| Kanishka casket | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Created | 2nd century CE |
| Present location | Peshawar Museum,Pakistan (a copy is inBritish Museum,London) |
  Kanishka stupa  Kanishka stupa | |
TheKanishka casket orKanishka reliquary, is aBuddhistreliquary made in gilded copper, and dated to the first year of the reign of theKushan emperorKanishka, in 127 CE. It is now in thePeshawar Museum in the historic city of Peshawar, Pakistan.
It was discovered in a deposit chamber under the monumentalKanishka stupa (described by Chinese pilgrims in the 7th century as the tallest stupa in all India), during the archeological excavations in 1908-1909 in Shah-ji-Dheri on the outskirts ofPeshawar. It is said to have contained three bone fragments of the Buddha,[2] which were forwarded toBurma by the British following the excavation,[3] where they still remain.
The casket is today at thePeshawar Museum, and a copy is in theBritish Museum. The casket is dedicated inKharoshthi. The inscription reads:
| Inscription | Original (Kharosthi script(Read from right to left)) | Transliteration | English translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Line 2 | 𐨐𐨞𐨁𐨮𐨿𐨐𐨤𐨂𐨪𐨅 𐨞𐨒𐨪𐨅 𐨀𐨩𐨎 𐨒𐨢𐨐𐨪𐨎𐨜𐨅 𐨨𐨱𐨪𐨗𐨯 𐨐𐨞𐨁 | Kaṇiṣkapure ṇagare ayaṃ gadhakaraṃḍe maharajasa Kaṇi- | In Kaṇiṣkapura city, this incense box is the great kingKanishka's |
| Line 4 | 𐨮𐨿𐨐𐨯 𐨬𐨁𐨱𐨪𐨅 𐨨𐨱𐨯𐨅𐨣𐨯 𐨯𐨎𐨓𐨪𐨐𐨿𐨮𐨁𐨟𐨯 𐨀𐨒𐨁𐨭𐨫𐨣𐨬𐨐𐨪𐨿𐨨𐨁𐨀𐨣 | ṣkasa vihare Mahasenasa Saṃgharakṣitasa agiśalanavakarmiana | monastery's superintendents of construction of the fire hall, Mahasena's and Saṃgharakṣita's, |
| Line 3 | 𐨡𐨅𐨩𐨢𐨪𐨿𐨨𐨅 𐨯𐨪𐨿𐨬𐨯𐨟𐨿𐨬𐨣 𐨱𐨁𐨟𐨯𐨂𐨱𐨪𐨿𐨠 𐨧𐨬𐨟𐨂 | deyadharme sarvasatvana hitasuhartha bhavatu | donation. May it be for the benefit and pleasure of all living beings. |
| Line 1 | 𐨀𐨕𐨪𐨿𐨩𐨣 𐨯𐨪𐨿𐨬𐨯𐨿𐨟𐨁𐨬𐨟𐨁𐨣 𐨤𐨿𐨪𐨟𐨁𐨒𐨿𐨪𐨱𐨅 | acaryana sarvastivatina pratigrahe | In the possession of theSarvāstivādin teachers. |
Originally it was believed, that the text is signed by the maker, a Greek artist namedAgesilas, who oversaw work at Kanishka'sstupas (caitya), confirming the direct involvement of Greeks with Buddhist realizations at such a late date: "The servant (dasa) Agisalaos, the superintendent of works at the vihara of Kanishka in the monastery of Mahasena" ("dasa agisala nava-karmi ana*kaniskasa vihara mahasenasa sangharame"). However, a recent cleaning of the casket had shown that the old reading was not accurate. Instead, the name is to be readagnisala, which is therefectory of the monastery.[7]
The lid of the casket shows the Buddha on lotus pedestal, and worshipped byIndra andBrahma.
The edge of the lid is decorated by a frieze of flying geese, orhamsa, symbolizing the travel of departing souls and the removal fromsamsara. Some of the geese have a wreath of victory in their beak.
The body of the casket represents a Kushan monarch, probably Kanishka in person, with the IranianSun god andMoon god at his side. On the sides are two images of a seated Buddha, worshiped a royal figures, possibly abodhisattava.
A garland, supported bycherubs goes around the scene in typical Hellenistic style.
The relics themselves were forwarded toBurma by the British in 1910 in order to safeguard them. They are today visible inMandalay. The three fragments of bone are believed to betrue relics of Gautama Buddha.
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