Manikyala: The Magnificent Stupa Near Islamabad, Pakistan
Historical Background
The Manikyala Stupa was built during the reign of the great Kushan emperor King Kanishka (around 100 CE / 643 BE) in the village of Manikyala, Punjab, Pakistan, located 36 km from Islamabad. This stupa commemorates a Jataka tale in which the Buddha, in a previous life as a hermit (ṛṣi), selflessly sacrificed his life to feed a starving tigress and her cubs.
Excavation & Discovery
In 1830 CE (2373 BE), General Charles Masson, a British explorer and archaeologist, excavated the stupa’s core and uncovered numerous artifacts. Among them was a copper reliquary casket inscribed in Kharoṣṭhī script (mixed Prakrit-Sanskrit), containing 13 lines of text.
The Inscription (Transcription & Translation)
Text (Kharoṣṭhī Script):
𐨯𐨎 𐩄 𐩃 𐩃 𐨀𐨅𐨟𐨿𐨪 𐨤𐨂𐨪𐨿𐨬𐨀𐨅 𐨨𐨱𐨪𐨗𐨯 𐨐𐨞𐨅
*Saṃ 18 4 4 etra pūrvaye mahārājasa Kaṇe-*𐨮𐨿𐨐𐨯 𐨒𐨂𐨮𐨣𐨬𐨭𐨯𐨎𐨬𐨪𐨿𐨢𐨐 𐨫𐨫
ṣkasa Guṣaṇavaṃśa-saṃvardhaka lala𐨡𐨜𐨞𐨩𐨒𐨆 𐨬𐨅𐨭𐨿𐨤𐨭𐨁𐨯 𐨐𐨿𐨮𐨟𐨿𐨪𐨤𐨯
Dhaḍaṇyago Vepasiṣa Kṣatrapasa𐨱𐨆𐨪𐨨𐨂𐨪𐨿𐨟𐨆 𐨯 𐨟𐨯 𐨀𐨤𐨣𐨒𐨅 𐨬𐨁𐨱𐨪𐨅
Horamurto sa tasa apanage vihāre𐨱𐨆𐨪𐨨𐨂𐨪𐨿𐨟𐨆 𐨀𐨅𐨟𐨿𐨪 𐨞𐨞𐨧𐨒𐨬𐨦𐨂𐨢𐨰𐨬
Horamurto etra ṇaṇa-bhagavato Buddhasya𐨤𐨿𐨪𐨟𐨁𐨯𐨿𐨟𐨬𐨩𐨟𐨁 𐨯𐨱 𐨟𐨀𐨅𐨣 𐨬𐨅𐨭𐨿𐨤𐨭𐨁𐨀𐨅𐨞 𐨑𐨂𐨡𐨕𐨁𐨀𐨅𐨣
pratiṣṭhāvayati saha tena Vepasiṣeṇa Khudaciṇeṇa𐨦𐨂𐨪𐨁𐨟𐨅𐨞 𐨕 𐨬𐨁𐨱𐨪𐨐𐨪𐨵𐨀𐨅𐨞
Bhṛiteṇa ca vihāra-karavahaṇena𐨯𐨎𐨬𐨅𐨞 𐨕 𐨤𐨪𐨁𐨬𐨪𐨅𐨞 𐨯𐨢 𐨀𐨅𐨟𐨅𐨞 𐨐𐨂
saṃveṇa ca parivāreṇa saha eteṇa ku-𐨭𐨫𐨨𐨂𐨫𐨅𐨣 𐨦𐨂𐨢𐨅𐨱𐨁 𐨕 𐨮𐨬𐨀𐨅𐨱𐨁 𐨕
śala-mūlena Budhehi ca svakehi ca𐨯𐨨𐨎 𐨯𐨡 𐨦𐨬𐨟𐨂
samaṃ sada bhavatu𐨧𐨿𐨪𐨟𐨪𐨯𐨿𐨬𐨪𐨦𐨂𐨢𐨁𐨯 𐨀𐨒𐨿𐨪𐨤𐨜𐨁𐨀𐨭𐨀𐨅
bhrātara Svarabuddhi-sa agra-pradīśaye𐨯𐨢 𐨦𐨂𐨢𐨁𐨫𐨅𐨣 𐨣𐨬𐨐𐨪𐨿𐨨𐨁𐨒𐨅𐨞
saha Budhilena nava-karmikeṇa𐨐𐨪𐨿𐨟𐨁𐨩𐨯 𐨨𐨰𐨅 𐨡𐨁𐨬𐨯𐨅𐨁 𐩅
kartiyasa māhe divase 20
Translation:
"In the 18th year of the great King Kanishka of the Kushan dynasty, the lay devotee Vepasi (of the Kshatrapa clan) enshrined numerous relics of the Blessed Buddha in his own monastery. This act was performed together with three others: Vepasi, Khudasi, and Bhrita, along with their retinue. By the merit of this deed—and through the roots of virtue planted by the Buddha and his disciples—may this bring supreme benefit to my elder brother, Svarabuddhi, as well as to Budhila, the supervisor of construction. Dated the 20th day of the month of Karttika (the first month)."
Patrons & Purpose
Built by three lay devotees in Year 18 of Kanishka’s reign (likely 118 CE).
Dedicated to the Buddha’s relics and the Jataka of the selfless hermit.
Architectural & Religious Context
Reflects the Kushan Empire’s Buddhist patronage under Kanishka.
The Karttika month (Oct-Nov) aligns with post-monsoon construction in ancient India.
Current Location of Artifacts
The copper casket and relics are now displayed at the British Museum, London.
The Manikyala Stupa stands as a testament to Kushan-era Buddhist devotion, blending art, legend, and history. Its inscription provides rare insights into donor practices and imperial-era religious culture in ancient Gandhara.
