On Yuan Chwang's Travels in India, 629–645 A.D. v2.c21.s15: Dravida
On Yuan Chwang's Travels in India, 629–645 A.D. v2.c21.s15
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Dravida
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The pilgrim continuing his narrative relates that from Chulya he travelled 1500 or 1600 *li* through wood and jungle south to the *Ta-lo-pi-t'u* country. This was above 6000 *li* in circuit and its capital *Kan-chih-pu-lo* was above thirty *li* in circuit. The region had a rich fertile soil, it abounded in fruits and flowers and yielded precious substances. The people were courageous, thoroughly trustworthy, and public-spirited, and they esteemed great learning; in their written and spoken language they differed from "Mid-India". There were more than 100 Buddhist monasteries with above 10 000 Brethren all of the Sthavira School. The Deva-Temples were above 80, and the majority belonged to the Digambaras. This country had been frequently visited by the Buddha, and king Asoka had erected topes at the various spots where the Buddha had preached and admitted members into his Order. The capital was the birth-place of Dharmapāla P'usa who was the eldest son of a high official of the city. He was a boy of good natural parts which received great development as he grew up. When he came of age a daughter of the king was assigned to him as wife, but on the night before the ceremony of marriage was to be performed, being greatly distressed in mind, he prayed earnestly before an image of Buddha. In answer to his prayer a god bore him away to a mountain monastery some hundreds of *li* from the capital. When the Brethren of the monastery heard his story they complied with his request, and gave him ordination, and the king on ascertaining what had become of him treated him with increased reverence and distinction. Not far from the south of the capital was a large monastery which was a rendezvous for the most eminent men of the country. It had an Asoka tope above 100 feet high where the Buddha had once defeated Tirthikas by preaching, and had received many into his communion. Near it were traces of a sitting-place and exercise-walk of the Four Past Buddhas.
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The *Ta-lo-pi-t'u* of the above passage has been restored as Dravida, and the name of the capital as Kāñchi-pura. Cunningham regarded the capital as being represented by Conjeveram on the river Palār,¹ and Kāñchipura seems to have been a former name of this city. Fergusson, however, thinks we must go on to Nagapatam¹ (Negapatam) and there is much in favour of this identification.
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¹ A. G. I. p. 548.
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¹ op. c. p. 265.
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The Life has a few remarks about the capital which are worth quoting. It states—"Kāñchipura is the seaport of South India for Ceylon, the voyage to which takes three days. Before the pilgrim left, the king of Ceylon had died, and there were famine and revolution in the land, and about 300 bhikshus had come from it to India. When they arrived at Kāñchipura the pilgrim said to them—I understand that in your country the Bhadantas expound the Tripitaka of the Sthaviras and the Yoga-śāstras. I want to go there to study. Why have you come away?" The bhikshus explained that they had left on account of the famine, and because they wanted to visit the Buddhist sacred places in India (Jambudvipa) where the Buddha was born. They added: "*We know our fellow-religionists do not surpass us; if your Reverence has doubts inquire of us at your pleasure.* Thereupon the pilgrim adduced *important points from the Yoga scriptures for elucidation and [the Ceylon Brethren] could not excel Śīlabhadra's explanations*". For the passage in italics Julien has—"Nous savons d'ailleurs qu'ici les disciples de la Loi ne la transgressent jamais. Nous autres, vieillards, nous voudrions, lorsque nous éprouverons des doutes, pouvoir vous interroger librement". Le Maître de la loi leur cita les principaux passages du *yu-kia* (yōgacāstra); mais ils ne purent lui donner les explications de Çīlabhadra". The text is not very clear but it cannot be made to yield this meaning. As the passage shows, the pilgrim had told the Brethren from Ceylon that he had intended to go over to their island for instruction, and they reply that there are no Brethren there superior to them, and that the pilgrim may address his questions to them. It is implied that he can get all the guiding and information he wants without having to make the voyage to Ceylon. As the island was in a bad state Yuan-chuang was probably pleased to escape the journey, and so he talked over important Yoga texts with these Brethren. He found, however, that they had no exposition to give better than that which he had received from Śīlabhadra.
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As to Dharmapāla, the Life tells us that it was because he wanted to leave the world that he prayed before the Buddha’s image for escape from marriage with the Princess. This Dharmapāla, whom we have met already, became, as Julien and the Life tell us,¹ a devoted student of Buddhism. He was also an author of repute and wrote treatises on Etymology, Logic, and the Methaphysics of Buddhism.²
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¹ Julien, I, p. 192. Life, *ch.* 4.
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² Bunyiu Nanjio, Appendix I, No. 16.