On Yuan Chwang's Travels in India, 629–645 A.D. v1.c15.66

v1.c15.66

It is worthy of note in connection with Yuan-chuang's description that Fa-hsien did not see any pit here. The latter describes the spots at which the wicked woman and Devadatta went down into Hell as having marks of identification given to them by men of subsequent times. The design and attempt to murder the Buddha by poison here described by Yuan-chuang are mentioned also by Fa-hsien, and they are found in the Tibetan texts translated by Mr Rockhill,² but they are not in all the accounts of Devadatta's proceedings. The great learning and possession of magical powers here ascribed to Devadatta are mentioned in some of the canonical works, and his claim to be the equal of his cousin in social and religious qualifications is also given.³ But his abrupt bodily descent into Hell is generally ascribed to other causes than merely the abortive attempt to poison the Buddha.