On Yuan Chwang's Travels in India, 629–645 A.D. v2.c22.s19: Pi-To-Shih-Lo
On Yuan Chwang's Travels in India, 629–645 A.D. v2.c22.s19
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Pi-To-Shih-Lo
v2.c22.s19.1
Passing over the few remarks which give what our pilgrim learned about Persia, we take up the thread of his description of India.
v2.c22.s19.2
From A-tien-p'o-chih-lo, he tells us, he went north above 700 *li* to the Pi-to-shih-lo country. This country, he relates, was 3000 odd *li* in circuit, its capital being above twenty *li*. It had no government of its own, and was subject to Sindh. The soil was rather brackish and there were fierce cold winds; much pulse and wheat were yielded and little fruit and flower; the people were violent, their language was not that of "Mid India", they were not fond of learning, but they were true Buddhists. There were above 50 Buddhist monasteries and more than 3000 Brethren all of the Hinayāna Sammatiya school. In an Asoka tope, in a forest about 15 *li* north from the capital, was a relic which emitted a bright light; the relic was one of the Buddha in his birth as a rishi when he was killed by the king of the country. Near this tope on the east side was an old monastery built by the great Arhat Mahākatyāyana, and near this was a tope to mark the place where the Four Past Buddhas had sat and walked for exercise.
v2.c22.s19.3
The Life represents the pilgrim as going from Lankal to this country. Julien restores the name as Pitaśilā, and Cunningham, who turns this into Paṭaśila, identifies the capital with "Haidarābād or Nirankot".⁴ General Haig dissents from this and suggests Nagar Pārkar, the Thar and Parkar district of West India, as the country called by the pilgrim Pi-to-shih-lo.⁵ May not these characters be the transcription of a name like Bida (or Bhida-)śira meaning "cleft-head"? The name may have had reference to the Jātaka of which the pilgrim makes mention, and here, as on other occasions, he may have used a Buddhist designation unknown to ordinary Indian literature.
v2.c22.s19.4
⁴ A. G. I. p. 278-282.
v2.c22.s19.5
⁵ op. c. p. 38.