Some remarks on the Great Tope at Sânchi / by S. Beal.

  • Beal, Samuel, 1825-1889.
Date:
1870
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Some remarks on the Great Tope at Sânchi / by S. Beal. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    SOME REMARKS OS THE GREAT TOPE AT SANCHI. By The Rev. S. BEAL. Dr. Fergusson’s book on “Tree and Serpent Worship’* has opened a large field for inquiry and research. After looking through the photographs and lithographed scenes relating to the Sanchi Topes, two questions naturally suggest themselves, viz.: What was the idea which suggested the peculiar form of the Indian Tope ? and. What are the scenes so carefully represented on the rails and gateways at Sanchi and Amravati ? With respect to the first question there is no need to say much, as at best we can only speculate where there is no possibility of proof. But it would seem that the symbolism of the Tope is like that of other sacred edifices, viz., to figure out an idea of the world, or the heavens and the earth. Remusat, in one of the valuable notes found in the Fo-koue-ki (p. 92), has observed: “Stupas are not erected on the tombs of religious persons or laymen, but only simple stones, which by their form symbolize the five elements, viz.: ether, wind, fire, water, and earth; they are called Stupas by analogy. Their figure is this : The lowest portion represents the earth, this is surmounted by the emblem of water; the triangle represents fire, the crescent is wind, and the cone denotes ether. Hence, in- stead of Chinese characters, it is the custom to inscribe on these several portions of the monu- ment Sanscrit characters indicating the several elements; on the highest the letter ^ to indicate ‘ ether,’ on the second ^ to denote ‘wind,’ on the third x fo denote ‘fire,’ on the fourth to denote ‘water’ (sc. Yaruna), and on the lowest the letter [which being the first vowel symbol-