The Ancient Geography of India. I. The Buddhist Period, including the Campaigns of Alexander, and the Travels of Hwen-Thsang c6.s3.t27: 22. Garjapatipura.
The Ancient Geography of India. I. The Buddhist Period, including the Campaigns of Alexander, and the Travels of Hwen-Thsang c6.s3.t27
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22. Garjapatipura.
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From Banâras, Hwen Thsang travelled eastward for about 300 *li*, or 50 miles, to the kingdom of *Chen-chu*, which is a Chinese translation of the original name, meaning "lord-of-battles." M. Julien proposes *Yodhapati* or *Yodharája-pura*; but as the translation alone is given, we have a choice of several terms, as *Vigrahapati*, *Yudhanátha*, *Raṇaswámi*, etc. The capital situated on the Ganges was 10 *li*, or 1⅔ miles, in circuit. The place thus described is certainly *Ghází- pur, which is on the Ganges just 50 miles to the east of Banâras. The present name was given by the Muhammadans, and is said to be only a slight alteration of the original Hindu name of Garjpur. This is most probably the name referred to by Hwen Thsang, as Garjan, which means primarily any roaring noise, signifies also “battle,” and Garjana-pati is a title of the “god of war.” Ghâzipur is now a large city about 2 miles in length, and 5 or 6 miles in circumference. Hwen Thsang estimates the circuit of the district at 2000 *li*, or 333 miles, which is almost exactly the size of the tract lying between the Ghâgra on the north and the Gomati on the south, from Tanda on the west to the confluence of the Ganges and Ghâgra.
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At 200 *li*, or 33 miles, to the east of the capital, Hwen Thsang visited the Aviddhakarna monastery, which was adorned with very fine sculptures. Following the bearing and distance, this place should be looked for in the neighbourhood of Baliya on the bank of the Ganges. Aviddhakarna means the “pierced ears,” and I think it possible that the name may still be preserved in Bikapur, a village 1 mile to the east of Baliya, as Aviddhakarna-pura might easily be shortened to Bidkarnpur and Bikanpur. It seems probable also that this is the same place that is mentioned by Fa-Hian under the name of the “Vast solitude,”* which he places between Patna and Banâras, at 10 *yojanas*, or 70 miles, from the former, and 12 *yojanas*, or 84 miles, from the latter. The Indian name is not given, but as the literal translation of the “vast solitude” would be *Vrihadaranya* or *Bidaran*, this name might easily be altered, either by ignorance or design, to *Biddhkarn*. The two distances from Patna and Banâras agree exactly with the position of *Baliya*, which is 72 miles from the former, and 86 miles from the latter.
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∗ ‘Fo-kwe-ki,’ chap. xxxiv. The Rev. Mr. Beal in his translation calls this Vihâr simply the “Desert.”
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From the monastery Hwen Thsang travelled to the south-east for 100 *li*, or 16 miles, to the Ganges, which he crossed, and then turning to the south for some unrecorded distance he reached the town of *Mo.ho.so.lo*, or *Mahâsára*. This place was inhabited by Brahmans who had no respect for the faith of Buddha. It has been identified by M. Vivien de Saint-Martin with the village of *Masár*, 6 miles to the west of *Ara* (Arrah of the maps), near which Buchanan discovered some ruined buildings, and a considerable number of Brahmanical figures.* The pilgrim then suddenly mentions his arrival at the temple of *Na-lo-yen*, or *Náráyana*, to the north of the Ganges, without stating either its distance or bearing from the last place. But with reference to his subsequent route to Vaisâli, I feel satisfied that he must have crossed the Ganges above Revelganj, which is nearly due north from *Masár* exactly 16 miles, or 100 *li*. This point, near the confluence of the Ganges and Ghâgra, is deemed especially holy, and numerous temples have been erected on the bank of the united streams just above Revelganj. Here then I would place the site of Hwen Thsang’s temple of Náráyana or Vishnu, which he describes as being two storeys in height, and adorned with the most marvellous sculptures in stone.
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At 30 *li*, or 5 miles, to the east of the temple there was a famous stupa built by Asoka on the spot where Buddha had overcome and converted certain evil Demons, who were said to live upon human flesh.* The Demons embraced Buddhism, or as it was expressed by the ancient Buddhists, sought the refuge or asylum of the Three Precious ones, that is, of the Buddhist Triad, *Buddha*, *Dharma*, and *Sangha*. Now *Saraṇa* is the Sanskrit term for asylum or refuge, and as this is also the true name of the district of *Sáran*, in which the conversion of the Demons was said to have taken place, I conclude that the monument erected on the spot must have been called the *Saraṇa* Stupa, or Asylum Tope. The stupa must therefore have been one of considerable celebrity, as there can be little doubt that its name was eventually imposed on the district in which it stood. Now 5 miles to the east of Revelganj will bring us to Chapra, the present capital of the *Sáran* district. Unfortunately I cannot find any information whatever about Chapra; but it is certain that it must have been a place of considerable consequence, otherwise it would not have been selected as the British head-quarters of the district.
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∗ ‘Eastern India,’ i. 143.
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From the Asylum stupa the pilgrim proceeded 100 *li*, or 16⅔ miles, to the south-east to another stupa, which was reputed to have been built by the Brahman *Drona* over the vessel with which he measured the relics of Buddha. According to the Ceylonese scriptures this stupa was built by the Brahman *Dono* (or Drona), over the *Kumbhán* or measuring-vessel, and was therefore called the *Kumbhán* stupa.† Hardy calls the Brahman *Droha*, and the vessel a “ golden measure.”* In the Burmese books the vessel is the same, but the Brahman is named *Dauna*.† In the Tibetan account the name of *Drona* is referred to the “ measure ” of the relics, which is certainly wrong, as the Brahman did not obtain any of the relics, but only the vessel with which he had measured them. This vessel was most probably equal to a *drona* in capacity, as each of the eight shares of the relics is said to have measured one *drona*. The stupa may, therefore, have been called the *Drona* stupa, because it held the *drona* measuring-vessel with which the Brahman had divided the relics amongst the eight rival claimants. But this was not the only name of the monument, as the Ceylonese chronicler calls it the *Kumbha* stupa. Now a *kumbha* is a water-vessel of large size, which may be seen sculptured on many Indian pillars as a round wide-mouthed vase full of flowers. I can find no name like *Kumbha* or *Drona* in the position indicated by Hwen Thsang at 17 miles to the south of east from Chapra. But at that spot there is a village named *Deghwára*, which, as *degh* is the common Hindi name of a large metal vessel of exactly the same shape as the *kumbha*, may possibly be only an altered form of the original name. But *deg* is also the Persian term for a similar vessel, and I would therefore only refer to *Degwára* as a convenient name to remember, because it has the same signification, and occupies the same position as the famous *Kumbha* stupa of Buddhist history.
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∗ Julien's ‘Hiouen Thsang,’ ii. 381. See Map No. XI.
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† Turnour, Journ. Asiat. Soc. Bengal, vii. 1013.
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† Bigandet’s ‘Legend of Burmese Buddha,’ p. 212.