Living at Isvarapura was like being in a bubble. Davuth was on one of his breaks again. He walked around the third enclosure margins. The biggest and outermost wall would be built here with the second and first enclosures nestled inside it. The libraries and shrines would be inside the first enclosure, creating a layered pathway from the outside to reach the Shiva linga in the centre.
‘What are you carving? The curves are smooth here and rough there,’ Davuth asked one of the women from Thanjavur working on the third enclosure wall.
She smiled and explained, pointing at a half-carved skirt. ‘She is Tilottama, the apsara. These two rough markings will be Sunda and Upasunda, the demons. They lusted after her beauty and wanted to possess her. She is tricking them to escape.’
– Strei by Srivalli Rekha, Shared Roots
(Figure 1: Credit: Wikipedia Commons – Burning of the Khāṇḍava Forest)
A thousand years ago, there was a bustling Śiva (Tribhuvanamāheśvara) temple in a town then known as Iśvarapura. Today, the remnants of that temple called Banteay Srei are a well-known tourist destination of archaeological significance in Cambodia. Situated slightly apart from the more famous attractions, it is a small site, particularly when compared to the grand Khmer monuments like Angkor Wat or Angkor Thom. However, this temple is distinguished by its intricate and elaborate wall carvings in red sandstone.
As we circumambulate the garbha-griha of Banteay Srei, we encounter vivid narratives carved into the lintels of its three sides. Like the asuras, Sunda and Upasunda fighting over the apsara Tilottamā, episodes such as Kirāṭa’s wrestling match with Arjuna, the abduction of Sītā, and the duel between Vāli and Sugrīva were once intricately carved. The temple’s four outer enclosures house a diverse and elaborate array of scenes and persons from the Rāmāyaṇa, the Mahābhārata, and the Purāṇas. Śiva in the form of Naṭarāja with the Nāyaṉmār Karaikkāl Ammaiyār, the killing of Hiraṇyakaśipu by Narasiṁha, the scene of Rāvaṇānugraha, and the burning of Khāṇḍava forest are a few examples.
(Figure 2: Credit: Wikipedia Commons – The intricate reliefs carving of red colored stone)
We know from inscriptions recovered from the temple that Yajñavarāha and his younger brother Viṣṇukumāra built this temple in 967 CE. Yajñavarāha was a priest and a doctor at the court of the King of Kamboja (Sanskrit for Cambodia, Khmer: Kâmpŭchéa), Rājendravarman II (944–968 CE) and the guru of his successor Jayavarman V (968–1001 CE). The inscription recording the foundation of the temple contains 44 verses in Saṃskṛta and 11 in Khmer. Similar to Indian inscriptions of the time, it begins with an invocation to Śiva and Śakti, followed by an eulogy of the ruler Jayavarman. After listing down various articles of donations, it specifies the duty of the temple chief to feed guests and ensure the recitation of the Vedas without break.
Beyond Banteay Srei, a large number of similar Saṃskṛta inscriptions dating from the 5th to the 14th centuries are found throughout Cambodia. These inscriptions, composed in the beautiful Kāvya style, employ almost all Saṃskṛta meters and adhere closely to the rules of rhetoric and poetics. They bear testimony to the erudition of their authors, who possessed profound knowledge of Saṃskṛta grammar, literary work, Śāstras, Vedas, Smr̥tis, Vedānta, and Buddhist canons. Pāṇini is frequently cited, alongside references to Mahābhāṣya, Kāśikāvṛtti, and other treatises such as Suśrutasaṃhitā and Manusmr̥ti.
