A Puzzle for the Scholars of Buddhist History
By Nagin J Shah
Summary
This short note draws scholars’ attention to a puzzling verse in Kālidāsa’s *Raghuvaṃśa*. The verse describes a king who ordered the extermination (pākṣaccheda) of the Mahīśāsaka school and caused the monastic community to be without a Gotra (lineage). The author wonders whether this cryptic passage refers to a Buddhist schism in which a ruler suppressed the Mahīśāsakas and compelled monks to join other lineagesfile:///home/oai/share/520769%20(19)%201-182.pdf. He explores possible identifications of the king (maybe Śātavāhana or Gupta), considers Dharmottara’s discussion of rebirth as a cow due to doctrinal error, and surveys secondary references to *pākṣaccheda* and *gotrabheda*. Because available chronicles do not clearly record such a persecution, the verse remains enigmatic. The note concludes by inviting historians of Buddhism to investigate inscriptions and commentaries for clues and to reassess assumptions about sectarian conflicts in the early Common Era.
Conclusion
The puzzle underscores how much of Buddhist history relies on fragmentary poetic allusions. Without corroborating epigraphic or textual evidence, speculation must remain cautious. The author encourages interdisciplinary collaboration, suggesting that philologists, historians and archaeologists jointly investigate to determine whether Kālidāsa’s verse reflects an actual sectarian purge or a poetic embellishment.