Chapter 4 - Country of Pun-na-fa-t’an-na (Pundravardhana)

Note: Prof. H. H. Wilson includes in the ancient Puṇḍra the districts of a Rājashāhi, Dinājpur, Raṅgpur, Nadiyā, Bīrbhum, Bardwān, Midnāpur, Jangal Mahāls, Rāmgaḍh, Pachīt, Palaman, and part of Chunār.^[1]

This country is about 4000 li in circuit. Its capital is about 30 li round. It is thickly populated. The tanks and public offices and flowering woods are regularly connected at intervals.^[2] The soil is flat and loamy, and rich in all kinds of grain-produce. The Panasa^[3] (Pan-na-so) fruit, though plentiful, is highly esteemed. The fruit is as large as a pumpkin.^[4] When it is ripe it is of a yellowish-red colour. When divided, it has in the middle many tens of little fruits of the size of a pigeon's egg; breaking these, there comes forth a juice of a yellowish-red colour and of delicious flavour. The fruit sometimes collects on the tree-branches as other clustering fruits, but sometimes at the tree-roots, as in the case of the earth-growing fu ling.^[5] The climate (of this country) is temperate; the people esteem learning. There are about twenty saṅghārāmas, with some 3000 priests; they study both the Little and Great Vehicle. There are some hundred Deva temples, where sectaries of different schools congregate. The naked Nirgranthas are the most numerous.

To the west of the capital 20 li or so is the Po-chi-p'o saṅghārāma.^[6] Its courts are light and roomy; its towers and pavilions are very lofty. The priests are about 700 in number; they study the law according to the Great Vehicle. Many renowned priests from Eastern India dwell here.

Not far from this is a stūpa built by Aśoka-rāja. Here Tathāgata, in old days, preached the law for three months for the sake of the Devas. Occasionally, on fast-days, there is a bright light visible around it.

By the side of this, again, is a place where the four past Buddhas walked for exercise and sat down. The bequeathed traces are still visible.

Not far from this there is a vihāra in which is a statue of Kwan-tsz'-tsai Bodhisattva. Nothing is hid from its divine discernment; its spiritual perception is most accurate; men far and near consult (this being) with fasting and prayers.

From this going east 900 li or so, crossing the great river, we come to the country of Kia-mo-lu-po (Kāmarūpa).

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Puṇḍra is the country of "sugar-cane," puṇḍra, Bangāli puṇri-akḥ. The Pauṇḍra people are frequently mentioned in Sanskrit literature, and Puṇḍravarddhana was evidently a portion of their country. Quart. Orient. Mag., vol. ii. p. 188; Vishṇu-pur., vol. ii. pp. 134, 170. Mr. Westmacott proposed to identify Puṇḍra-vard-dhana with the adjacent parganās or districts of Pāñjara and Borddhonkūṭi (or Khettāl) in Dinājpur, about 35 miles N.N.W. from Raṅgpur; but also suggested, as an alternative, Poṇḍua or Poṅrowā, afterwards Firzupur or Firuzābād, 6 miles north-east of Māldā, and 18 N.N.E. from Gauda. Mr. Fergusson assigned it a place near Raṅgpur. See Ind. Ant., vol. iii. p. 62; Hunter, Stat. Acc. Bengal, vol. viii. pp. 59 f., 449; J. R. A. S., N. S., vol. vi. pp. 238 f.; conf. Rāja-Taraṅgiṇi, tom. iv. p. 421; Mahabh., ii. 1872. General Cunningham has more recently fixed on Mahāsthānagaḍha on the Karatoyā, 12 miles south of Bardhankūṭi and 7 miles north of Bagraha, as the site of the capital (Report, vol. xv. pp. v., 104, 110 f.)

[2]:

This passage may also be translated thus: "Maritime offices (offices connected with the river navigation?) with their (surrounding) flowers and groves occur at regular intervals."

[3]:

Jack or bread fruit.

[4]:

"A large and coarse squash." Williams' Tonic Dict., sub KwÁ.

[5]:

The "Radix China", according to Julien; the "pachyma cocos", according to Doolittle's Vocabulary, vol. ii. 423. Medhurst (sub voc. ling) names "the China root" which grows under old fir trees.

[6]:

Julien restores this (with a query) to Vāśibhāsaṅghārāma, "the convent which has the brightness of fire."