On Yuan Chwang's Travels in India, 629–645 A.D. v2.c21.s3.2

v2.c21.s3.2

The name of the country here described, *Pun-na-fa-tan-na*, has been restored as Puṇḍravardhana, but the word which Yuan-chuang heard and transcribed was evidently Puṇṇavaddhana or Puṇyavardhana. The country so called is apparently the Puṇḍavardhana of the Asokāvadāna in which Asoka put to death a great multitude of naked sectarians for doing despite to Buddhist worship.¹ In the Chinese translation the name is transcribed as *Fun-na-p'o-t'ê-na*, that is, Puṇṇavaddhana, but it is translated *Chêng-tsêng-chang* (正增長) that is, Puṇyavardhana, "Correct increase".² We also find mention of a town and wood called *Tsêng-chang*, but these were in Kosala.³ According to the T'ang-Shu Puṇṇavardhana was 1200 *li* south-west from Kāmarupa, and 400 *li* north-east from *Ka-chu-wu-khi-lo*.⁴ Cunningham proposed to identify the country of the present passage with the modern district of Pubna (Pabna); but Fergusson dissents from this view, and regards the country as corresponding rather to the modern Rungpur (Rangpur), both places being in the Bengal Presidency.⁵