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On Yuan Chwang's Travels in India, 629–645 A.D. v1.c9.s3: The Shadow Cave

On Yuan Chwang's Travels in India, 629–645 A.D. v1.c9.s3

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The Shadow Cave

v1.c9.s3.1

According to Yuan-chuang’s account the Gopāla-Dragon cave, with the likeness of the Buddha shining at times in the rock opposite the entrance, was on the east side of a torrent among the heights to the south-west of the Nagar, that is, the Padma city. Mr Simpson thinks that the range of hills which extends from the Ahin Posh Tope south of Jelalabad south-west to Sultanpur does not suit Yuan-chuang’s description of the surroundings of this cave. But his objections seem to be based mainly on the occurrence of the words *cascade* and *mountain* in the translations. There is nothing, however, corresponding to either of these terms in the original either of the Life or Records. The road from the city was a bad one and dangerous, but it led to a hamlet with a monastery. Not far from this, above the steep bank of a foaming torrent, was the cave.

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The Gopala Dragon of this cave, Yuan-chuang tells us, and the story seems to be his only, was originally a cowherd in this district at the time of the Buddha. Annoyed at a reproof from the king he vowed terrible vengeance. Then going to the Tope of Prediction he prayed to become a dragon; and immediately fulfilled his prayer by committing suicide, and returning to the world as a malignant demon determined to make havoc. Hearing of his spiteful cruel designs, the Buddha came through the air from Mid-India, converted the dragon, and left him a luminous likeness of himself immanent in the inner rock of his cave. Yuan-chuang saw the likeness of the Buddha and a great deal more. According to the tradition the Buddha was alone in the cave when he caused his likeness to go into the rock, but Yuan-chuang saw also in the wonderful manifestation the P’usas and saints who attended the Buddha in his ministrations.

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In the "Ka-lan-chi" the narrative at the part about the Nagar country has this statement—"On to *Ku-lo-lo-lu*, saw the cave of Buddha's shadow, advancing 15 paces into the hill, the entrance facing west". Burnouf, who treats this short passage as corrupt, makes "Gopāla Cave" out of the four Chinese characters represented in the above transcription. This he effects by treating the first *lo* as a mistake for *p'o* and the last character *lu* as a mistake for *chü*, a deer for a cave as he represents it. But if we take the Chinese characters as we find them they give us Kulāla-lok, that is, the Pottery people. Now this reminds us of an interesting passage in the Chinese version of the Life of King Asoka.¹ There Yasa tells the king how the Buddha, just before his death, converted the Dragon-king Apalāla, the Potter, and the Chandāla Dragon-king. Burnouf translating from the Sanskrit text of this passage has "the potter's wife the Chandāli Gopāli" while the editors of the Divyāvadāna treat Kumbhakāri (Potter's wife) as a proper name.²

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¹ A-yü-wang-ching, *ch.* 2 (No. 1343). In *ch.* 6 of this treatise the chandāla Dragon-king is called *Ku-p'o-lo* (Gopāla), and in *ch.* 1 of the "A-yü-wang-chuan" he is the "Ox-Dragon" of Gandhavat. In the "Tsa-a-han-ching", *ch.* 23 (No. 544) Buddha subdues the dragon Apalāla, "the potter chandāla", and the Gopāli dragon.

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² Bur. Int. p. 377: Divyāv. p. 348. See Legge's 'Fa Hian', p. 29.

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With reference to this cave and its surroundings the following passage from the "Ariana Antiqua" may be found of some interest—"Tracing the skirts of the Siah koh, is a road leading from Bāla Bágh to Darunta, and thence across the river of Kabul and Jelalabad to Laghman. From Bāla Bágh to the ferry at Darunta may be a distance of seven miles. At about five miles on this road, coming from Bāla Bágh, we meet the topes of Kotpur, situated a little on our right hand. The first is in the midst of cultivation about one hundred yards from the road; a deep ravine, through which flows a stream derived from the Surkh Rúd (red river), separates it from its two companions. These stand on a dák, or barren level, overspread with fragments of potter's ware; and here coins, rings, and other relics are sometimes found. The spot was, therefore, an ancient place of sepulchre.¹ In the 'Life of Asoka', however, the Gopāla cave is located in Gandhāra.

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¹ Ar. Ant. p. 64. The conclusion drawn in the last sentence of this passage is not quite justified by the premises.

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In another Chinese Buddhist work we learn that the Buddha once went to "North India" to the Yue-shi (Getae) country and thence to the west of this. Here he overcame a fierce wicked Rakshasi, spent a night in her cave, and left his shadow on a rock in it like that in the Gopāla cave.² In another Buddhist treatise, moreover, there is mention of a district called Na-kie-lo or Na-kie-han (or a)-lo. Here also was a rākshasi cave, and Buddha came from India to convert the rakshasi and left his luminous image in the cave.³ This cave was in the side of the mountain Ansu, in the Champak grove of the old rishi, close to a Dragon's lake, and north of the Blue-Lotus fountain. The district in which this cave was situated was evidently not the Nagar country of our pilgrim. He also mentions two other caves with luminous images of Buddha in other parts of India.

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² Ta-chih-tu-lun, *ch*. 9 (Bun. No. 1169).

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³ Kuan-Fo-san-mei-hai-ching, *ch*. 7 (No. 430).

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There is also something not quite clear in his location of the cave in Nagar. He seems to describe it as in the east bank of a torrent, yet he tells us that there was to the west of it a large flat stone on which the Buddha spread his robe to dry. According to Fa-hsien also there was a tope, 100 paces west of the cave, which was made by Buddha and his disciples as a pattern. Near this, moreover, was a monastery with above 700 monks in it, of which Yuan-chuang does not make mention.

Cites (4)