Krmiśa and Demetrius
By P. C. Bagchi
Summary
The article explores the identification of a figure named Krmiśa (also spelled Gomi-mukhya or Cāmi-mukhya) mentioned in the Buddhist text Mañjuśrīmūlakalpa, which recounts the story of an anti‑Buddhist ruler who seized eastern India and the Gate of Kashmir, destroyed monasteries and killed monks. After his death a benevolent Yakṣa named Buddharapakṣa ascended the throne and built monasteries. The author examines the possibility that Krmiśa is a corruption of Demetrius, the Indo‑Greek king who invaded India around 180 BCE and captured the Punjab. Linguistic analysis shows that the Tibetan translation of the name (Gami, Gomi) resembles Demetrius and that appellations like Yakṣa or Nāga, common in Indian epigraphy, might have been applied to a foreign ruler later deified as a local god. By comparing the anti‑Buddhist activities described in the Mañjuśrīmūlakalpa, the coinage and chronology of Indo‑Greek rulers, the article argues that the text preserves a distorted memory of Demetrius’ campaign. It also examines references in later texts to a Yakṣa worshipped at Buddhist sites, sometimes named Krmiśa or Buddharapakṣa, and argues that these may be linked to an assimilated Greek hero cult. The author dismisses previous theories that Krmiśa refers to Kuṣāṇa rulers or Mauryan generals, noting that the time frame and description better fit Demetrius. The narrative reveals how Indo‑Greek incursions were remembered in Buddhist mythology, transformed into stories of malevolent and benevolent Yakṣas, and integrated into the religious landscape. The paper situates these myths within a broader pattern of syncretism in early medieval India, where foreign conquerors could become local deities and their exploits were incorporated into Buddhist canonical lore.
Conclusion
The article concludes that the Krmiśa episode in the Mañjuśrīmūlakalpa is not pure fiction but reflects historical memory. The descriptions of a wicked king who attacked monasteries align with Greek records of Demetrius’ campaigns, and philological evidence points to a corruption of his name in later Sanskrit and Tibetan sources. Krmiśa was likely an Indo‑Greek ruler assimilated into Buddhist myth as a Yakṣa who eventually became a protector deity. This identification sheds light on Indo‑Greek interactions and the transformation of historical events into religious narratives.