Buddhāvatāra in Kṣemendra’s Daśāvatāracarita: A Comparative Study with Buddhāvatāra in Purāṇas

Abstract

         This research article has three objectives: (1) to study " Buddhāvatāra " in Sanskrit literature Daśāvatāracarita composed by Kshemendra, (2) to study " Buddhāvatāra " in three Puranic texts, namely Vishnu Purana, Agni Purana, and Bhagavata Purana, and (3) to compare Buddhāvatāra in Daśāvatāracarita by Kṣemendra and the three Puranic texts: Vishnu Purana, Agni Purana, and Bhagavata Purana.

         The research findings reveal that Buddha Avatara as depicted in Puranic literature has a different role compared to other incarnations of Vishnu who are typically portrayed as heroic saviors. This results from attempts to diminish the credibility of Buddhist teachings and efforts to incorporate local religions into the Hindu cosmological framework. Since the Buddha taught doctrines that contradicted Vedic traditions, it is believed that this incarnation was introduced during a period when Buddhism was gaining immense popularity. The Puranic texts were among the earliest literary works composed to respond to the dynamic social shift from Vedic religion to Hinduism and to counter alternative religions. Therefore, the Buddha Avatara appearing in Puranic texts has negative characteristics, aimed at attacking the Buddha.In contrast, the Buddha Avatara depicted in Kshemendra's Daśāvatāracarita contains content similar to the Buddha's biography without the attacking characteristics found in Puranic literature. This difference possibly stems from the fact that Kashmir, where the Daśāvatāracarita was composed, was a multicultural society where Buddhism and Hinduism flourished side by side.