Manikyala Stupa

The Manikyala Stupa (Urdu: مانكياله اسٹوپ) is a Buddhist stupa near the village of Tope Mankiala, in the Pothohar region of Pakistan's Punjab province. The stupa was built to commemorate the spot, where according to the Jataka tales, an incarnation of the Buddha called Prince Sattva sacrificed himself to feed seven hungry tiger cubs.[1][2]

Manikyala Stupa
Restored view of the Manikyala Stupa
Religion
AffiliationBuddhism
Location
LocationTope Mankiala
Punjab
Pakistan
StatePunjab
Manikyala Stupa is located in Pakistan
Manikyala Stupa
Shown within Pakistan
Geographic coordinates33°26′53″N 73°14′36″E

Location

Mankiala stupa is located in the village of Tope Mankiala, near the place named Sagri and 2nd near the village of Sahib Dhamyal. It is 36 km southeast of Islamabad, and near the city of Rawalpindi. It is visible from the nearby historic Rawat Fort.

Significance
Relics from the stupa were excavated during the British colonial era, and are now on display at the British Museum

The stupa was built to commemorate the spot, where according to the Jataka tales, the Golden Light Sutra and popular belief, Prince Sattva, an earlier incarnation of the Buddha, sacrificed some of his body parts to feed seven hungry tiger cubs.[1][3]

History

The stupa is said to have been built during the reign of Kanishka between 128 and 151 CE.[4] An alternate theory suggest that the stupa is one of 84 such buildings, built during the reign of Mauryan emperor Ashoka to house the ashes of the Buddha.[5] It is said that Emperor Kanishka used to visit this stupa often to pay respects to Buddha during his campaigns.[4]

The stupa was discovered by Mountstuart Elphinstone, the first British emissary to Afghanistan, in 1808 - a detailed account of which is in his memoir 'Kingdom of Caubul' (1815).[4] The stupa contains an engraving which indicates that the stupa was restored in 1891.

Relics

Mankiala stupa's relic deposits were discovered by Jean-Baptiste Ventura in 1830. The relics were then removed from the site during the British Raj, and are now housed in the British Museum.[6]

Inscription

On one of the stones of the stupa there is an inscription which reads as:[7][8]

Inscription of the Mankiala Stupa
Inscription Original (Kharosthi script) Transliteration English translation
Line 1 𐨯𐨎 𐩄 𐩃 𐩃 𐨀𐨅𐨟𐨿𐨪 𐨤𐨂𐨪𐨿𐨬𐨀𐨅 𐨨𐨱𐨪𐨗𐨯 𐨐𐨞𐨅 Saṃ 10 4 4 etra purvae maharajasa Kaṇe- In the year 18, of the great king
Line 2 𐨮𐨿𐨐𐨯 𐨒𐨂𐨮𐨣𐨬𐨭𐨯𐨎𐨬𐨪𐨿𐨢𐨐 𐨫𐨫 ṣkasa Guṣanavaśasaṃvardhaka Lala Kanishka, Lala, increaser of the Kusana line,
Line 3 𐨡𐨜𐨞𐨩𐨒𐨆 𐨬𐨅𐨭𐨿𐨤𐨭𐨁𐨯 𐨐𐨿𐨮𐨟𐨿𐨪𐨤𐨯 daḍaṇayago Veśpaśisa kṣatrapasa judge, the Satrap Veśpaśi's
Line 4 𐨱𐨆𐨪𐨨𐨂𐨪𐨿𐨟𐨆 𐨯 𐨟𐨯 𐨀𐨤𐨣𐨒𐨅 𐨬𐨁𐨱𐨪𐨅 horamurto sa tasa apanage vihare donation master - he is in his own monastery
Line 5 𐨱𐨆𐨪𐨨𐨂𐨪𐨿𐨟𐨆 𐨀𐨅𐨟𐨿𐨪 𐨞𐨞𐨧𐨒𐨬𐨦𐨂𐨢𐨰𐨬 horamurto etra ṇaṇabhagavabudhazava the donation master - here several relics of the Lord, the Buddha,
Line 6 𐨤𐨿𐨪𐨟𐨁𐨯𐨿𐨟𐨬𐨩𐨟𐨁 𐨯𐨱 𐨟𐨀𐨅𐨣 𐨬𐨅𐨭𐨿𐨤𐨭𐨁𐨀𐨅𐨞 𐨑𐨂𐨡𐨕𐨁𐨀𐨅𐨣 pratistavayati saha taena Veśpaśieṇa Khudaciena establishes, together with the group of three, Veśpaśia, Khudacia, and
Line 7 𐨦𐨂𐨪𐨁𐨟𐨅𐨞 𐨕 𐨬𐨁𐨱𐨪𐨐𐨪𐨵𐨀𐨅𐨞 Buriteṇa ca viharakaravhaeṇa Burita, the builder of the monastery,
Line 8 𐨯𐨎𐨬𐨅𐨞 𐨕 𐨤𐨪𐨁𐨬𐨪𐨅𐨞 𐨯𐨢 𐨀𐨅𐨟𐨅𐨞 𐨐𐨂 saṃveṇa ca parivareṇa sadha eteṇa ku- and together with his whole retinue. Through this
Line 9 𐨭𐨫𐨨𐨂𐨫𐨅𐨣 𐨦𐨂𐨢𐨅𐨱𐨁 𐨕 𐨮𐨬𐨀𐨅𐨱𐨁 𐨕 śalamulena budhehi ca ṣavaehi ca root of good as well as through the Buddhas and disciples
Line 10 𐨯𐨨𐨎 𐨯𐨡 𐨦𐨬𐨟𐨂 samaṃ sada bhavatu may it always be
Line 11 𐨧𐨿𐨪𐨟𐨪𐨯𐨿𐨬𐨪𐨦𐨂𐨢𐨁𐨯 𐨀𐨒𐨿𐨪𐨤𐨜𐨁𐨀𐨭𐨀𐨅 Bhratarasvarabudhisa agrapaḍiaśae for the best share of (his) brother Svarabudhi.
Line 12 𐨯𐨢 𐨦𐨂𐨢𐨁𐨫𐨅𐨣 𐨣𐨬𐨐𐨪𐨿𐨨𐨁𐨒𐨅𐨞 sadha Budhilena navakarmigeṇa Together with Budhila, the superintendent of construction.
Line 13 𐨐𐨪𐨿𐨟𐨁𐨩𐨯 𐨨𐨰𐨅 𐨡𐨁𐨬𐨯𐨅𐨁 𐩅 Kartiyasa maze divase 20 On the 20th day of the month Kārttika.

