大唐西域記 9.39

9.39

初，頻毘娑羅王都在上宮城也，編戶之家頻遭火害。一家縱逸，四隣罹災，防火不暇，資產廢業，眾庶嗟怨，不安其居。王曰：「我以不德，下民罹患，修何德可以禳之？」群臣曰：「大王德化邕穆，政教明察，今茲細民不謹，致此火災，宜制嚴科，以清後犯，若有火起，窮究先發，罰其首惡，遷之寒林。寒林者，棄屍之所，俗謂不祥之地，人絕遊往之迹。今遷於彼，同夫棄屍。既恥陋居，當自謹護。」王曰：「善，宜遍宣告居。」頃之，王宮中先自失火。謂諸臣曰：「我其遷矣。」乃命太子監攝留事，欲清國憲，故遷居焉。時吠舍釐王聞頻毘娑羅王野處寒林，整集戎旅，欲襲不虞。邊候以聞，乃建城邑。以王先舍於此，故稱王舍城也。官屬、士、庶咸徙家焉。

what deed of goodness (meritorious virtue) can I do in order to be exempt from such calamities?" His ministers said, "Maharaja, your virtuous government spreads peace and harmony, your righteous rule causes light and progress. It is by want of due attention on the part of the people that these calamities of fire occur. It is necessary to make a severe law to prevent such occurrences hereafter. If a fire breaks out, the origin must be diligently sought for, and to punish the principal guilty person, let him be driven into the cold forest. Now this cold forest (sitavana) is the place of corpses abandoned (cast out) there. Every one esteems it an unlucky place, and the people of the land avoid going there and passing through it. Let him be banished there as a cast-out corpse. From dread of this fate, the people will become careful and guard (against the outbreak of fire)." The king said, "It is well; let this announcement be made, and let the people attend to it." And now it happened that the king's palace was the first to be burned with fire. Then he said to his ministers, "I myself must be banished;" and he gave up the government to his eldest son in his own place. "I wish to maintain the laws of the country (he said); I therefore myself am going into exile."

To the north of the Venuvana Vihara about 200 paces we come to the Karanda lake (Karandahrada). When Tathagata was in the world he preached often here. The water was pure and clear, and possessed of the eight qualities. After the Nirvana of Buddha it dried up and disappeared. To the north-west of the Karandahrada, at a distance of 2 or 3 li, is a stupa, which was built by Asoka-raja. It is about 60 feet high; by the side of it is a stone pillar on which is a record engraved relating to the foundation of the stupa. It is about 50 feet high, and on the top has the figure of an elephant. To the north-east of the stone pillar, not far, we come to the town of Rajagriha (Ho-lo-shi-ki-li-hi). The outer walls of this city have been destroyed, and there are no remnants of them left; the inner city (walls) although in a ruined state, still have some elevation from the ground, and are about 20 li in circuit. In the first case, Bimbisara-raja established his residence in Kusagara; in this place the houses of the people, being close together, were frequently burned with fire and destroyed. When one house was in flames, it was impossible to prevent the whole neighbourhood sharing in the calamity, and consequently the whole was burned up. Then the people made loud complaints, and were unable to rest quietly in their dwellings. The king said, "By my demerit the lower people are afflicted;

At this time the king of Vaisali hearing that Bimbisara-raja was dwelling alone in the "cold forest," raised an army and put it in movement to invade (make a foray) when nothing was ready (to resist him). The lords of the marches (frontiers), hearing of it, built a town, and as the king was the first to inhabit it, it was called "the royal city" (Rajagriha). Then the ministers and the people all flocked there with their families. It is also said that Ajatasatru-raja first founded this city, and the heir-apparent of Ajatasatru having come to the throne, he also appointed it to be the capital, and so it continued till the time of Asoka-raja, who changed the capital to Pataliputra, and gave the city of Rajagriha to the Brahmans, so that now in the city there are no common folk to be seen, but only Brahmans to the number of a thousand families. At the south-west angle of the royal precincts are two small sangharamas; the priests who come and go, and are strangers in the place, lodge here. Here also Buddha, when alive, delivered the law (preached). North-west from this is a stupa; this is the site of an old village where the householder Jyotishka (Ch'u-ti-se-kia) was born. Outside the south gate of the city, on the left of the road, is a stupa. Here Tathagata preached and converted Rahula (Lo-hu-lo). Going north from this 30 li or so, we come to Nalanda sangharama.