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Sri Magaradhvaja Yogi 700

By Hiralal Jain

Vol. 3 · No. 2June - 1927pp. 408–411English

Summary

This piece examines the legend of the Magaradhvaja Yogi as it appears in Indian folklore and Buddhist chronicles. Magaradhvaja is portrayed as an ascetic who lived near the route supposedly taken by Prince Vijaya on his way to Sri Lanka. The article notes that the authors of the Dīpavaṃsa and Mahāvaṃsa, writing many centuries after Vijaya, mention Magaradhvaja as a yogi whose prophecies guided the prince. The narrative likely reflects the practice of incorporating local holy men into royal myths to lend spiritual legitimacy to political ventures. The author also analyses geographical references, showing that places associated with Magaradhvaja, such as Broach and Sopāra on the western coast, were important maritime centres. These details support the hypothesis that the Vijaya legend has a western Indian locus. The piece concludes by suggesting that Magaradhvaja Yogi symbolises the synthesis of ascetic ideals and mercantile expansion in the formation of early Sinhalese identity.

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Conclusion

The legend of Magaradhvaja Yogi illustrates how historical narratives blend spiritual figures with political events. By situating a yogi on the maritime route to Sri Lanka, the story links asceticism with the commercial and colonial ventures of early travellers.

Key passages

Chosen by AI from the article's text. Each one is checked word for word against the text before it is shown.

  • “Magaradhvaja measured his importance by the size of his following. He ખડ the leader of 700 disciples.”
  • “The name Magaradhvaja with ત mysterious number 700 alinost invariably attached 80 it was found by various archaeologists inscribed on temples and idols scattered over a vast area lying between Baijnath close to the Ganges in the North and Bhairamgarh in the Bastar State bordering on the Godévari in the South and Chittorgarh in the North-west to Cuttak in the East, covering the whole of the Central Provinces and parts of Bihar, Orissa, Central India હ. Rajputana,”
  • “I think it is now well established that he was the Sivite head of the Ratanpur matha and had a following of 700 celas.”

Works cited in this article

  1. Arch. Reports, vol. XIX, p. 23.
  2. Manuscript history of Ratanpur kings

Discussed in this article

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Texts & works

  • Dipavanmisa

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In this issue

Vol. 3 · No. 2
235–260Maskari as an Epithet of GosalaB. M. Barua261–263Vijayanagara in Bengal TraditionRamesh Basu264–272The Development of Buddhist Art in South IndiaDeva Prasad Ghosh273–297Origin and Development of Dutakavya Literature in SanskritChintaharan Chakravarti298–306Origins of Hindu IconismS. V. Venkateswara307–314Pre-Upanisadic Teachers of Brahma-vidyaUmesh Chandra Bhattacharya315–335The Evolution of the StateBala Krishna336–355The Kalinga EdictManindra Mohan Bose356–375The Origin and Development of NumeralsSukumar Ranjan Das376–394The Gaudi Riti in Theory and PracticeShiva Prasad Bhattacharya395–403A Note on the Avantisundari Katha in relation to Bharavi and DandinSushil Kumar De403–408Where Did Prince Vijaya Come FromKunwar Shivnath Singh Sengar408–411Sri Magaradhvaja Yogi 700Hiralal JainCurrent article412–412The Malla EraSushil Kumar De413–417Mahavana and Hinayana Works Known to NagarjunaR. Kimura418–418Rohitagiri in the Plate of Sri CandraNalini Kanta Bhattasali419–428The Tibetan Translation of the Sadhanamala: A RejoinderVidhushekhara Bhattacharya429–429Outlines of the History of Buddhism in Indo-ChinaRamesh Chandra Majumdar429–432Recent Progress in Archaeology in South IndiaC. S. Srinivasachari432–432Imprecatory Verses in Copper Plate GrantBatakrishna Ghosh433–437ReviewsSushil Kumar De, U. N. Ghoshal, Chintaharan Chakravarti438–439Select Contents of Oriental Journals440–441Bibliographical Notes

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