On Yuan Chwang's Travels in India, 629–645 A.D. v2.c23.s1: Fu-Li-Shih-Sa-T'Ang-Na
On Yuan Chwang's Travels in India, 629–645 A.D. v2.c23.s1
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Fu-Li-Shih-Sa-T'Ang-Na
v2.c23.s1.1
The narrative in the Records proceeds to relate that from Tsao-ku-t'a Yuan-chuang travelled north for more than 500 li to Fu-li-shih-sa-t'ang-na. This country is described as being above 2000 li from east to west and 1000 li from north to south; its capital called Hu-pi-na was above 20 li in circuit. The country and its people were like Tsao-ku-t'a but with a different language; the climate was cold and the people were violent; their king was a Turk and a zealous Buddhist.
v2.c23.s1.2
From this district, the pilgrim proceeds, he travelled north-east over mountains and across rivers, passing some tens of small frontier towns of Kapis to the Po-lo-se-na range of the Great Snow Mountains. This he describes as an exceedingly high range with steep, narrow, winding paths, and precipices that overlap. One passes from deep ravine to steep cliff; it is very cold even in midsummer; you cut your steps in the ice; and a climb of three days brings you to the top of the Pass. A cold wind blows fiercely while massed snow fills the ravines; travellers may not make a halt; even the birds in their migrations cannot continue their flight here and have to descend and walk. As you look down on the hills below they seem mere mounds. This is the highest mountain in Jambudvīpa; it is absolutely tree-less, there is only a forest of rocky peaks.
v2.c23.s1.3
The *Fu-li-shih-t'ang-na* of this passage has been tentatively restored by Julien as Vrijisthāna, and St. Martin restoring the name as Vardasthāna has identified the country with that of the Vardaks (Wardaks) about 40 miles north of Ghazni.¹ This restoration seems to be impossible and Julien’s suggestion is interesting but doubtful. Cunningham identifies the country with the Kabul district and restores the pilgrim’s name for it as Urddhasthāna, a restoration in favour of which nothing can be said.² Then St. Martin identifies the capital of this country, *Hu-pi-na*, with the modern Hupian or Opian, while Cunningham restores the name as Kophene and makes the city to be Kabul. In the D text of the Life the country is called *Fo-li-shih* (佛栗氏)-sthāna, and in the other texts we have *Fo-li-shih-kuo* and *Sa-t'ang-na* (sthāna)-kuo. The insertion of *kuo*, "country" after *Fo-li-shih* is probably due to a copyist or printer, but this transcription does not seem to suit the restoration Vrijisthāna. The T'ang-Shu, quoting the pilgrim’s account, writes the name of the country as it is in the texts of the Records, but in other passages the historian seems to call the country *Hu-shih-kien* (護時健).³ This term perhaps represents a word like Gozkand, and it may give the local and popular name, while our pilgrim uses the designation employed by the Buddhist Brethren. It is in favour of the restoration Vrijisthāna that the three characters which make Vriji here are those used by Yuan-chuang to transcribe this word as the name of the Vṛiji or Vajjian people who lived in the Vesāli country. But Yule takes the transcription of the present passage to be possibly for Parāchisthāna, the Parāchis being one of the many tribes which inhabited the villages and districts of Kabul at the time of Baber.¹ This tribe, which was a distinct race with a language of its own, may have given its name to the district it occupied, but the characters Fu-li-shih cannot be taken to represent Parāchi.
v2.c23.s1.4
¹ Julien, III, p. 416.
v2.c23.s1.5
² A. G. I. p. 83 ff.
v2.c23.s1.6
³ Ch. 221.
v2.c23.s1.7
¹ J. R. A. S. Vol. VI, p. 104, 278.
v2.c23.s1.8
The great mountain here described by the pilgrim with a Pass over it is called by him *P'o-lo-se-na*. This may be for Bālasena or Varasena (Julien), and Yule thinks it is "the Parsiana of Ptolemy". But it is perhaps better to regard it as the book-name in use among the Buddhists in the monasteries. The Pass here described is, according to St. Martin, the Khevāk (Khawak) Pass over the Hindu Kush at the head of the Panjshir valley,² the Khawak or Khawk of our maps.
v2.c23.s1.9
² Julien, *loc. cit.* e. c.; Baber p. 139.
v2.c23.s1.10
It is possible that the *Fu-li-shah* (弗利沙) country mentioned in the *Ta-fang-têng-ta-chi-ching* is the Fu-li-shih-sa-t'ang-na of our passage. The Buddha is represented in the above sūtra as placing his religion and its adherents in Fu-li-sha under the care of certain supernatural beings who accept the responsibility.³
v2.c23.s1.11
³ *Ta-fang-têng-ta-chi-ching*, *ch.* 55 (No. 62).