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He lived in the time of VikramAaditya “of wide renown,” but Vikramaditya was a patron of Hinduism and Hindu learning, and Manohrita, was disgraced in a controversy in his court, and retir- ed in disgust, saying “in a multitude of partizans there is no justice.” Vikraméaditya’s successor Sila- ditya however was a patron of Buddhist learned men, and he honored Vasabandhu, the pupil of Manoh- rita, and the Hindu learned men “were abashed and retired.” Elsewhere, in his account of Malwa, Houen Tsang says that Sildditya reigned sixty years before his time, é.e, about 580 A. D. and -VikramAditya’s long reign would therefore fall before 550 A. D. which cor- responds with the date we have given him. 84 BUDDHIST PERIOD. [BOOK IV. Near the town of POLUSIIA, our traveller come to a high mountain on which he found a figure of Bhima Devi (Durg4) carved out of bluish stone. Rich and poor assembled here from every part, near and distant, and saw the image after prayers and fasting. Below the mountain was a temple of Mahesvara, and the Hindu sect (Pasupata), who covered themselves with ashes came here to offer sacrifice. From these places Houen Tsang came to Salatura, the birthplace of Panini the grammarian. At Upy4Na or the country round Cabul, where Fa Hian had found Buddhism flourishing two centuries before, Houen Tsang found the Sangharamas waste and desolate, and few monks residing in them. There were ten temples of Devas, Crossing the Indus, the traveller ascended the river through mountain gorges to LITTLE TurpeT. “The ‘roads are craggy and steep, the mountains and the valleys are dark and gloomy. ‘Sometimes we have to cross .by ropes, sometimes by iron chains stretched (across the gorges). There are footbridges suspended in the air, and flying bridges across the chasms.” From Little Thibet, Houen Tsang went to Takshasila and Sinhapura, both subject to Kashmir, and at Sinha- pura he met with the sects of Jainas called Svetamba- ras and Digambaras. “The Jaws of their founder are mostly filched from the principles of the books of Bud- dha. ** The figure of their sacred master (Mahavira) CHAP. VIL] HOUEN TSANG’S ACCOUNT. 85 they stealthily class with that of Tathagata (Buddha) ; it differs only in point of clothing; the points of beauty are absolutely the same.” There is no doubt Houen Tsang regarded the Jie as separatists from Buddhism. o KASHMIR is said to have been 1,400 miles in curcuit, and its capital was 2% miles in length and a mile broad. The soil produced cereals and abounded in fruits and flowers. The climate was cold’ and stern. There was much snow, but little wind. The people wore leather doublets and clothes of white linen, They were light and frivolous, and of a weak pusillanimous disposition. They were handsome in appéarance, but were given tocunning. They loved learning and were well instructed. There were both Hindus and Buddhists among them. There were about 100 Sangharamas and 5,000 monks, . Kashmir was still redolent of the fame of Kanishka, and our traveller has of course something to say of that powerful king. Here and elsewhere Houen Tsang states that the Nirvana of Buddha took place a hundred years before the time of Asoka. When therefore Houen Tsang says that “in the four hundredth year after the Nirvana of Tath4gata, Kanishka king of Gandhara having succeeded ‘to the kingdom, his kingly renown reached far, and he brought the most remote under his jurisdiction,"-—-we must understand him to say. that Kanishka lived 300 years after Asoka, 7. ¢, about 78 86 ._- BUDDHIST PERIOD. [BOOK IV A. D., and this corresponds with the date which has been given to him, and with the Saka Era. . In connexion with Kanishka our traveller gives an ac- count of the great Council of Northern Buddhists which took place in his reign. We are told that the five hun- dred sages who assembled composed three commentaries, viz. the Upadesa Sdstra to explain the Sdtra Pitaka, the Vinaya Vibhdsd Sdstra to explain the Vinaya Pita- ka, and the Adjidarma Vibhdsd Séstra to explain the Abhidarma Pitaka. In connexion also with Kanishka, our traveller informs us that tributary kings from China sent hostages to that powerful monarch, and he treated them with marked attention, and assigned for their residence the tract of the country (between the Ravi and the Sutlej) which became thus known as Chinapati. Houen Tsang visit- ed this country, 400 miles in circuit, with a capital 3 milesin circuit. The Chinese introduced the pear and the peach into India “wherefore the peach is called Chinani, and the pear is called Chinardjaputra. ” When the people saw Houen Tsang, they pointed with their fingers, and said one to another, “ This man is a native of the country of our former ruler.” - Houen Tsang has also something to say about Mihira- kula the great persecutor of Buddhists. “Some centuries ago” Mihirakula established his authority in the town of Sakala (west of the Ravi). Houen Tsang says that this terrible Mihirakula “ issued an edict to destroy all . CHAP. VIL] HOUEN TSANG’S ACCOUNT. 