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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
(JUNE, 1909.
sandstone from the quarries near Agra and Mathura first came into use in Kushận tines. It is out of the question to believe that a crouching lion could have been mistaken for a standing elephant by both pilgrims. Sankisa may or may not represent Sankabye, but the elephant capital there certainly is not the lion capital seen by Fa-hion and Hiuen Tsang. Adequate discussion of the identity of the site would require a tedious topographical discussion and an essay of considerable length. I cannot go further into the matter here, and must content myself by remarking that the equation Sankiss=Sankasys is by no means conclusively established. I observe that, according to Watters, Hinen Tsang does not state the height of the pillar at all, but says that the present stairs were above 70 feet high with a Buddhist temple on the top, in which was a stone image of the Buddha.' This version, I expect, will prove to be correct, for a monolithic pillar with monolithic capital could not well be 70 feet in height. None of the extant Asoka pillarg has any figure sculpture on the shaft, and it is interesting to learn that the Sankabye monument differed widely from any now known. The confnsed description by old travellere of Lat Bhairo at Benares, which was destroyed by the Muhammadans during the riot of 1809, indicate that it too had carving on the shaft, but the records are not fully intelligible. The identity of that monament with one described by Hiuen Tsang is proved in an article which will appear in the 2. D. M. G. during the current year.
Passage No. III. Chapter XXIII. ---Akôka's alleged proceedings at Ramagrama. Fast from Baddha's birthplace [i. e., the Lambini Garden= Rammindef], and at a distance of five yojanas, there is a kingdom called Rama. The king of this country, having obtained ono portion of the relics of Buddha's body, returned with it and built over it a tope, named the Rama tope. By the side of it there was a pool, and in the pool a dragon, which constantly kept watch over the tope) and presented offerings at it day and night.
When king Aboks came forth into the world, he wished to destroy the eight topos (over the relics) and to build (instead of them) 84,000 topes. After he had thrown down the seven others, he wished next to destroy this tope. But then the dragon showed itself, took the king into its palace, and when he had seen all the things provided for offerings, it said to him, " If you are able with your offerings, to exceed these, you can destroy the tope, and take it all away. I will not contend with you." The king, however, knew that such appliances for offering were not to be had anywhere in the world, and thereupon returned (without carrying out his purpose ).'
Laidlay's version agrees substantially. He notes that the Chinese word rendered as Râma is Lan-mo, which name is also used by Hinen Tsang, who, however, writes the second syllable with a character different from that used by Fa-bien.
Giles differs by understanding that the dragon introduced Abôka, not into his own palace under the waters, but into the interior of the stúpa.
Beal's rendering does not differ materially from that of Legge.
Thus it is clear that Fa-hien heard a tradition that this Ramagrams staps was older than the time of Aboka, and that it had escaped destruction (Prebuilding) by him, whereas the other seven great stripas of Sârnâth, Bodh Gaya, etc., had suffered that fate.
Unfortunately, the exact site of the stapa has not yet been identifled because it lies in Nepalese territory and is difficult of access without tedious formalities. But its approximate position is known and a moderate amount of local research probably would fix it definitely. The one absolutely certain point in the itinerary of the pilgrims in the
