大唐西域記 7.5

7.5

大城中天祠二十所，層臺祠宇，雕石文木，茂林相蔭，清流交帶，鍮石天像量減百尺，威嚴肅然，懍懍如在。

THIS country is about 4000 li in circuit. The capital borders (on its western side) the Ganges river. It is about 18 or 19 li in length and 5 or 6 li in breadth; its inner gates are like a small-toothed comb; it is densely populated. The families are very rich, and in the dwellings are objects of rare value. The disposition of the people is soft and humane, and they are earnestly given to study. They are mostly unbelievers, a few reverence the law of Buddha. The climate is soft, the crops abundant, the trees (fruit trees) flourishing, and the underwood thick in every place. There are about thirty saṅghārāmas and 3000 priests. They study the Little Vehicle according to the Sammatīya school (Ching-liang-pu). There are a hundred or so Dēva temples with about 10,000 sectaries. They honour principally Mahēśvara (Ta-tseu-tsai). Some cut their hair off, others tie their hair in a knot, and go naked, without clothes (Nirgranthas); they cover their bodies with ashes (Pasupatas), and by the practice of all sorts of austerities they seek to escape from birth and death. In the capital there are twenty Deva temples, the towers and halls of which are of sculptured stone and carved wood. The foliage of trees combine to shade (the sites), whilst pure streams of water encircle them. The statue of the Deva Mahesvara, made of teou-shih (native copper), is somewhat less than 100 feet high. Its appearance is grave and majestic, and appears as though really living.