trishna or tanha: The cause of dukh is trishna (desires) or tanha (thirst).
III. If trishna is eliminated, dukh is eradicated (nirodha).
IV. The path to cessation of dukh is the Ashtangika Marga (Eightfold Path).
As Ashtangika Marga (Noble Eightfold Path): The Buddha prescribed an eightfold path for the eradication of human misery.
® Right Views
® Right Resolve
® Right Speech
® Right Conduct
® Right Livelihood
® Right Effort
® Right Mindfulness
® Right Samadhi (contemplation or meditation)
The setting depicts the first five disciples of Buddhism viz. Annata-Kondanna, Vappa, Assaji, Bhaddiya and Mahanama, hearing the Dharmachakrapravartana Sutta.
Sarnath
- Dharmachakrapravartana (The “Turning of the Wheel of Law/Dharma”): The Dharmachakrapravartana offers a way for people to attain nirvana and break free from the circle of rebirth and suffering, laying the groundwork for Buddhist thought and practice. The teachings place a strong emphasis on anicca, the doctrine of impermanence as the Buddha taught that no physical or mental object is permanent and forming attachment to either result into dukkha. It is through right knowledge and right living and understanding anatta (non-self) i.e. there is no eternal soul, or an unchanging essence one can progress towards enlightenment. One of the eight auspicious symbols of Buddhism—Dhamma Wheel is associated with this event. Many images of the Buddha are seen with his hands denoting the Dharmachakrapravartana Mudra which is a hand gesture representing this event as well as the philosophy of the Dharmachakrapravartana. The mudra is formed by joining the tips of the thumb and index finger of both hands so as to make a circle or wheel. Each hand’s remaining three fingers are spread outward. Typically, hands are positioned at the level of the chest, palms facing forward.
Buddha in Dharmachakrapravartana Mudra
Mulagandha Kuty Vihara
- The site at Sarnath where he gave his first sermon is the place where later the Dhamekh Stupa was constructed along with an inscribed stone pillar by the Muaryan ruler, Ashoka (c. 268-232 BCE) to commemorate the Buddha’s first sermon and the birth of Buddhism and since then, it became one of the important Buddhist centres of pilgrimage. The Dhamekh Stupa is the biggest of all the four holiest Buddhist stupas. With a base diameter of roughly 28 meters and a height of approximately 43.6 meters, the stupa resembles a cylindrical tower. Built of brick and stone, the structure features elaborate carvings that represent a variety of Buddhist patterns and symbols. A conical tower and a circular harmika- a square platform that represents the residence of the gods- adorn the summit of the stupa.
Source: Dr. Richa Singh
Exquisite carvings of humans, birds, flowers and geometric patterns on the wall of Dhamekh Stupa
- Another significant stupa that Ashoka constructed at Sarnath was Dharmarajika Stupa in order to enshrine the relics of the Buddha. Ashoka is known to have built thousands of stupas but only few have survived. The Dharmarajika Stupa originally was a small stupa of 13.49 meter in diameter. Later, it was expanded. At present, we only have its remains.
- From the site, a very significant Ashokan pillar was excavated, and it is regarded as the most celebrated Ashokan pillar. The Lion Capital of the pillar is adorned with the symbol of dhamma wheel which highlights the close link between the icon and the place. The symbol is adopted by the government of India in 1947 on the flag of India. The lion capital is the National Emblem of India. The capital is now preserved in the Sarnath Museum.
Source: Dr. Richa Singh
Replica of Sarnath Lion Capital
Indian Museum, Kolkata
Source: Dr. Richa Singh
Ashokan Inscription in Brahmi Script Inscribed on Ashokan Pillar, Sarnath
- Jagatganj Mahalla Constructed, Dhamekh Destroyed: In 1794, Jagat Singh, the diwan of Banaras King Chet Singh, ordered the destruction of the Dhamekh stupa and the construction of a bazaar bearing his own name, Jagatganj Mahalla. The bricks that were acquired as building materials for the mahalla were put to use. A stone box was recovered from the wreckage. It had a smaller vessel with some corals, pearls, gold pots and bones in it. The bones were thrown into River Ganga. Whether the bone remnants belonged to the Buddha or one of his disciples is unclear. There was also an image of the Buddha discovered. Jonathan Duncan, the commissioner of Banaras, referred to this act of vandalism in an article published in 1798 by Asiatic Researches. Likewise, Buddhist statues from Sarnath were thrown into River Varuna to check its flow when the Duncan Bridge was constructed over the river.
- Invasions: In addition to being the scene of vandalism, Sarnath had been destroyed a several times. Much earlier, in the Huna period, Mihirkula invaded Sarnath. Then in 1018, Mahmud of Ghazni attacked it and in 1033 Ahmad Nialatigin caused its destruction.
- Royal Patrons: Because of considerable royal patronage, Sarnath was spared total annihilation. Ashoka, Harshavardhan, Pala rulers of Bengal and the Mughal emperors all bestowed upon it their regal support. The octagonal Chaukhandi tower, which marks the site of the Buddha’s initial meeting with the five monks at Sarnath, prior to his first discourse, is attributed to Akbar in 1588.
- Sarnath School of Art: Under the Gupta Empire (4th-6th centuries CE), Sarnath acquired eminence in the field of architecture and sculpture and developed its own distinct style of sculpture which set it apart from the Gandhara and Mathura Schools.
Standing Buddha Statue
- The statue measures about 80 feet in height and built in recent times, it is the outcome of the Indo-Thai joint effort. Its construction began in 1977 on the premises of the Thai Temple and it was formally unveiled in 2011. Since, it is inspired by the Bamiyan Buddha statues which were built in the Gandhara style, therefore, what we see here is the presence of thick drapery with broad and bold fold lines whereas in the Sarnath School of Sculpture, several images of the Buddha display translucent drapery.
- Apart from the massive Dhamekh Stupa, at the archaeological site of Sarnath a number of votive stupas have survived. Votive stupas are small stupas, containing the ashes of a Buddhist ascetic.
Source: Dr. Richa Singh
- When you visit Sarnath, you can also find shops selling interesting souvenirs, associated with Buddhism. For example, thangka paintings which is a traditional form of ibetan Buddhist art and has been done for millennia. They function as portable devotional art, as a teaching aid, a meditation tool as well as religious iconography. They are detailed and colourful and mainly deal with subject-matters such as scenes from the life of the Buddha as narrated in Buddhist scriptures, Buddhist deities and religious symbols such as mandala, lotus,etc.
Sarnath is, indeed, a timeless testament to the rich origins of Buddhism and the spread of Buddhist philosophy. It continues to allure wisdom seekers, adherents of Buddhism, intellectuals and travel enthusiasts since antiquity from far and wide.
References:
A. L. Basham, The Wonder that was India, Picador, 2004 (repr.).
Bauddhacarya Shanti Swaroop Bauddh, The Great Holy Place of Buddhists, Sarnath, Samyak Prakashan, 2003.
B. C. Bhattacharya, The History of Sarnath of the Cradle of Buddhism from the Earliest Times to the Muhammedan Conquest, including an Archaeological Guide to the Monuments and the Museum, Benaras, 1924.
Le Huu Phuoc, Buddhist Architecture, Grafikol, 2010.
W. Vivian De Thasrew, Monuments and Temples of Orthodox Buddhism in India and Srilanka, AuthorHouse, 2013.
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