On Yuan Chwang's Travels in India, 629–645 A.D. v2.c23.2

v2.c23.2

At the end of *Chuan* XI the pilgrim tells us that from Fa-la-na he continued his journey north-west, crossed mountains and wide river-courses, passed small towns, and emerging from India after a journey of above 2000 *li*, reached the country of Tsao-ku-t'a. The next *Chuan* begins by describing this country as being above 7000 *li* in circuit and its capital *Ho-si-na* as being above 30 *li* in circuit; there was another capital named *Ho-sa-lo* of the same extent with *Ho-si-na*, and these two cities had strong elevated situations. The mountains with their river-courses stood high;¹ the cultivated lands had a high brisk situation; the crops were regular; early wheat was abundant, and vegetation was prolific; the land produced saffron and asa-fœtida; the latter plant grew in the valley of the *Lo-mo-yin-tu*. In the city *Ho-sa-lo* there were springs from which issued streams of water which the farmers used for irrigation. The climate was very cold, and frost and snow abounded; the people were excitable and deceitful; they were fond of accomplishments and were clever without intelligence (but according to B and D texts, without excellence); their writing and their spoken language differed from those of other countries. They paid worship to gods and also reverenced Buddha, the Canon, and the Order; there were some hundreds of monasteries, and there were above 10 000 Brethren all Mahāyānists. The reigning king, who was a hereditary sovereign, was a true believer in Buddhism and was intelligent and studious. In this country there were above ten topes erected by Asoka; of Deva-Temples there were some tens; the adherents of the various systems lived pell-mell, but the Tirthikas (wai-tao) were in the majority, and their disciples were very numerous; they worshipped the Shu (or Chu)-na deva who had come from Mount Aruṇa in Kapis to the Shu-na-hi-lo mountain in the south of this country.