Wardak Vase
The Wardak Vase is the name of an ancient globular-shaped buddhist copper vase that was found as part of a stupa relic deposit in the early nineteenth century near Chaki Wardak in Wardak Province, Afghanistan. The importance of the vase lies in the long Kharoshthi inscription, which claims that the stupa contained the relics of the Buddha. Since 1880, the vase has been part of the British Museum's Asian collection.[1][2]
| Wardak Vase | |
|---|---|
 Wardak Vase and coins displayed in the British Museum | |
| Material | Copper alloy |
| Size | Height 17.8 cm |
| Created | 2nd Century AD |
| Present location | British Museum, London |
| Registration | OA 1880-93;CM 1979-2-15-21 to 41 |
  Wardak  Wardak | |
Discovery
The vase, coins and other relics were found by the British adventurer and spy Charles Masson in 1836. Mason unearthed the vase in one of the stupas near the town of Wardak. The finds were sent to London in 1839, where they became part of the Indian Museum's collection. In 1880, they were transferred to the British Museum.
Description
The Wardak Vase is spherical in shape and made of copper alloy. The vase has a slim neck with an inverted rim and a low flat base. It has a series of three parallel grooves running around the middle of the vase (with a further two pairs of grooves above and below). Engraved between the upper and middle grooves are four lines of Kharoshthi script that dates the vase and deposit to the year 178 AD. With the vase were found a number of beads and sixty-six coins of the Kushan Kings Vima Kadphises, Kanishka I and Huvishka.
Inscription
The long inscription refers to the Kushan year 51 in the reign of Kanishka I who reigned between AD 110 and 120, but also refers to one of his successors Huvishka, who ruled between AD 146 and 83; it thus provides useful evidence for reconstructing the chronological reigns of Kushan royalty at the time. The inscription also indicates that the monastery was built by the Mahasanghikas, one of the earliest buddhist schools in India, who were based at Mathura, near Delhi. The vase therefore provides strong evidence for the widespread distribution of Buddhism in South Asia almost 2000 years ago.
The inscription reads as follows:
| Inscription | Original (Kharosthi script) | Transliteration | English translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Line 1 | 𐨯𐨎 𐩅 𐩅 𐩄 𐩀 𐨨𐨯 𐨀𐨪𐨿𐨠𐨨𐨁𐨯𐨁𐨩 𐨯𐨯𐨿𐨟𐨅𐨱𐨁 𐩄 𐩃 𐩀 𐨀𐨁𐨨𐨅𐨞 𐨒𐨜𐨁𐨒𐨅𐨞 𐨐𐨨𐨒𐨂𐨫𐨿𐨩𐨤𐨂𐨟𐨿𐨪𐨬𐨒𐨨𐨪𐨅𐨒 𐨯 𐨀𐨁𐨭 𐨑𐨬𐨡𐨨𐨁 𐨐𐨡𐨫𐨩𐨁𐨒𐨬𐨒𐨨𐨪𐨅𐨒𐨬𐨁𐨱𐨪𐨨𐨿𐨨𐨁 𐨠𐨂𐨦𐨨𐨿𐨨𐨁 𐨧𐨒𐨬𐨡 𐨭𐨐𐨿𐨩𐨨𐨂𐨞𐨅 𐨭𐨪𐨁𐨪 𐨤𐨪𐨁𐨛𐨬𐨅𐨟𐨁 | saṃ 20 20 10 1 masa Arthamisiya sastehi 10 4 1 imeṇa gaḍigeṇa Kamagulyaputra Vagamarega sa iśa Khavadami kadalayigavagamaregaviharammi thubammi bhagavada Śakyamuṇe śarira pariṭhaveti | In the year 51, in the month Artemisios, on the 15th day, in this moment Kamagulya's son Vagamarega here in Khavada in the Kadalayiga Vagamarega Monastery a stupa for the relics of the Lord, the Śākya Sage, establishes |
