Concept portrait of Kumarajiva: the son of a Kashmiri Brahmin & a Tocharian princess; he lived in the 5th century & became one of the greatest scholars of Mahayana in China.
He translated the entire Buddhist corpus into Classical Chinese, his translations are used till date.
He translated the entire Buddhist corpus into Classical Chinese, his translations are used till date.
Kumarajiva's father was Kumarayana, a wealthy Brahmin from Kashmir who renounced his wealth and moved to the Land of the Tocharians and immediately caught the eye of the King of Kucha, who wanted him to marry his royal sister.
His mother Jivika was a Tocharian princess of the Kingdom of Kucha. The Tocharians were an Indo-European people in the Tarim Basin of Xinjiang, the descendants of ancient Afanasievo and Andronovo Steppe pastoralists.
Tocharians had adopted Indian culture & religion however.
Tocharians had adopted Indian culture & religion however.
Tocharians used Gandhari Prakrit as an administrative language, Sanskrit as liturgical language, the Brahmi script in their bureaucracy, and were followers of Indian Buddhism in denomination.
Little known is the fact that the Tocharians had their own version of the Ramayana.
Little known is the fact that the Tocharians had their own version of the Ramayana.
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