Dharmasvamin

Dharmasvamin (Chag Lo-tsa-ba Chos-rje-dpal, 1197–1264) was a Tibetan monk and pilgrim who travelled to India between 1234 and 1236. His biography by Upasaka Chos-dar provides an eyewitness account of the times.

Quotes about Dharmasvamin

• In the account of the Tibetan pilgrim Dharmasvamin, who visited eastern India in the years 1234-36, the Vihiira of Uddandapura is mentioned twice as the residence of a Turushka military commander. Of Vikramashila 'there were then no traces left, the Turushka soldiery having razed it to the ground, and thrown the foundation stones into the Ganges' .206In Nalanda, Dharmasvamin observed about eighty small viharas which were damaged by the Turushkas, 'and there was absolutely no-one to look after them, or to make offerings', although two of them were in a serviceable condition.
  • Al-Hind, The Making of the Indo-Islamic World. Volume 2,147ff

Roerich, Biography of Dharmasvamin

Biography Of Dharmasvamin (1959)by Roerich Dr. George. [1]

• His visit to India falls in the reign of Iltutmlsh (1211-1236 A.D.) of the “Slave” dynasty. Chag lo-tsa-ba witnessed the constant Muslim incursions which followed the conquest of Bihar and Bengal by Ikhtiyar-ud-Din Muhammad between 1193 and 1204-5. Bands of Turushka (Gar-log or Qarluq) soldiers roamed about the country side. Chag lo-tsa-ba describes the defensive measures taken by the inhabitants of Pattala (Pa-ta of our text) in Tirhut. He found Vajrasana in Magadha deserted. Chag lo-tsa-ba describes his meeting with the Raja Buddhasena, whom he calls the ruling Raja of Magadha who had his residence at Vajrasana. Buddhasena is known to Taranatha who adds that the local Sena kings to whom Buddhasena belonged, professed allegiance to their Muslim overlord.. 1 At Vajrasana, Chag lo-tsa-ba found Sravakas in control of the temples. The great Vihara of VikramaSila, one of the seats of Tantric learning, was still existing in the time of Chag dGra-bcom, the uncle of the author (1153-1216 A.D.) and of the Kashmir Pantjita Sakyafrlbha dra (1145-1225 A.D.), who had come to Magadha in about 1174 A.D. and who had been invited to Tibet by Khro-phulo’tsa-ba in 1203 A.D. 1 When our author Chag-Jo-tsa-ba Chos-rje-dpal visited Magadha, there were no traces of it left, the Turushka soldiers having razed it to the ground and thrown the foundation stones into the Ganga. The sack of VikramaSila must have taken place about 1 199 or 1200 A.D. at the time of the conquest by Ikhtiyar-ud-Din Muhammad. The Vihara of Odantapuri, which was also destroyed at the time of the conquest, is mentioned only twice as the residence of a Turushka military commander. From the account of Chag lo-tsa-ba it appears that the great Vihara of Nalanda, though largely deserted and damaged, was still standing in 1235-6, and that scholastic activities continued, notwithstanding the constant perils of the time. At Nalanda Chag-lo-tsa-ba studied with the venerable Pandit a Rahulasribha- dra and witnessed the arrival of Turushka soldeirs. This Rahu- laSribhadra is mentioned by Taranatha in his rGya-gar-chos - byuh, or “ History of Buddhism in India”*, who says that “In the reign of Buddhasena there lived in Nalanda a great Pantjita Rahula- Srlbhadra, who had some seventy students.”
  • Introduction

• Vikramasila was still existing in the time of the Elder Dharmasvamin 1 2 and the Kashmir Pandita*, but when the Dharmasvamin visited the country there were no traces of it left, the Turushka soldiery having razed it to the ground, and thrown the foundation stones into the Ganga.

• At the time of the Dharmasvamih’s visit to Vajrasana, the place was deserted and only four monks were found staying (in the Vihara). One (of them) said, “It is not good ! All have fled from fear of the Turushka soldiery”. They blocked up the door in front of the Mahabodhi image- with bricks and plastered it. Near it they placed another image as a substitute. They also plastered the outside door (of the temple). On its surface they drew the image of Mahesvara in order to protect it from non-Buddhists. The monks said, “We five do not dare to remain here and shall have to flee.” As the day’s stage was long and the heat great, said the Dharmasvamin, they felt tired, and as it became dark, they remained there and fell asleep. Had the Turushkas come, they would not have known it. At daybreak they fled towards the North following the rut of a cart, and for seventeen days the Dharmasvamin did not see the face of the image (i. e. the Mahabodhi image). At that time also a woman appeared, who brought the welcome news that the Turushka soldiery had gone far away.

• Two [Muslim] soldiers were in the ferry boat, which was taking Dharmasvamin across the Ganga…They demanded gold from him. Being a simple person or a simpleton, Dharmasvamin threatened to report them to the king, forgetting that Hindu and Buddhist kings were at this time unable to protect themselves, much less their subjects. This threat made the Muslim soldiers wild and they snatched away the begging bowl of Dharmasvamin. Two Buddhist lay passengers tried to assuage the Muslim soldiers by offering them precious things, but the soldiers replied, “We do not want your wealth; we want this Tibetan.” The matter was eventually compromised by Dharmasvamin offering a Pana [typically a gold coin]…Had the fellow passengers not intervened, Dharmasvamin would have been carried away as a slave, and Indian history would have lost this important source-book.
  • Dharmasvamin’s biographer, George Roerich: quoted in [2]