On Yuan Chwang's Travels in India, 629–645 A.D. v2.c21.s1: Champā
On Yuan Chwang's Travels in India, 629–645 A.D. v2.c21.s1
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Champā
v2.c21.s1.1
The pilgrim, continuing his narrative, relates that from the Īraṇaparvata country he proceeded east, following the south bank of the Ganges, and after a journey of above 300 *li* he came to the *Chan-p'o* (Champā) country. This the pilgrim describes as above 4000 *li* in circuit, with its capital more than 40 *li* in circuit, situated on the south side of the Ganges. There were some tens of monasteries mostly in ruins, and there were above 200 Brethren all Hīnayānists. At the beginning of this kalpa, he relates, when men were homeless savages, a goddess came down from Heaven, and after bathing in the Ganges became pregnant. She bore four sons, who divided the world among them, and built cities, and the first city built was Champā. To the east of the capital about 140 *li* on the south side of the Ganges was a high islet on which was a Deva-temple, a place beautiful and enchanting.
v2.c21.s1.2
The statement here made by Yuan-chuang that Champā was the first city built on the renovation of the world is found in several of the Buddhist scriptures, but without the story of the goddess.¹ In the scriptures we find the Buddha often visiting this city, and lodging at the tank called Gaggarā, in Chinese transcriptions Ka-ga or Ga-ga (揭伽 or 伽伽).² The country was ruled for a time by the Aṅga dynasty, and it is called the Aṅga country, but in the Buddha’s time was subject to Magadha.³ Fa-hsien makes Champā to have been 18 yojanas east from Pāṭaliputra down the Ganges, and on the south side of that river; he calls it a large country; he mentions topes at the site of Buddha’s ching-shê, that is, vihāra, and exercise ground, and at the sitting-place of the Four Buddhas with resident Brethren.⁴ In several of the Buddhist scriptures the capital of this country is represented as a large and flourishing city. The transcription of the name given here by our pilgrim, Chanp'o (瞻波 or 婆), is that used by Fa-hsien; another way of transcribing the name is Chan-p'o (占波). Cunningham has identified the city Champā of this passage with the modern Bhāgalpur, and this identification has been accepted.⁵ But Champā was the name given also to a large district which apparently included our pilgrim’s Iraṇaparvata as we find the scene of the story of the Buddha and Śroṇaviṃśatikoṭi laid in Champā. Iraṇa and Champā are also mentioned together as having a great supply of war elephants.
v2.c21.s1.3
¹ Ta-lu-t'an-ching, ch. 6 (No. 551).
v2.c21.s1.4
² Digh. Nik. Vol. I, p. 111 (P. T. S.); Sam. Nik. Vol. I, p. 195; Chang-a-han-ching, ch. 15; Sar. Vin. Yao-shih, ch. 2.
v2.c21.s1.5
³ Chang-a-han-ching, ch. 5; Vinaya Texts Vol. II, p. 1 and note; Sar. Vin. P'o-sêng-shih, ch. 16, 17. Rhys Davids, ‘Buddhist India’, p. 24.
v2.c21.s1.6
⁴ Fo-kuo-chi, ch. 37.
v2.c21.s1.7
⁵ A. G. I. p. 477; Fergusson J. R. A. S., Vol. VI. 1873. c. p. 235.
Cites (5)
- Sarvāstivāda-vinaya — Classical Chinese
- Dīrghāgama (Dharmaguptaka) — Sanskrit
- Soṇadaṇḍasutta — Pāli
- Saṃyuttanikāya — Pāli
- *Vinaya — Sanskrit