Historical Geography of Ancient India c8.399

c8.399

Fa-hien, who came to the city in the 5th century A.D., was much impressed by its glory and splendour. He says that the royal palace and halls in the midst of the city were magnificent. There was in this city a Brahmin professor of Mahayanism named Rādhasāmi. There was a Hinayāna monastery by the side of Aśokan tope. Its inhabitants were rich, prosperous and righteous (Legge, *Fa-hien*, pp. 77-78). Fa-hien further gives an interesting description of a grand Buddhist procession at Pāṭaliputra (Ibid., p. 79). According to Hiuen Tsang, who visited it in the 7th century A.D., an old city lay to the south of the Ganges above 70 li in circuit, the foundations of which were still visible, although the city had long been a wilderness. This old city, according to him, was Pāṭaliputra (Watters, *On Yuan Chwang*, Vol. II, p. 87). The poet Daṇḍin speaks of Pāṭaliputra as the foremost of all the cities and full of gems (*Daśakumāracaritam*, 1st Ucchvāsa, śl. 2, pūrva-pīṭhikā).