The Ancient Geography of India. I. The Buddhist Period, including the Campaigns of Alexander, and the Travels of Hwen-Thsang c5.s1.t11.44

c5.s1.t11.44

The great object of veneration at Parashâwar, in the first centuries of the Christian era, was the begging pot of Buddha, which has already been noticed. Another famous site was the holy Pipal tree, at 8 or 9 *li*, or 1½ mile, to the south-east of the city. The tree was about 100 feet in height, with wide spreading branches, which, according to the tradition, had formerly given shade to Sakya Buddha when he predicted the future appearance of the great king Kanishka. The tree is not noticed by Fa-Hian, but it is mentioned by Sun-Yung as the *Pho-thi*, or *Bodhi* tree, whose "branches spread out on all sides, and whose foliage shuts out the sight of the sky." Beneath it there were four seated statues of the four previous Buddhas. Sung-Yun further states that the tree was planted by Kanishka over the spot where he had buried a copper vase containing the pearl tissue lattice of the great *stupa*, which he was afraid might be abstracted from the tope after his death. This same tree would appear to have been seen by the Emperor Baber in A.D. 1505, who describes it as the "stupendous tree" of Begrâm, which he "immediately rode out to see."† It must then have been not less than 1500 years old, and as it is not mentioned in A.D. 1594 by Abul Fazl,* in his account of the *Gor-Katri* at Peshâwar, I conclude that it had previously disappeared through simple old age and decay.