King Asoka and Buddhism - Urban Dharma

These verses are interpreted as conveying information onAśoka’s conversion to Buddhism and his patronage of the BuddhistOrder. If that was really so, one wonders why it is wordedin so obscure a manner. Why the doctrine of Jina, which in thetwelfth century was easily confused with Jainism, and not thedoctrine of the Buddha? 10These discrepancies, however, had not deterred some of therecent Aśokan scholars from accepting, with hardly a question,the identification of this Kashmirian Aśoka with the MauryanEmperor. Perhaps Aurel Stein, who translated Rājataraṅgiṇī in1900 with an extensive introduction and commentary, pavedthe way for this passive acceptance. He said:Kalhaṇa’s account, in full agreement with historical fact asvouched for by Aśoka’s own famous inscriptions, represents theking as a pious follower of the teaching of Buddha. The mentionof Śuṣkaletra and Vitastārta in particular, as places whereAśoka had erected vihāras and stūpas, is significant as pointingto the survival in Kashmir of local traditions regarding him.That Buddhist tradition in Kashmir knew of Aśoka’s connectionwith the valley is made quite certain by the records of theChinese pilgrims. 11The later scholars not only conceded this identification butwent further to give credence to Kalhaṇa’s account of Aśoka’sson and successor, Jalauka. According to Rājataraṅgiṇī, Aśokapropitiated Bhūteśa (i.e. Śiva) to obtain this son. Instructed bya Śaiva saint Avadhūta, described as the “vanquisher of Buddhistcontroversialists” (that is, hostile to Buddhism), Jalaukabecomes a pious Śaivaite. His persecution of the Buddhistshad resulted in retaliatory action through a witch. The episodeends with the account of the building of a Vihāra by Jalauka,who, however, continued his devotion to Siva. 12 The omission186