The Ancient Geography of India. I. The Buddhist Period, including the Campaigns of Alexander, and the Travels of Hwen-Thsang c5.s2.t5.1

c5.s2.t5.1

According to Hwen Thsang, the capital of the kingdom of Seng-ho-pu-lo, or Singhapura, was situated at 700 *li*, or 117 miles, to the south-east of Taxila. The bearing points to Jhelam, near which is the town of Sangohi, which has been noted by M. Vivien de St. Martin as the possible representative of Singhapura. But Sangohi stands on an open plain, instead of on a high mountain of difficult access, as described by the pilgrim. The vicinity of ten pools of limpid water, with surrounding temples and sculptures, points to the holy tanks of Ketáksh, or Khetás, which are still visited by crowds of pilgrims from all parts of India. I think also that the name of Ketás is only a slightly altered form of the Sanskrit Swetavása, or the "White Robes,” which Hwen Thsang mentions as the title of the chief religious sect then resident near Singhapura. In the western countries, where the compound *sw* is changed to *kh*, the name would have been pronounced *Khetavása*, or by a slight contraction, *Ketás*.[*] The Brahmans of course refer the name to their own religion, and say that the place was called *Katáksha*, or the “Raining Eyes,” because the tears literally rained from Siva’s eyes when he heard of the death of his wife Sati. But as their own spelling of the name *Ketáksh*, which I received from themselves, is at variance with the meaning which they give to it, I am inclined to adopt the etymology that I have already suggested as *Sweta-vása*, or the “White Robes.” This sect would appear to have belonged to the *Swetámbara*, or “White-robed” division of the Jains, while another sect at the same place, who are described by Hwen Thsang as going naked, must be the *Digámbara*, or “unclothed” (literally “sky-clad”) division of the Jains. Their books also are stated to have been chiefly copied from the Buddhist literature, while the statue of their god resembled that of Buddha himself. From these curious details it seems almost certain that this heretical sect must have been Jains, whose religion has much in common with Buddhism, while their statues are frequently mistaken for those of Buddha.