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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 15 March 2011
The Lāmas, as is well known, have preserved in very full form much archaic Indian lore, now otherwise imperfectly known or altogether lost. And a valuable feature of such Lāmaist literature is the frequent use of bilingual names, where the Sanskrit name is supplemented by a most careful etymological translation into Tibetan, thus enabling us to fix the etymology of many of the Hindū and Buddhist mythological and historical names, regarding which vague guesses are often hazarded. These Tibetan etymologies, though not necessarily the true ones, are certainly those which over a thousand years ago were the current traditional etymologies in India. And as, even apart from etymological features, categorical lists of little known personages, mythological or prehistoric, are helpful to students of both Buddhism and Hinduism, I here give a list of Nāga Rājās from the Mahācyutpatti, in the bsTan-hgyur (Tén-gyur) section of the Lāmaist Scriptures. This list, which may be compared with that in the Vāyu Purāna, seems to include many of the Vedic terrestrial Nāga Kings, the aboriginal enemies of the primitive Aryans, whose more direct descendants are now confined chiefly to the remote hills of Nāgpur, Chhoṭa Nāgpur, etc., etc. Tibetan literature contains much information about these Nāgas, one of Buddha's titles being ‘King of the powerful Nāgas.’
1 The common designation ‘Nāga-king’ is omitted in this column.
2 Conf. Nāgānanda, P. Boyd's translation, p. 68.
3 Karkoṭako resided, according to Hodgson (Lang. Lit. etc., reprint, p. 115), in the lake which traditionally occupied the site of the present Nepal Valley, and when the lake was dessicated ‘by the Sword of the Mañjusrī,’ Karkoṭako had a fine tank built for him to dwell in, and is there still worshipped; as well as in the Cave-temple attached to the great Buddhist Shrine of Swayambhu Nāth in Nepal. A range of hills in Rajputana named ‘Kārkota’ seems associated with Nāgas (Ind. Arch. Surv. Rep. vi. p. 167). And ‘Kārkota’ is the name of a Kashmīr dynasty mentioned in Rājā Taranginī and elsewhere, dating from the seventh century A.D.; and of a ‘Kota’ dynasty (Ind. Arch. Surv. Rep. xiv. 45).
4 Mahāpadmo is the tutelary Nāga of the Vollur lake in Kashmīr.
5 Takṣhako, one of the sons of Kāsyapa by his Nāgawife Kadru.
6 This Sāgaro is to be distinguished from the other of the same name numbered 37 on this list. This seems to be the Sāgaro Nāgarājā who secured the golden begging bowl (Sujātā's or Nandabala's gift) of Sākya Muni, which he threw into the Nairanjan after partaking of its restorative contents when about to attain Buddhahood. See also de Körös', CsomaAnalysis in As. Res. xx. p. 448Google Scholar.
7 Anabatapta, the great Himalayan Manassarovāra Lake, the source of the four great rivers—the Indus, Tsangpu, etc. See Hiuen Tsiang (Beale's tr.) ii. 41; and , Cs. de K.'sAnalysis, p. 448Google Scholar.
8 Saṅkho seems the Sankhachūda of the Nāgānanda, loc. cit. p. 68; and it may also be the same name intended by Fa Hian's ‘Samkassa’ xvii. worshipped for rain. He is worshipped (Bühler, , Ind. Antiquary, vi. p. 270Google Scholar) in a lake near Dharindha, in Lārpagman, in Kashmir.
9 Kālo, this may be the same as the ‘Māhakāla nāgarāja,’ referred to in Hardy's, Monachism, p. 274Google Scholar.
10 Pañchalo. Compare ‘Panchāla’ in Indian Antiquary, vii. p. 11.
11 Kāliko. Compare Krishna's combat with the Serpent Kālika.
12 Hastikachchho seems to be the Nāga's name of the lake at Hastināpura—‘the Nāga or Elephant city’— of the Sudhana Jātaka.
13 Elapatro, mentioned by Tsiang, Hiuen, loc. cit. ii. 41Google Scholar.
14 Huluḍa. Compare , Cs. de K.'sAnalysis, p. 92Google Scholar.
15 Sudarshano is evidently the ‘Sudasmna,' the son of Nāgarājā Dhataraṭṭha, of the Bhūridatta Jātaka, No. 547 of Fausböll's list.
