triking but
hardly worthy of mention in comparison with the enormous number of
Brahmanic inscriptions. But in the Pala kingdom[271] Buddhism, though
corrupt, was flourishing so far as the number of its adherents and
royal favour were concerned. Gopala founded the monastery of
Odontapuri or Udandapura, which according to some authorities was in
the town of Bihar. Dharmapala the second king of the dynasty (_c._ 800
A.D.) built on the north bank of the Ganges the even more celebrated
University of Vikramasila,[272] where many commentaries were composed.
It was a centre not only of tantric learning but of logic and grammar,
and is interesting as showing the connection between Bengal and Tibet.
Tibetans studied there and Sanskrit books were translated into Tibetan
within its cloisters. Dharmapala is said to have reigned sixty-four
years and to have held his court at Patna, which had fallen into decay
but now began to revive. According to Taranatha his successor Devapala
built Somapuri, conquered Orissa and waged war with the unbelievers
who had become numerous, no doubt as a result of the preaching of
Sankara. But as a rule the Palas, though they favoured Buddhism, did
not actively discourage Hinduism. They even gave grants to Hindu
temples and their prime ministers were generally Brahmans who[273]
used to erect non-Buddhist images in Buddhist shrines. The dynasty
continued through the eleventh century and in this period some
information as to the condition of Indian Buddhism is afforded by the
relations between Bengal and Tibet. After the persecution of the tenth
century Tibetan Buddhism was revived by the preaching of monks from
Bengal. Mahipala then occupied the throne (_c._ 978-1030) and during
his reign various learned men accepted invitations to Tibet. More
celebrated is the mission of Atisa, a monk of the Vikramasila
monastery, which took place about 1038. That these two missions should
have been invited and despatched shows that in the eleventh century
Bengal was a centre of Buddhist learning. Probably the numerous
Sanskrit works preserved in Tibetan translations then existed in its
monasteries. But about the same time the power of the Pala dynasty,
and with it the influence of Buddhism, were curtailed by the
establishment of the rival Sena dynasty in the eastern provinces.
Still, under Ramapala, who reigned about 1100, the great teacher
Abhayakara was an ornament of the Mahayana. Taranatha[274] says that
he correcte