大唐西域記 8.7

8.7

王故宮北有石柱，高數十尺，是無憂王作地獄處。釋迦如來涅槃之後第一百年，有阿輸迦（唐言無憂。舊曰阿育，訛也）王者，頻毘婆羅（唐言影堅。舊曰頻婆娑，訛也）王之曾孫也，自王舍城遷都波吒釐，築外郭，周於故城。年代浸遠，唯餘故基。伽藍、天祠及窣堵波，餘址數百，存者二三。唯故宮北，臨殑伽河，小城中有千餘家。

To the north of the old palace of the king is a stone pillar several tens of feet high; this is the place where Asôka (Wu-yau) râja made "a hell." In the hundredth year after the Nirvâna of Tathâgata, there was a king called Asôka ('O-shu-kia), who was the great-grandson of Bimbisâra-râja. He changed his capital from Râjagriha to Pâtali (pura), and built an outside rampart to surround the old city. Since then many generations have passed, and now there only remain the old foundation walls (of the city). The sanghārāmas, Deva temples, and stūpas which lie in ruins may be counted by hundreds. There are only two or three remaining (entire). To the north of the old palace, and bordering on the Ganges river, there is a little town which contains about 1000 houses. At first when Aśōka (Wu-yau) rāja ascended the throne, he exercised a most cruel tyranny; he constituted a hell for the purpose of torturing living creatures. He surrounded it with high walls with lofty towers. He placed there specially vast furnaces of molten metal, sharp scythes, and every kind of instrument of torture like those in the infernal regions. He selected an impious man whom he appointed lord of the hell. At first every criminal in the empire, whatever his fault, was consigned to this place of calamity and outrage; afterwards all those who passed by the place were seized and destroyed. All who came to the place were killed without any chance of self-defence.