On Yuan Chwang's Travels in India, 629–645 A.D. v2.c21.s14: Chu-Li-Ya (Chulya?)
On Yuan Chwang's Travels in India, 629–645 A.D. v2.c21.s14
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Chu-Li-Ya (Chulya?)
v2.c21.s14.1
We go back now to the narrative in the Records. It proceeds to state that from Dhanakaṭaka the pilgrim went south-west above 1000 *li* to Chu-li-ya. This country, we are told, was about 2400 *li* in circuit, and its capital was above ten *li* in circuit. It was a wild jungle region with very few settled inhabitants, and bands of highwaymen went about openly; it had a moist hot climate; the people were of a fierce and profligate character and were believers in the Tirthikas; the Buddhist monasteries were in ruins, and only some of them had Brethren; there were several tens of Deva-temples, and the Digambaras were numerous. To the south-east of the capital, and near it, was an Asoka tope where the Buddha had preached, wrought miracles, overcome Tirthikas, and received men and devas into his communion. Near the west side of the city was an old monastery where Deva p'usa had discussed with the arhat Uttara. And this is the story of the discussion. Deva had heard of this arhat with supernormal powers and attainments, so he made a long journey to see him and observe his style of teaching. Uttara, being a man content with little, had only one couch in his room, so he made a heap of fallen leaves on which he bade his guest recline. When the arhat was ready Deva stated his difficulties, and the arhat gave his solutions, then Deva replied and put further questions and so on for seven rounds; the arhat unable to reply transported himself secretly to the Tushita Paradise and obtained the necessary explanations from Maitreya who told him that he should be very respectful to Deva who was to be a Buddha in the present kalpa; when Uttara imparted his information to Deva the latter recognized it as the teaching of Maitreya; hereupon Uttara gave up his mat to Deva with polite apologies, and treated him with profound respect.
v2.c21.s14.2
This passage differs from the Life in the direction assigned to Chu-li-ya from Dhanakaṭaka, the pilgrim giving it as south-west, while the Life in one text has west and in another has south. The Chu-li-ya of the text has been restored as Cholya, and it corresponds, no doubt, to the country of the Choḍas mentioned in Asoka's second and thirteenth Edicts,¹ and of the Cholas often mentioned in literature from the fifth century onwards. Cunningham suggests as its modern representative the district of Karnūl "which is 230 miles in a direct line to the north-north-west of Kāñchipura, and 160 miles to the west-south-west of Dhāraṇikoṭṭa".² Fergusson, however, assuming that the object for which the pilgrim was travelling here was "to get to the port of embarcation for Ceylon" thinks that "the direction and distance would take us to Nellore, which is an important place".³
v2.c21.s14.3
¹ Senart, 'Inscriptions de Piyadasi', 73, 210.
v2.c21.s14.4
² A. G. I. p. 545.
v2.c21.s14.5
³ J. R. A. S. VI, 264.
v2.c21.s14.6
In the above passage the words "being a man content with little" are in the original shao-yü-chih-tsu (少欲知足) which is replaced in some texts by words meaning "in his place of abode". This story of Deva P'usa and Uttara is one of our pilgrim's silly legends about the great apostles of Buddhism in India, and we need not examine it closely. The Uttara of the story cannot be either the bhikshu with that name who founded the Sautrāntika School, or the Uttara of king Asoka's time who went with Soṇa to propagate Buddhism in Suvaṇṇa-bhūmi. Our pilgrim evidently understood the arhat to be a Hīnayānist Buddhist who was no match in discussion for the Mahāyānist P'usa who had god-given powers of persuasion.