Travels of Fah-Hian and Sung-Yun, Buddhist pilgrims : from China to India (400 A.D. and 518 A.D.) / translated from Chinese by Samuel Beal.

  • Faxian
Date:
1869
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Travels of Fah-Hian and Sung-Yun, Buddhist pilgrims : from China to India (400 A.D. and 518 A.D.) / translated from Chinese by Samuel Beal. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    From tliis city, proceeding in a south-easterly1 direc- tion nine yojanas, we arrive at a small rocky hill2 standing by itself, on the top of which is a stone cell facing the south. On one occasion, when Buddha was sitting in the middle of this cell，tlie Divine Sekra took with him Ms attendant musicians, each, one pro- vided with, a five stringed lute, and caused them to 1 Mr. Laidley lias south-west, by mistake. 2 This isolated rock is mentioned by Hiouen Thsang, and called In-to-lo-clii-lo-km-h.o, i.e. Indrasilaguha, u the cave of the stone of Indra.’’ It has been identified with a peak now called Giryek (giri + eka, one rock) (Cunningham). There are numerous remains of Buddhist temples in the neighbour]!ood. In order to understand the general appearance of this celebrated neighbourhood, I here quote from the Report of the Archaeo- logical Surveyor to the Government of India (1861-62，p. 6)，“From the neighbourhood of Gaya two parallel ranges of hills stretch towards the N.E. for about thirty-six miles to the bank of the Panchana riyer, just opposite the village of Giryek. The eastern end of the southern range is much depressed, but the northern range maintains its height, and ends abruptly in two lofty peaks, overhanging the Panchana river. The lower peak on the east is crowned with a solid tower of brick work, well known as Jara-sandha-ka-baitliak, i.e. “ Jarasandha’s throne，’，while the higher peak on the west, to which the name of Giryek peculiarly belongs, bears an oblong terrace covered with, the ruins of several buildings. The principal building would appear to have been a Yihara, or temple, on the highest point of the terrace, which, was approached by a steep flight of steps leading through, pillared rooms.” This latter peak is the one named in the text, the former is spoken of by Hiouen Thsang, as the site of a Stupa built in