On Yuan Chwang's Travels in India, 629–645 A.D. v2.c18.7

v2.c18.7

It is to be noticed that in this passage the pilgrim places Vārāṇasī on the *east* instead of on the *west* side of the Ganges. The Life gives the number of the Buddhist Brethren as 2000 and represents them as being Sarvāstivādins. Then there is nothing in the Life about the twenty Deva-Temples within the city, and this passage is probably corrupt. The text of the Records used by the compiler of the Fang-chih was apparently, for this passage, different from that of any of our editions. According to it the object of worship in the Deva-Temples was the lingam, and it was this which was 100 feet high. It is perhaps possible that Yuan-chuang may have written that among the Deva-Temples in the city was one to Siva which had twenty separate shrines or sacred buildings, and that he then proceeded to describe this great temple. His description of it seems to agree in many points with that given by Mr. Sherring of the ruins of Bakariya Kuṇḍ in the north-west corner of Benares. But Mr. Sherring is disposed to find in these ruins the remains of an ancient Buddhist establishment.¹ But neither Fa-hsien nor Yuan-chuang has any mention of a grand establishment in the city corresponding to the buildings at Bakariyā Kuṇḍ. Nor does the later Sung pilgrim know of such an establishment. This pilgrim places Vārāṇasi to the north of the Ganges, and on its bank, and he has two cities separated by five *li*.²