87 the priests through the five Indies, to overthrow the law of Buddha, and leave nothing remaining ”.. ‘The powerful king attacked Baladitya,* king of Magadha, but was taken prisoner and was allowed to go, humiliat- ed and disgraced. He returned to Kashmir, rose in rebellion, killed the king and placed himself on the throne. He conquered GAndhara, exterminated the royal family, overthrew Buddhism and Stipas and Monasteries, and killed “three ten myriads of people” on the banks of the Indus. Some allowance must be made for exaggeration on the part of Buddhist chro- | niclers ;—but there can be no doubt that Mihirakula of Kashmir was one of the first and greatest Persecutors: and destroyers of Buddhists. Houen Tsang was pleased with the kingdom of Sata- DRU (Sutlej) 400 miles in circuit, and with a capital town 3} miles in circuit. The country was rich in cere- als and fruits, in gold and silver and precious stones The people wore rich and elegant garments of bright silk. Their manners were soft and agreeable, they were vir- tuous and believed in the law of Buddha, But never- * Ydentified by some with Baladitya, the son of Buddhagupta of the Gupta line of emperors. Mihirakula of Kashmir is thus supposed to be the destroyer of the Gupta dynasty about §15 A.D. (See ante p. 70). But in the list of the Kings of Kashmir given in page §5, Mihirakula is shewn to have reigned in the 3rd century A-D., and Houen Tsang too, writing about 640 A.D., says that Mibirakula reigned some jenna ago.” Were there two kings of that name? , 88- BUDDHIST PERIOD. [BOOK Iv. _ theless the halls of. the Sangharamas were deserted and wild,.and there were few priests. The country of MATHURA was a thousand miles in circuit, and its chief town was four miles round. The ' soil was rich and fertile, and the country produced white cotton and yellow gold. The manners of the people were soft and complacent, and they esteemed virtue and honored learning. There were 20 Sangharadmas and about 2,000 priests. On the six fasting days of each of the three fast months, (Ist, 5th and oth months), the peo- ple honored the Stipas with offerings. “They spread out their jewelled banners ; the rich parasols are crowd- ed together as net work; the smoke of incense rises in clouds; the flowers are scattered in every direction like rain; the sun and the moon are concealed as by the clouds which hang over the moist valleys. The king of the country and the great ministers apply themselves to these religious duties with zeal.” The kingdom of THANESVARA was 1400 miles in circuit, and its capital was 4 miles round. The climate was genial, the soil rich and productive, ‘but the people were cold and insincere, and given to luxury. The capital was near the site of the old Kuru-kshetra battle .field, and our traveller has his version of the story to tell. : Two kings divided the five Indies between them, and it was given out that whoever fell in the battle which was to be fought would obtain deliverance. “The ’ two countries engaged in conflict, and the dead bodies CHAP. VIL] HOUEN TSANG’S ACCOUNT, 89 were heaped together as sticks, and from that, time till now the plains are everywhere covered: with their bones.” The kingdom of SRUGHNA (north Doab), Bounded by the Ganges to the east and the Himalayas to the north, was 1,200 miles in circuit. Our readers need scarcely be told that this was the land of the ancient Kurus, two thousand years before the time of Houen Tsang. Our traveller was struck by the Ganges with its waves “wide rolling as the sea,” and supposed to “wash away countless sins.” After describing MaT1- puRA (west Rohilkund), 1,200 miles in circuit, Houen Tsang describes May4é-pura, or HARIDVARA, the source of the Ganges. The town here was 4 miles round. “Not far from the town standing by.the Ganges river is the great Deva temple where very many miracles of divers sort are wrought. In the midst of it is a tank .of which the borders are made of stone joined skilfully together. Through it the Ganges river is led by an artificial canal.* The men of the five Indies call it the gate of the Ganga river (Gangddvara.) This is where religous merit is found and sin effaced. There are always hundreds and thousands of people gathered together here from distant quarters to bathe and wash in its waters.” Already then in, the seventh century, Harid- vara was one of the most famed Hindu shrines, and a great gathering-place of devout pilgrims. * The canal still exists, go BUDDHIST PERIOD. [BOOK IV.