Exploring the relationship between Bodhidharma and the Pallavas

1. Bodhidharma – a Pallava prince?

2. Pallavas had a Brahmin origin
theory is propounded by historians R. Sathianathaier[9] and D. C. Sircar,[18] with
endorsements by Hermann Kulke, Dietmar Rothermund[19] and Burton
Stein.[20]
Sircar points out that the family legends of the Pallavas speak of an ancestor
descending from Ashwatthama, the legendary Brahmin warrior
of Mahabharata, and his union with a Naga princess
Sathianathaier, R. (1970) [first published 1954], "Dynasties of South India", in Majumdar, R. C.; Pusalkar, A. D. (eds.), The Classical Age, History
and Culture of Indian People (Third ed.), Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, pp. 255–275 (9) and (18)
Kulke, Hermann; Rothermund, Dietmar (2004), A History of India (Fourth ed.), Routledge, ISBN 9780415329194 (19)
Stein, Burton (2016). "Book Reviews : Kancipuram in Early South Indian History, by T. V. Mahalingam (Madras : Asia Publishing House, 1969), pp. vii-
243". The Indian Economic & Social History Review. 7 (2): 317–321. doi:10.1177/001946467000700208. ISSN 0019-4646. S2CID 144817627 (20)
Citations:

3. The Genealogy of the Pallavas: From Brahmins to Kings
RELIGIONS OF SOUTH ASIA, VOL 5, NO 1/5.2 (2011)
https://journals.equinoxpub.com/index.php/ROSA/article/view/15172
Emmanuel Francis
Issued Date: 23 May 2012
Abstract
“In their epigraphical genealogies the Pallavas of South India (fourth to ninth centuries CE) claim to
belong to a brahmin lineage that gradually embraced the duty of kings. As such, these genealogies
present a definition of kingship that differs from its Brahmanical conceptualization. I show how the
Pallavas accounted in their ‘mythical genealogies’ for their royal occupation through a transformation
in two steps: from pure brahmins to brahmin-warriors, and from brahmin-warriors to kings.”
Evidence from other researchers

4. “Emmanuelle Francis has suggested that the first Purāṇic style genealogy that goes from creation
to donor is found in the Pallava Paḷḷaṉ Kōyil copper-plate from 550 CE. Prior to this inscription,
epigraphic genealogies were limited to eulogies of the king and his direct ancestors up to four
generations back—what Francis has called “real genealogy”—and might include a reference to the
family’s Bhāradvāja gōtra. “
Evidence from other researchers
THE GODDESS AND THE KING: CĀMUṆḌĒŚVARI AND THE FASHIONING OF THE WOḌEYAR COURT OF MYSORE pages, 85, 86, 87
By CALEB SIMMONS
https://ufdcimages.uflib.ufl.edu/UF/E0/04/69/32/00001/SIMMONS_C.pdf
Citations:

5. Evidence from other researchers
*William Johnston- Encyclopedia of monasticism – page 159

6. Genealogy of Māmallapuram Praśasti
The genealogy of Pallavas mentioned in the Māmallapuram Praśasti is as follows:[30]
•Vishnu
•Brahma
•Unknown / undecipherable
•Unknown / undecipherable
•Bharadvaja
•Drona
•Ashvatthaman
•Pallava
Rabe, Michael D (1997). "The Māmallapuram Praśasti: A Panegyric in Figures".
Artibus Asiae. 57 (3/4): 189–241. doi:10.2307/3249929. JSTOR 3249929 (30)
Bharadwaja
Drona
Aswatthama

7. WHO WERE THE PALLAVAS?
Was Bodhidharma a Pallava prince?

8. An Indian tradition regards Bodhidharma to be the third son of a Pallava king from Kanchipuram.[12][note 3]
This is consistent with the Southeast Asian traditions which also describe Bodhidharma as a
former South Indian Tamil prince who had awakened his kundalini and renounced royal life to
become a monk.[14]
The Tibetan version similarly characterises him as a dark-skinned siddha from South India.[15]
Kambe, Tstuomu (2012), Bodhidharma. A collection of stories from Chinese literature (PDF), (12)
Anand Krishna (2005). Bodhidharma: Kata Awal adalah Kata Akhir (in Indonesian). Gramedia Pustaka Utama. ISBN 9792217711. (14)
Edou, Jérôme (1996), Machig Labdrön and the Foundations of Chöd, Snow Lion Publications, ISBN 978-1-55939-039-2 (15)
Citations:
Popular traditional versions

9. Evidence from other researchers
John Jorgensen in his “Inventing Hui-neng, the Sixth Patriarch “ quotes

10. “The Dharma Master was a South Indian of the Western Region. He was the third son of a great Indian
king. His ambition lay in the Mahayana path, and so he put aside his white layman's robe for the black
robe of a monk […] Lamenting the decline of the true teaching in the outlands, he subsequently crossed
distant mountains and seas, traveling about propagating the teaching in Han and Wei.”
Evidence from chroniclers
The second account was written by Tanlin (曇林; 506–574)
Tanlin's preface has also been preserved in Jingjue's (683–750) Lengjie Shizi ji "Chronicle of
the Laṅkāvatāra Masters", which dates from 713–716.[4]/ca. 715[7] He writes,
“The teacher of the Dharma, who came from South India in the Western
Regions, the third son of a great Brahman king."[8]
Citations:
•Dumoulin, Heinrich; Heisig, James; Knitter, Paul F. (2005). Zen Buddhism: India and China. World Wisdom, Inc. ISBN 978-0-941532-89-1. (4), (7) and (8)

11. In the 7th-century historical work "Further Biographies of Eminent Monks" (續高僧傳 Xù gāosēng
zhuàn), Daoxuan (道宣) possibly drew on Tanlin's preface as a basic source, but made several
significant additions:
Firstly, Daoxuan adds more detail concerning Bodhidharma's origins, writing that he was of "South
Indian Brahmin stock" (南天竺婆羅門種 nán tiānzhú póluómén zhŏng).[9]
Evidence from chroniclers
McRae, John (2003), Seeing Through Zen. Encounter, Transformation, and Genealogy in Chinese Chan Buddhism, The University Press Group
Ltd, ISBN 978-0-520-23798-8 (9)
Citations:

12. •Broughton, Jeffrey L. (1999), The Bodhidharma Anthology: The Earliest Records of
Zen, Berkeley: University of California Press, ISBN 0-520-21972-4
“Broughton (cited below) notes that Bodhidharma’s royal pedigree implies that he was of Kshatriya
warrior caste”- Maddy from https://historicalleys.blogspot.com/2008/12/bodhidharma.html
This can be argued on two fronts:
1. In Indian history, kingship was never restricted only to the Kshatriya caste. Many different castes have been kings at
various times. “ By the 9th century, kings from all the four castes had occupied the highest seat in
the monarchical system in Hindu India.”(altekar, 1934, p.331)
2. It is well established that the Pallavas claimed descent from Bharadwaja, Drona and Aswatthama. Aswatthama was
the mythical/historical brahmin warrior (one time commander-in-chief of the Kauravas) who vowed to defeat the
kshatriya’s 21 times over; therefore, it is highly unlikely that a Kshatriya would claim descent from Ashwatthama
Citations:
Arguments

13. Conclusion?

14. We can state with reasonable evidence that the Pallavas were brahmins
by origin, though they moved on to become kings
We also seem to have evidence that Bodhidharma had a South Indian,
brahmin origin and was from a royal house.
We don’t seem to have much to link Bodhidharma with being a Pallava
prince. (except for the traditional version)
However, it is possible that Bodhidharma could have been a prince from
any other South Indian ruling family that had a brahmin origin