On Yuan Chwang's Travels in India, 629–645 A.D. v2.c20.60

v2.c20.60

The pilgrim goes on to tell us that to the west of the north gate of the "Mountain City" was the Pi-pu-lo (Vipula) mountain. According to local accounts, he adds, on the north side of the south-west declivity there had once been 500 hot springs, of which there remained at his time several scores, some cold and some tepid. The source of these springs was the Anavatapta Lake to the south of the Snow Mountains, and the streams ran underground to this place. The water was beautifully clear, and it had the same taste as that of the Lake. The fountain stream flowed in 500 branches past the Small Hot wells, and this made the water of the springs hot. All these springs had carved stones such as heads of lions or white elephants, or they had stone aqueducts to lead the water into tanks made of stone slabs. People came from various lands to bathe in these tanks, and often went away healed of old maladies. About the springs were the foundations of topes and temples in close succession, and and also the sites of sitting and exercise places of the Four Past Buddhas. This place having a succession of hill and stream was a hermitage of benevolence and wisdom, and in it were hidden many scholars unknown to the world. To the west of the Hot Springs was the *Pi-po-lo* (Pippala) Cave in which the Buddha often lodged. Through the rock at the back of this was a passage into the Asur's Palace in which bhikshus practising samādhi lodged notwithstanding the strange sights which drove some of them mad. We then have a story of a bhikshu and a small female of the Asur's Palace. The pilgrim adds— "On the Vipula Mountain is a tope on the spot where the Buddha once preached; many Digambaras now lodge here and practise austerities incessantly; they turn round with the sun, watching it from its rising to its setting."