In B.E. 2445 (1902 CE), Daya Ram Sahni, an Indian archaeologist working under the supervision of Sir John Marshall, former Director-General of the Archaeological Survey of India during British rule, conducted excavations at Jetavana Monastery, one of the most sacred Buddhist sites. Before the archaeological work began, the locals referred to the area as Sahet-Mahet, a name long associated with the ancient mounds in the region.
During the excavation at Stupa No. 9, a red sandstone Buddha image from the Kushan period was discovered. The image was found lying face down, in the seated blessing posture (abhaya mudrā). After cleaning, it was revealed that the statue had a broken left hand and a damaged neck.
What made the discovery particularly interesting was the clear inscription found at the base of the statue—written in a mix of Prakrit and Sanskrit using the Brāhmī script, arranged in a single line. The inscription reads:
สีหเทวสฺย ปรวาริกสฺย สาเกตกสฺย เทยธรโม
(Sīhadevasya pravārikasya Sāketakasya deyadharmo)
Translation:
"This Buddha image is a meritorious gift (deyadharma) offered by Sihadeva, a Pravārika from the city of Saketa (Ayodhya)."
Interpretation and Debate:
The point of scholarly debate lies in the term "pravārikasya":
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Some interpret this word to mean "a monk" or "ordained one", based on its relation to the Pali term pavāraṇā, referring to a monastic ceremony.
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However, most scholars disagree with this interpretation, arguing that during the Kushan period, the term bhikkhu or śākyabhikkhu was typically used in inscriptions to refer to ordained monks.
Hence, the more accepted conclusion is that Sihadeva was a lay devotee (upāsaka) rather than a monk.
Summary:
The Buddha image discovered at Jetavana was a donative offering by a layman named Sihadeva from Saketa (Ayodhya). The stone and the craftsmanship point to origins in Mathura, and the style and context date the statue to around the 7th century B.E. (2nd century CE) during the Kushan Empire.
