Chapter 9 - Country of Su-lo-k’in-na (Srughna)

This country^[1] is about 6000 li in circuit. On the eastern side it borders on the Ganges river, on the north it is backed by great mountains. The river Yamunā (Chen-mu-na) flows through its frontiers. The capital is about 20 li in circuit, and is bounded on the east by the river Yamunā. It is deserted, although its foundations are still very strong. As to produce of soil and character of climate, this country resembles the kingdom of Sa-t'a-ni-shi-fa-lo (Sthāneśvara). The disposition of the people is sincere and truthful. They honour and have faith in heretical teaching, and they greatly esteem the pursuit of learning, but principally religious wisdom (or, the wisdom that brings happiness).

There are five saṅghārāmas with about 1000 priests; the greater number study the Little Vehicle; a few exercise themselves in other (exceptional) schools. They deliberate and discuss in appropriate language (choice words), and their clear discourses embody profound truth. Men of different regions of eminent skill discuss with them to satisfy their doubts. There are a hundred Deva temples with very many sectaries (unbelievers).

To the south-west of the capital and west of Mo-ti-pu-lo the river Yamunā is a saṅghārāma, outside the eastern gate of which is a stūpa built by Aśoka-rāja. The Tathāgata, when in the world in former days, preached the law in this place to convert men. By its side is another stūpa in which there are relics of the Tathāgata's hair and nails. Surrounding this on the right and left are stūpas enclosing the hair and nail relics of Sāriputra and of Mu-te-kia-lo (Maudgalyāyana) and other Arhats, several tens in number.

After Tathāgata had entered Nirvāṇa this country was the seat of heretical teaching. The faithful were perverted to false doctrine, and forsook the orthodox views. Now there are five saṅghārāmas in places where masters of treatises^[2] from different countries, holding controversies with the heretics and Brāhmaṇs, prevailed; they were erected on this account.

On the east of the Yamunā, going about 800 li, we come to the Ganges river.^[3] The source of the river (or the river at its source) is 3 or 4 li wide; flowing south-east, it enters the sea, where it is 10 li and more in width. The water of the river is blue, like the ocean, and its waves are wide-rolling as the sea. The scaly monsters, though many, do no harm to men. The taste of the water is sweet and pleasant, and sands of extreme fineness^[4] border its course. In the common history of the country this river is called Fo-shwui, the river of religious merit,^[5] which can wash away countless^[6] sins. Those who are weary of life, if they end their days in it, are borne to heaven and receive happiness. If a man dies and his bones are cast into the river, he cannot fall into an evil way; whilst he is carried by its waters and forgotten by men, his soul is preserved in safety on the other side (in the other world).

At a certain time there was a Bodhisattva of the island of Siṃhala (Chi-sse-tseu—Ceylon) called Deva, who profoundly understood the relationship of truth^[7] and the nature of all composite things (fa).^[8] Moved with pity at the ignorance of men, he came to this country to guide and direct the people in the right way. At this time the men and women were all assembled with the young and old together on the banks of the river, whose waves rolled along with impetuosity. Then Deva Bodhisattva composing his supernatural appearance^[9] bent his head and dispersed it (the rays of his glory?) again^[10]—his appearance different from that of other men. There was an unbeliever who said, "What does my son in altering thus his appearance?"^[11]

Deva Bohisattva answered: "My father, mother, and relations dwell in the island of Ceylon. I fear lest they may be suffering from hunger and thirst; I desire to appease them from this distant spot."

The heretic said: "You deceive yourself, my son;^[12] have you no reflection to see how foolish such a thing is? Your country is far off, and separated by mountains and rivers of wide extent from this. To draw up this water and scatter it in order to quench the thirst of those far off, is like going backwards to seek a thing before you; it is a way never heard of before." Then Deva Bodhisattva said: "If those who are kept for their sins in the dark regions of evil can reap the benefit of the water, why should it not reach those who are merely separated by mountains and rivers?"

Then the heretics, in presence of the difficulty, confessed themselves wrong, and, giving up their unbelief, received the true law. Changing their evil ways, they reformed themselves, and vowed to become his disciples.^[13]

After crossing the river and going along the eastern side of it, we come to the country of (Matipura).

