A yojana southwest from this place brought them to the village of Nala, where Sariputtra was born, and to which also he returned, and attained here his pari-nirvana.  Over the spot where his body was burned there was built a tope, which is still in existence.

Another yojana to the west brought them to New Rajagriha—­the new city which was built by king Ajatasatru.  There were two monasteries in it.  Three hundred paces outside the west gate, king Ajatasatru, having obtained one portion of the relics of Buddha, built over them a tope, high, large, grand, and beautiful.  Leaving the city by the south gate, and proceeding south four li, one enters a valley, and comes to a circular space formed by five hills, which stand all round it, and have the appearance of the suburban wall of a city.  Here was the old city of king Bimbisara; from east to west about five or six li, and from north to south seven or eight.  It was here that Sariputtra and Maudgalyayana first saw Upasena [1]; that the Nirgrantha made a pit of fire and poisoned the rice, and then invited Buddha to eat with him; that king Ajatasatru made a black elephant intoxicated with liquor, wishing him to injure Buddha; and that at the northeast corner of the city in a large curving space Jivaka built a vihara in the garden of Ambapali, and invited Buddha with his one thousand two hundred and fifty disciples to it, that he might there make his offerings to support them.  These places are still there as of old, but inside the city all is emptiness and desolation; no man dwells in it.

[Footnote 1:  One of the five first followers of Sakyamuni.  He is also called Asvajit; in Pali Assaji; but Asvajit seems to be a military title, “Master or trainer of horses.”  The two more famous disciples met him, not to lead him, but to be directed by him, to Buddha.]

CHAPTER XXIX

Fa-Hien Passes a Night on Gridhra-kuta Hill

Entering the valley, and keeping along the mountains on the southeast, after ascending fifteen li, the travellers came to mount Gridhra-kuta.  Three li before you reach the top, there is a cavern in the rocks, facing the south, in which Buddha sat in meditation.  Thirty paces to the northwest there is another, where Ananda was sitting in meditation, when the deva Mara Pisuna, having assumed the form of a large vulture, took his place in front of the cavern, and frightened the disciple.  Then Buddha, by his mysterious, supernatural power, made a cleft in the rock, introduced his hand, and stroked Ananda’s shoulder, so that his fear immediately passed away.  The footprints of the bird and the cleft for Buddha’s hand are still there, and hence comes the name of “The Hill of the Vulture Cavern.”

In front of the cavern there are the places where the four Buddhas sat.  There are caverns also of the Arhats, one where each sat and meditated, amounting to several hundred in all.  At the place where in front of his rocky apartment Buddha was walking from east to west in meditation, and Devadatta, from among the beetling cliffs on the north of the mountain, threw a rock across, and hurt Buddha’s toes, the rock is still there.