________________ CHOS:DAR'S ACCOUNT OF DHARMASVAMIN'S TRAVELS IN VAISALI* Translated by GEORGE N. ROERICH, M. A., Ph. D. . A. Forward Journey (A. D. 1234) [1. From Pa-ta to the border of Vaisali ] On the following day the Dharmasvamin agreed to join a company of three hundred who were looking for companions. On the following day they left the place (the town of Pa-ta] and after covering several stages, they met a man who told them that a buffalo had killed the day before three men and that it was dangerous to continue the journey that day. During the journey, the Dharmasvamin and his two faithful companions used to walk in the middle of the party of three hundred, neither to the front, nor behind. Then suddenly those who were walking in the front fled away on seeing a cloud of dust (which appeared on the road). It was the buffalo who the day before bad killed three men. Of black colour, breathing heavily and raising dust with its legs, the animal was ready to charge with lowered horns. The hair on the animal's belly reaching the ground, it seemed to be square-shaped. When looking at it from a distance, it was as if rain was lashing one's face. The Dharmasvamin said that "ma-hes" meant wild yak in Tibetan, and that there was no corresponding word in another language. Though the danger from the buffalo was great the Dharmasvamin assured the protection of the party, and the * Extracted from Biography of Dharmasvamin (Chag lo-tsa-bn Chos-r je-dpal), a Tibetan Monk Pilgrim, writte by Upasaka Chos-dar, the disciple of Dharmasvamin (A. D. 1197-1264), immediately after the death of his Guru, original Tibetan P 'text deciphered in Roman characters and translated into English by Dr. George N. Roerich, with a historical and critical introduction by Dr. A. S. Altekar, Patna, 1959. The portions extracted above appear on (A) pp. 59-63 and (B) p. 98 of the book. Headings and sub-beadings bave been provided by our selves. Ed. 27