| Line 2 | 𐨀𐨁𐨨𐨅𐨞 𐨐𐨂𐨭𐨫𐨨𐨂𐨫𐨅𐨞 𐨨𐨱𐨪𐨗𐨪𐨗𐨟𐨁𐨪𐨗𐨱𐨂𐨬𐨅𐨮𐨿𐨐𐨯 𐨀𐨒𐨿𐨪𐨧𐨒𐨀𐨅 𐨧𐨬𐨟𐨂 𐨨𐨡𐨤𐨁𐨱𐨪 𐨨𐨅 𐨤𐨂𐨩𐨀𐨅 𐨧𐨬𐨟𐨂 𐨧𐨿𐨪𐨱𐨪 𐨨𐨅 𐨱𐨮𐨿𐨠𐨂𐨞𐨏𐨨𐨪𐨅𐨒𐨯 𐨤𐨂𐨩𐨀𐨅 𐨧𐨬𐨟𐨂 𐨩𐨆 𐨕 𐨨𐨅 𐨧𐨂𐨩 𐨞𐨟𐨁𐨒𐨨𐨁𐨟𐨿𐨪𐨯𐨎𐨧𐨟𐨁𐨒𐨞 𐨤𐨂𐨩𐨀𐨅 𐨧𐨬𐨟𐨂 𐨨𐨱𐨁𐨩 𐨕 𐨬𐨒𐨨𐨪𐨁𐨒𐨯 𐨀𐨒𐨿𐨪𐨧𐨒𐨤𐨜𐨁𐨩𐨎𐨭𐨀𐨅 | imeṇa kuśalamuleṇa Maharajarajatirajahuveṣkasa agrabhagae bhavatu madapidara me puyae bhavatu bhradara me Haṣthunaḥmaregasa puyae bhavatu yo ca me bhuya ṇatigamitrasaṃbhatigaṇa puyae bhavatu mahiya ca vagamaregasa agrabhagapaḍiyaṃśae | Through this root of good may it be the best lot of the great king, chief of kings, Huviṣka; may it be in honour of my mother and father; may it be in honour of my brother Haṣthunaḥ-marega; and may it be in honour of my further relatives, friends, and associates; may it be the best share and lot of me, Vagamarega; |
| Line 3 | 𐨧𐨬𐨟𐨂 𐨯𐨪𐨿𐨬𐨯𐨟𐨿𐨬𐨞 𐨀𐨪𐨆𐨒𐨡𐨐𐨿𐨮𐨁𐨞𐨀𐨅 𐨧𐨬𐨟𐨂 𐨀𐨬𐨁𐨩𐨞𐨪𐨒𐨤𐨪𐨿𐨩𐨟 𐨩𐨬 𐨧𐨬𐨒𐨿𐨪 𐨩𐨆 𐨀𐨟𐨿𐨪 𐨀𐨎𐨟𐨪 𐨀𐨎𐨜𐨗𐨆 𐨗𐨫𐨩𐨂𐨒 𐨭𐨭𐨿𐨬𐨅𐨟𐨁𐨒 𐨀𐨪𐨂𐨤𐨿𐨩𐨟 𐨯𐨪𐨿𐨬𐨁𐨞 𐨤𐨂𐨩𐨀𐨅 𐨧𐨬𐨟𐨂 𐨨𐨱𐨁𐨩 𐨕 𐨪𐨆𐨱𐨞 𐨯𐨡 𐨯𐨪𐨿𐨬𐨁𐨞 𐨀𐨬𐨮𐨟𐨿𐨪𐨁𐨒𐨞 𐨯𐨤𐨪𐨁𐨬𐨪 𐨕 𐨀𐨒𐨿𐨪𐨧𐨒𐨤𐨜𐨁𐨩𐨎𐨭𐨀𐨅 𐨧𐨬𐨟𐨂 𐨨𐨁𐨠𐨿𐨩𐨒𐨯 𐨕 𐨀𐨒𐨿𐨪𐨧𐨒 𐨧𐨬𐨟𐨂 | bhavatu sarvasatvaṇa arogadakṣinae bhavatu aviyaṇaragaparyata yava bhavagra yo atra aṃtara aṃḍajo jalayuga śaśvetiga arupyata sarviṇa puyae bhavatu mahiya ca rohaṇa sada sarviṇa avaṣatrigaṇa saparivara ca agrabhagapaḍiyaṃśae bhavatu mithyagasa ca agrabhaga bhavatu | may it be for the reward of health of all beings; and, from the boundary of the Avīci Hell to the top of existence, whether egg-born, womb-born, moisture-born, formless, may it be for the honour of all; and may it always be for the best lot and share of my horsemen, with all umbrella-bearers and with the retinue; and may there be a best lot for the one who is wrong. |
| Line 4 | 𐨀𐨅𐨮 𐨬𐨁𐨱𐨪 𐨀𐨕𐨪𐨩𐨞 𐨨𐨱𐨯𐨎𐨓𐨁𐨒𐨞 𐨤𐨪𐨁𐨒𐨿𐨪𐨱 | eṣa vihara acarayaṇa Mahasaṃghigaṇa parigraha | This monastery is in the possession of Mahāsāṃghika teachers. |
Translation of the Inscription
A translation of the inscription is described below:
"In the 51st year, in the month Artemisios, after 15 (days), at this time Vag̱amareg̱a, son of Kamagulya; he has made his abode here in Khavada (and) establishes in the Vag̱amareg̱a monastery in a stūpa a relic of the Lord, the Śākya sage."
Further reading
- Baums, Stefan. 2012. “Catalog and Revised Texts and Translations of Gandharan Reliquary Inscriptions.” In: David Jongeward, Elizabeth Errington, Richard Salomon and Stefan Baums, Gandharan Buddhist Reliquaries, p. 243–244, Seattle: Early Buddhist Manuscripts Project (Gandharan Studies, Volume 1).
- Baums, Stefan, and Andrew Glass. 2002– . Catalog of Gāndhārī Texts, no. CKI 159
- Errington, E., and J. Cribb (eds), The Crossroads of Asia: (Cambridge, Ancient India and Iran Trust, 1992)
References
- British Museum Collection
- British Museum Highlights
- Baums, Stefan. (2012). Catalog and Revised Text and Translations of Gandhāran Reliquary Inscriptions. Gandhāran Buddhist Reliquaries. D. Jongeward. Seattle, University of Washington Press
- CKI 159 — Reliquary Inscription of Vagamarega
- Konow, Sten (1929). Kharoshthi Inscriptions With The Exception Of Those Of Asoka. India. p. 165-170.
