The Ancient Geography of India. I. The Buddhist Period, including the Campaigns of Alexander, and the Travels of Hwen-Thsang c6.s3.t27.7

c6.s3.t27.7

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.