A Record Of Buddhistic Kingdoms - Being An Account By The Chinese Monk Fa-hien Of His Travels In India And Ceylon (a.d. 399-414) By James Legge
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Cunningham, Indeed, Takes
Credit ("Ancient Geography Of India," Pp.
108, 109) for determining
this to be the site of Arrian's Taxila, - in the upper Punjab, still
existing in the ruins of Shahdheri, between the Indus and Hydaspes
(the modern Jhelum).
So far he may be correct; but the Takshasila of
Fa-hien was on the other, or western side of the Indus; and between
the river and Gandhara. It took him, indeed, seven days travelling
eastwards to reach it; but we do not know what stoppages he may have
made on the way. We must be wary in reckoning distances from his
specifications of days.
[2] Two Jataka stories. See the account of the latter in Spence
Hardy's "Manual of Buddhism," pp. 91, 92. It took place when Buddha
had been born as a Brahman in the village of Daliddi; and from the
merit of the act, he was next born in a devaloka.
CHAPTER XII
PURUSHAPURA, OR PESHAWUR. PROPHECY ABOUT KING KANISHKA AND
HIS TOPE. BUDDHA'S ALMS-BOWL. DEATH OF HWUY-YING.
Going southwards from Gandhara, (the travellers) in four days arrived
at the kingdom of Purushapura.[1] Formerly, when Buddha was travelling
in this country with his disciples, he said to Ananda,[2] "After my
pari-nirvana,[3] there will be a king named Kanishka,[4] who shall on
this spot build a tope." This Kanishka was afterwards born into the
world; and (once), when he had gone forth to look about him, Sakra,
Ruler of Devas, wishing to excite the idea in his mind, assumed the
appearance of a little herd-boy, and was making a tope right in the
way (of the king), who asked what sort of thing he was making.
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