Since around 200 BE (343 BCE), Buddhism began to split into numerous sects, ultimately forming 18 schools due to differing interpretations of discipline (vinaya) and doctrine (view). One of these was the Sarvāstivāda school, known in Pāli as Sabbatthikavāda.
Understanding the Names:
Sabbatthikavāda (Pāli):
Sabba = all, atthi = exists, vāda = doctrine
→ “The doctrine that everything exists.”
Sarvāstivāda (Sanskrit):
Sarva = all, asti = exists, vādin = proponent or one who teaches
→ “Those who teach that everything exists.”
This school favored Sanskrit inscriptions, unlike the Theravāda tradition which preserved its texts and inscriptions in Pāli. From around 400 BE (143 BCE) onward, Sarvāstivāda became widespread, especially in northern India and areas as far west as Afghanistan.
Archaeological Evidence:
In 1863 CE (2406 BE), Alexander Cunningham conducted an excavation at the Katra Mound in Mathurā, where he unearthed many Buddha and Bodhisattva images. Among them was one statue of which only the base remained—but even that base contained significant information.
The Inscription:
The inscription was written in a mix of Sanskrit and Prakrit, using the Brāhmī script, and dates to around 600 BE (57 BCE). Despite being fragmentary, it preserves the following content:
Reconstructed lines:
... (upāsikāye) Nandāye kṣatraparṣa
... (Bodhisattva) visa tale
sarvasattvānāṁ hitasukhārtham
sarvāstivādiyānāṁ parigrahe
Translation:
"This Bodhisattva image is a meritorious offering of the laywoman named Nandā, descended from the Kṣatrapa (royal) family. May the merit be for the welfare and happiness of all sentient beings, and may it be dedicated to the masters of the Sarvāstivāda school."
Interpretation:
The donor, Upāsikā Nandā, was a laywoman of noble lineage from the Kṣatrapa dynasty (a lineage of Indo-Scythian or Indo-Parthian rulers).
She dedicated a Bodhisattva image—suggesting Mahāyāna influence—for the benefit of all beings.
Importantly, the inscription explicitly states that this offering was intended for the Sarvāstivāda school, highlighting sectarian affiliation.
Reflection:
Though only the base of the statue remains, the inscription is rich in meaning. It connects us to:
A historical donor of royal heritage
A specific Buddhist sect (Sarvāstivāda)
The intention of universal compassion through merit-making
A glimpse of the sectarian landscape of early Indian Buddhism
“Even a broken base, weathered by time, can still speak volumes across the centuries.”