On Yuan Chwang's Travels in India, 629–645 A.D. v1.c9.s3.1

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.