Notes

(1) Called by Hsuan-chwang Indra-sila-guha, or “The cavern of Indra.” It has been identified with a hill near the village of Giryek, on the bank of the Panchana river, about thirty-six miles from Gaya. The hill terminates in two peaks overhanging the river, and it is the more northern and higher of these which Fâ-Hien had in mind. It bears an oblong terrace covered with the ruins of several buildings, especially of a vihâra.

(2) This does not mean the top or summit of the hill, but its “headland,” where it ended at the river.

(3) See the account of this visit of Sakra in M. B., pp. 288–290. It is from Hardy that we are able to complete here the name of the musician, which appears in Fâ-Hien as only Pancha, or “Five.” His harp or lute, we are told, was “twelve miles long.”

(4) Hardy (M. B., pp. 288, 289) makes the subjects only thirteen, which are still to be found in one of the Sûtras (“the Dik-Sanga, in the Sakra-prasna Sutra”). Whether it was Sakra who wrote his questions, or Buddha who wrote the answers, depends on the punctuation. It seems better to make Sakra the writer.

(5) Or Nalanda; identified with the present Baragong. A grand monastery was subsequently built at it, famous by the residence for five years of Hsuan-chwang.

(6) See chap. xvi, note 11. There is some doubt as to the statement that Nala was his birthplace.

(7) The city of “Royal Palaces;” “the residence of the Magadha kings from Bimbisara to Asoka, the first metropolis of Buddhism, at the foot of the Gridhrakuta mountains. Here the first synod assembled within a year after Sâkyamuni’s death. Its ruins are still extant at the village of Rajghir, sixteen miles S.W. of Behar, and form an object of pilgrimage to the Jains (E. H., p. 100).” It is called New Rajagriha to distinguish it from Kusagarapura, a few miles from it, the old residence of the kings. Eitel says it was built by Bimbisara, while Fâ-Hien ascribes it to Ajatasatru. I suppose the son finished what the father had begun.

(8) One of the five first followers of Sâkyamuni. He is also called Asvajit; in Pâli Assaji; but Asvajit seems to be a military title= “Master or trainer of horses.” The two more famous disciples met him, not to lead him, but to be directed by him, to Buddha. See Sacred Books of the East, vol. xiii, Vinaya Texts, pp. 144–147.

(9) One of the six Tirthyas (Tirthakas=“erroneous teachers;” M. B., pp. 290–292, but I have not found the particulars of the attempts on Buddha’s life referred to by Fâ-Hien), or Brahmanical opponents of Buddha. He was an ascetic, one of the Jnati clan, and is therefore called Nirgranthajnati. He taught a system of fatalism, condemned the use of clothes, and thought he could subdue all passions by fasting. He had a body of followers, who called themselves by his name (Eitel, pp. 84, 85), and were the forerunners of the Jains.

(10) The king was moved to this by Devadatta. Of course the elephant disappointed them, and did homage to Sâkyamuni. See Sacred Books of the East, vol. xx, Vinaya Texts, p. 247.

(11) See chap. xxv, note 3. Jivaka was Ambapali’s son by king Bimbisara, and devoted himself to the practice of medicine. See the account of him in the Sacred Books of the East, vol. xvii, Vinaya Texts, pp. 171–194.