Conservation

The stupa has not been restored since 1891, and remains largely abandoned.[4] The stupa features a large defect in its mound, which was created by plunderers.

Access

Mankiala's stupa is located near the Mankiala Road in the village of Tope Mankiala. Towards the west, the Mankiala Road intersects the N-5 National Highway, which provides access to Islamabad and Rawalpindi. The site can also be accessed by the Mankiala railway station in the nearby village of Mankiala, which is served by the Karachi–Peshawar Railway Line.

  • Restored half view and section of the Manikyala Stupa
    Restored half view and section of the Manikyala Stupa
  • The stupa in 1897
    The stupa in 1897
  • Buddhist stupa Mankiala
    Buddhist stupa Mankiala
  • Manikyala relics
    Manikyala relics
  • Manikyala relics
    Manikyala relics
  • Manikyala Kharoshthi inscriptions
    Manikyala Kharoshthi inscriptions

See also

References
  1. Bernstein, Richard (2001). Ultimate Journey: Retracing the Path of an Ancient Buddhist Monk who Crossed Asia in Search of Enlightenment. A.A. Knopf. ISBN 9780375400094. Retrieved 16 June 2017. Mankiala tiger.
  2. Cunningham, Sir Alexander (1871). Four Reports Made During the Years, 1862-63-64-65. Government Central Press. p. 155. As Buddha offers his body to appease the hunger of the seven starving tiger - cubs , so Râsâlu offers himself instead of the woman's only son who was destined to ... Lastly , the scene of both legends is laid at Manikpur or Mânikyâla
  3. Golden Light Sutra 18.
  4. "The forgotten Mankiala Stupa". Dawn. 26 October 2014. Retrieved 16 June 2017.
  5. Malik, Iftikhar Haider (2006). Culture and Customs of Pakistan. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 81. ISBN 978-0-313-33126-8.
  6. The British Museum Collection
  7. Prinsep, H. T. (1844). Note on the Historical Results, Deducible from Recent Discoveries in Afghanistan. London: W. H. Allen & Co. p. Plate XVI.
  8. Jongeward, David; Errington, Elizabeth; Salomon, Richard; Baums, Stefan (2012). "Catalog and Revised Text and Translations of Gandhāran Reliquary" (PDF). Gandhāran Buddhist Reliquaries. Seattle: Early Buddhist Manuscripts Project. p. 240-242. ISBN 978-0-295-99236-5.


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