Dharmasvamin (''Chag Lo-tsa-ba Chos-rje-dpal'', 1197–1264) was a
Tibet
Tibet (; ''Böd''; ) is a region in East Asia, covering much of the Tibetan Plateau and spanning about . It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people. Also resident on the plateau are some other ethnic groups such as Monpa people, ...
an
monk
A monk (, from el, μοναχός, ''monachos'', "single, solitary" via Latin ) is a person who practices religious asceticism by monastic living, either alone or with any number of other monks. A monk may be a person who decides to dedica ...
and
pilgrim
A pilgrim (from the Latin ''peregrinus'') is a traveler (literally one who has come from afar) who is on Pilgrimage, a journey to a holy place. Typically, this is a physical journey (often on foot) to some place of special significance to the a ...
who travelled to
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
between 1234 and 1236. His biography by Upasaka Chos-dar provides an eyewitness account of the times.
India visit
The objective of Dharmasvamin's tour of India was to visit
Bodh Gaya
Bodh Gaya is a religious site and place of pilgrimage associated with the Mahabodhi Temple Complex in Gaya district in the Indian state of Bihar. It is famous as it is the place where Gautama Buddha is said to have attained Enlightenment ( pi, ...
and to study the Buddhist texts with the Indian scholars. However, by the time he reached India, the Buddhist sites in eastern India had been destroyed.
According to Dharmasvamin's biography, when he visited Uddandapura, it was the residence of a
Turushka Turushka (or Turuṣka) may refer to:
* a Sanskrit word for olibanum
* a term often used for Turks in some ancient sources; see
* Turushka dynasty, a ruling dynasty of ancient South Asia
See also
* Turushkaf, a village in Arabkhaneh Rural ...
(Turkic) military commander. The
Vikramashila
Vikramashila (Sanskrit: विक्रमशिला, IAST: , Bengali:- বিক্রমশিলা, Romanisation:- Bikrômôśilā ) was one of the three most important Buddhist monasteries in India during the Pala Empire, along with N ...
had been completely destroyed by the Turushka army. At
Nalanda
Nalanda (, ) was a renowned ''mahavihara'' (Buddhist monastic university) in ancient Magadha (modern-day Bihar), India. Less than hundred monks resided there, and a local king named Buddhasena of the Pithipati dynasty financially supported the Nalanda's 90-year abbot Rahula Shribhadra.
Rahula Shribhadra accepted Dharmasvamin as a student, and the two men translated
Sanskrit
Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...
Buddhist texts into Tibetan. Dharmasvamin had mastered Sanskrit while in Tibet, using knowledge from his uncle and the 9th century dictionary ''
Mahāvyutpatti
The ''Mahāvyutpatti'' (Devanagari: महाव्युत्पत्ति, compound of महत् (in compounds often महा) - great, big, and व्युत्पत्ति f. - science, formation of words, etymology; Wylie: Bye-bra ...
'': his command over Sanskrit was so strong, that he was mistaken to be an Indian when he visited Bodh Gaya.
Dharmasvamin also visited the court of the
Karnat dynasty
Karnat or Karnata dynasty was a Maithil dynasty established in 1097 CE. The dynasty had two capitals which were Simraungadh in Bara District of Nepal and Darbhanga, Bihar which became the second capital during the reign of Gangadeva. The kingdom c ...
of
Mithila Mithila may refer to:
Places
* Mithilā, a synonym for the ancient Videha state
** Mithilā (ancient city), the ancient capital city of Videha
* Mithila (region), a cultural region (historical and contemporary), now divided between India and Nepal
...
which was ruled by
Ramasimhadeva
Ramasimhadeva was the fourth King of the Karnat dynasty of Mithila. He came into power around 1227 CE and succeeded his father, Narasimhadeva.
Rule
Ramasimhadeva has been described as a "pious devotee and was a firm patron of sacred literature" ...
. He described Ramasimhadeva as treating him with courtesy and even offering him the role of palace priest despite being Buddhist.