A Record of Buddhistic Kingdoms

Chapter IV · THROUGH THE TS’UNG OR “ONION” MOUNTAINS TO K’EEH-CH’A;—PROBABLY SKARDO, OR SOME CITY MORE TO THE EAST IN LADAK.

James Legge translation

When the processions of images in the fourth month were over, Sang-shao, by himself alone, followed a Tartar who was an earnest follower of the Law,(1) and proceeded towards Kophene.(2) Fâ-Hien and the others went forward to the kingdom of Tsze-hoh, which it took them twenty-five days to reach.(3) Its king was a strenuous follower of our Law,(4) and had (around him) more than a thousand monks, mostly students of the mahayana. Here (the travellers) abode fifteen days, and then went south for four days, when they found themselves among the Ts’ung-ling mountains, and reached the country of Yu-hwuy,(5) where they halted and kept their retreat.(6) When this was over, they went on among the hills(7) for twenty-five days, and got to K’eeh-ch’a,(8) there rejoining Hwuy-king(9) and his two companions.

NOTES

Notes in this chapter

Note 1 · (1) This Tartar is called a {.} {.}, “a man of the Tao,” or faith of Buddha. It occurs several times in the sequel, and denotes the man who Note 2 · (2) See the account of the kingdom of Kophene, in the 96th Book of the first Han Records, p. 78, where its capital is said to be 12,200 le f Note 3 · (3) Tsze-hoh has not been identified. Beal thinks it was Yarkand, which, however, was north-west from Khoten. Watters (“China Review,” p. 13 Note 4 · (4) The king is described here by a Buddhistic phrase, denoting the possession of viryabala, “the power of energy; persevering exertion—one Note 5 · (5) Nor has Yu-hwuy been clearly identified. Evidently it was directly south from Tsze-hoh, and among the “Onion” mountains. Watters hazards Note 6 · (6) This was the retreat already twice mentioned as kept by the pilgrims in the summer, the different phraseology, “quiet rest,” without any Note 7 · (7) This is the Corean reading {.}, much preferable to the {.} of the Chinese editions.Note 8 · (8) Watters approves of Klaproth’s determination of K’eeh-ch’a to be Iskardu or Skardo. There are difficulties in connexion with the view, b Note 9 · (9) Who had preceded them from Khoten.