On Yuan Chwang's Travels in India, 629–645 A.D. v2.c17.s3.75

v2.c17.s3.75

This account of the division of the relics differs in some respects from that generally followed. There were not eight kings at the division of the Buddha’s relics as the pilgrim, following certain sūtras, seems to teach. We read in most of the books on the subject that the relics were distributed among the deputies of eight cities or countries. These, according to the Maha-Parinibbāna-sutta,¹ were the Mallas of Kusinārā, Ajātasattu rāja of Māgadha, the Licchavis of Vesāli, the Sakyas of Kapilavastu, the Bulayas of Allakappa, the Koliyas of Rāmagāma, a brahmin of Veṭhadīpo, and the Mallas of Pāvā. With one or two exceptions, which are perhaps only apparent, this list agrees with the Yu-hsing-ching, the Mahāmāyā-ching, and the Pan-ni-huan-ching. The name “Allakappa” seems to be found only in the Pali text, and instead of it some of the others have Chê-lo-p'o (遮 羅 頗)² or Chê-p'o, or they translate the name by Yu-hêng (有 衡) “having scales” or a balance.³ So also instead of Veṭhadīpo, that is Vaishṭradvipa, we have *Shên-chu*, the "Continent of the god", viz. Vishnu, (in the Tibetan translation *Khab-hjug*); or we have the name transcribed *Pi-liu-t'i* (short for Vethadīpo), and we read of the Licchavis or the brahmins of *Pi-liu-t'i*. In his account Yuan-chuang seems to combine in one person the envoy from Ajātasatru and the wise politic brahmin. The latter appears in the books under various names such as Droṇa (Doṇa), Dhūpa (*Hsiang* or Incense), Dhūma (*Yen* or Smoke), and *Mao-Küe*. The name which Yuan-chuang gives him, *Chi-hsing*, meaning fair or honest may be for Droṇasama which seems to have been the form of the name before Mr. Rockhill’s Tibetan authority.¹ This may have been a sobriquet given in jest, as fairness in dealing was not a weakness of this brahmin. He tried to steal one of the Buddha’s canine teeth, and he smeared the inside of the vase for the relics with honey or molasses in a clandestine manner, and thereby obtained a quantity of relics to which he was not entitled. The reader will observe that, according to the version of the story followed by Yuan-chuang, the Mallas of Kuśinagara did not get any share of the cremation relics of the Buddha. This is not in agreement with other versions and we even read of a great relic tope at the place of cremation.