Dated 944 AD, the Pre Rup inscription of Rājendravarman contains 298 verses and is the longest Cambodian Saṃskṛta inscription found. Bulk of the inscription is a eulogy of various rulers of the dynasty. The author of this praśhasti makes precise references to the Atharvaveda, Rāmāyaṇa, Mahābhārata and Pāṇini. Further, four verses strikingly allude to Kālidāsa’s Raghuvaṃśa. For example, extolling the virtues of the king, the author writes in verse 211 that he surpassed Dilīpa with a direct reference to Raghuvaṃśa –
सुदक्षिणान्दिलीपं यः प्रतिगृह्णन्तमध्वरे ।
अजैषीत् क्षत्रधर्म्मेण तां पात्रेषु तु दत्तवान् ॥
sudakṣiṇāndilīpaṃ yaḥ pratigṛhṇantamadhvare ।
ajaiṣīt kṣatradharmmeṇa tāṃ pātreṣu tu dattavān ॥
Translation: In the sacrifice, by his observance of royal duties, he surpassed Dilīpa who had espoused Sudokṣina, because (instead of taking a good offering, Sudaksiņa) he gave that in the plates (or: to persons worthy of receiving them) [Translation: Dr. MK Sharan, 1981]
The fact that such an advanced ecosystem for Saṃskṛta scholarship flourished in Cambodia and was well acquainted with the works and scholars of a land thousands of kilometres away is of particular interest. Moreover, this was not an isolated phenomenon. The history of shared roots between India and Cambodia dates back to the first century CE. Many historical sources and folklore recall the story of an Indian merchant Kauṇḍinya who married the native Nāga princess Somā and founded a kingdom in the Mekong delta that lasted over four centuries. This kingdom was known as ‘Funan’ in the Chinese chronicles. Throughout the history of various empires in Kamboja, there existed continuous contact with the Indian mainland. Numerous records highlight the presence of learned brāhmaṇas from ‘Āryadeśa’ who journeyed to Cambodia and thereafter occupied high-religious offices. They also detail instances of intermarriages between these brāhmaṇas and the ruling Cambodian families. Further, an inscription from the 10th century provides a striking example of the Kambojan people’s deep familiarity with Āryadeśa’s geography. It refers to Divākara Bhaṭṭa who was born on the banks of Yamunā and married the daughter of Rājendravarman. Another significant figure is Śivasoma, who belonged to the royal family and was also the guru of King Indravarman in the 9th century. He is said to have studied at the feet of Bhagavān Śankara (believed by historians to be Adi Śaṅkarācārya).
RC Majumdar highlighted the importance of the temples and Saṃskṛta literature of Kambuja, stating that Kambuja far exceeds the achievements of India and that “It can be confidently stated that the Kambuja Saṃskṛta records on stone surpass those of ancient India in both volume and magnificence.”
The temple ruins and inscriptions of Cambodia bear testament to the thoroughness and completeness with which the culture of Sindhu-Saraswatī civilization amalgamated and thrived in Kamboja – a civilization distinguished by profound spirituality, a sophisticated dharmic culture, remarkable artistic accomplishments, and scholarly excellence. The concept of the Indosphere, rooted in a shared sense of Dharma, facilitated vibrant non-colonial cultural exchanges between civilizations. The abstraction of the Itihāsas-Purāṇas, the continued evolution of Cambodian temples and Saṃskṛta literature and the fervour for attaining the ideals expounded by our Darśaṇas exhibited by the Kambuja civilization reaffirm that these elements of the Hindu civilizations transcend geographic limitations.
About Shared roots
Step into the Indosphere, a vast cultural and geographical tapestry shaped by ancient India’s influence. While India’s historic ties beyond the subcontinent are often overlooked, the profound connection with Cambodia stands out. In Shared Roots, seven authors from diverse fields meticulously chart the textures of this bilateral history, unveiling the deep ties that have shaped both nations.
About the author of Strei, Srivalli Rekha
An MBA graduate, Srivalli also has an MA in English literature. Nature is her greatest inspiration. Books and music are her favourite companions. Srivalli calls herself a proud pagan and believes in the beauty of nature worship. She loves to learn the secrets of the universe the Indic way. She is a budding tarot reader and is fascinated by the intricacies of astrology. A freelance content writer during the day, she devours books at night and loves to review them on her blog and Goodreads. Srivalli is a co-founder and managing partner of The Hive Publishers, an indie publishing collective. Her works have been a part of several Indian and international anthologies (e-books and paperback publications). Violets in Hand, The House of Justice, and Pebbles in the Grass are her self-published e-books
About the curator, Ratul Chakraborty
Ratul is one of the most accomplished video-game makers in India. After more than a decade of procrastination and other assorted excuses, he finally gathered enough courage to take a break from the corporate world in late 2019 and complete writing his highly regarded collection of short stories, Sutradhar. He is fascinated by history and people, the two lenses that form the foundation of his creative perspective. He loves to travel across India doing street portraiture photography and is also a lifelong follower of Juventus FC. Ratul is currently juggling his corporate leadership responsibilities along with other creative pursuits interspersed with periods of high-quality laziness. He is based out of Kolkata, where he lives with his parents, his wife, Surela, and three daughters—a Labrador, Gogo, and two rescued Indies, Truffles and Mowgli.
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References
[1] Sharan, M.K. (1981) Select Cambodian Inscriptions: The Mebon and Pre Rup inscriptions of Rajendra Varman II. Delhi: S.N. Publications.
[2] Majumdar, R.C. (1953) Inscriptions of Kambuja. Asiatic Society
[3] Majumdar, R.C. (1944) Kambuja Desa – Or an Ancient Hindu Colony in Cambodia. University of Madras
[4] Rao, C.U. (2023). Sanskrit Inscriptions of Cambodia: A Study, https://www.researchgate.net/publication/376989783_Sanskrit_Inscriptions_of_Cambodia_A_Study
Feature Image Credit: wikipedia.org
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