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Hiuen Tsiang reckons his distance from the capital as usual. The distance indicated from Sthāneśvara in a north-east direction would take us to Kālsi, in the Jaunsār district, on the east of Sirmur. Cunningham places Srughna at Sugh, a place about fifty miles north-east from the Gokaṇṭha monastery. Hwui- lih makes the direction east instead of north-east. Srughna, north of Hāstinapura, is mentioned by Paṇini (i. 3, 25; ii. 1, 14 schol.; iv. 3, 25, 86), and by Varāha Mihira, Brīh. Saṃh., xvi. 21). Conf. Hall's Vāsavadattā, int. p. 51. It appears from Cunningham's account of the pillar of Firuz Shāh, which was brought from a place called Topur or Topera, on the bank of the Jamnā, in the district of Salora, not far from Khizrābād, which is at the foot of the mountains, 90 kos from Dehli, which place Cunningham identifies with Paota, not far from Kālsi (Archæol. Surv., vol. i. p. 166), that this neighbourhood was famous in olden days as a Buddhist locality. I think we should trust Hiuen Tsiang's 400 li north-east from Sthāneśvara, and place the capital of Srughna at or near Kālsi, which Cunningham also includes in the district. Conf. Cunningham, Arch. Sur., vol. ii. pp. 220 ff.; Anc. Geog., p. 345.

[2]:

That is, Buddhist doctors or learned writers (writers of śāstras).

[3]:

In Hwui-lih the text seems to require the route to be to the source of the Ganges. The distance of 800 li would favour this reading; but it is hard to understand how a river can be three or four li (three-quarters of a mile) wide at its source. See the accounts of Gaṅgadwāra, Gaṅgautri, or Gaṅgotri, by Rennell, etc.

[4]:

Hence the comparison so frequently met with in Buddhist books, "as numerous as the sands of the Ganges."

[5]:

The Mahābhadrā.

[6]:

Heaped-up sin, or although heaped up: I do not think Julien's "quoiqu'on soit chargé de crimes" meets the sense of the original.

[7]:

Or, all true relationship; the symbol "siang" corresponds with "lakshaṇa"; it might be translated, therefore, "all the marks of truth."

[8]:

The symbol "fa" corresponds with "dharma", which has a wide meaning, as in the well-known text, "ye dharmā hetu-prabhava, etc."

[9]:

His agreeable splendour, dipping up and drawing in.

[10]:

This passage is obscure. Julien's translation is as follows: "Deva Bodhisattva softened the brightness of his figure and wished to draw some water; but the moment he bent his head at that point the water receded in streams (en jaillissant)." It may be so; or it may refer to his miraculous appearance, drawing in and dispersing again the brightness of his figure. The subsequent part of the narrative, however, seems to denote that he "drew in" some water, and then scattered or dispersed it.

[11]:

Literally, "My son! Why this difficult, or wonderful (occurrence)?"

[12]:

Or, "you deceive yourself, sir!" The expression "ngo tseu" seems to mean more than "doctor" or "sir."

[13]:

The history of Deva Bodhisattva is somewhat confusing. We know this much of him, that he was a disciple of Nāgārjuna, and his successor as fourteenth (or according to others, fifteenth) patriarch. He is called Kanadeva because, according to Vassilief (p. 219), he gave one of his eyes (kāṇa, "one-eyed") to Maheśvara, but more probably because he bored out (kāṇa, "perforated") the eye of Maheśvara. For this story see Wong Pūh, § 188 (J. R. As. Soc., vol. xx. p. 207), where the Chinese "ts'ho" answers to "kāṇa". See Edkins, Chin. Buddh., pp. 77-79; Lassen, I. A., vol. ii. B. 1204. He is also called āryadeva. According to others he is the same as Chandrakīrtti (J. As. S. Ben., vol. vii. p. 144), but this cannot be the Chandrakīrtti who followed the teaching of Buddhapālita (Vassilief, p. 207), for Buddhapālita composed commentaries on the works of āryadeva (ibid.) It seems probable from the statement in the text that Deva was a native of Ceylon. B. Nanjio says not (Catalogue, col. 370); but if not he evidently dwelt there. He was the author of numerous works, for a list of which see B. Nanjio (loc. cit.) He probably flourished towards the middle or end of the first century A.D.