1864.] On the Bums of Buddha Gay a. 179 



Two or three trenches have been run through the extensive mass of 

 rubbish to the north of the great temple, leading to the discovery of 

 nothing beyond a few cells for resident monks, a great number of whom 

 must have found their living in the neighbourhood of this once sacred 

 spot. 



Within the courtyard and opposite to the entrance, stands a small 

 open temple formed of four granite pillars covered over by a heavy 

 stone roofing. In the middle of this there is a large block of basalt, 

 the material so largely used by Buddhist sculptors in the manufacture 

 of their statuary, bearing on its upper surface the carving of two hu- 

 man feet, and a Sanskrit inscription on one side. On the centre of 

 each foot are engraved, within a circle, the figures of a conch, a flag, a 

 lotus, a swastika or magic figure of prosperity, a fish, and a few other 

 objects which I could not well recognise. 



The name by which this stone is commonly known is Buddha/pad^ 

 or " Buddha's feet." It is remarkable, however, that the inscription 

 on it does not at all allude to Buddha. It begins with the usual 

 Brahminic invocation of " Om," gives the date in S'aka 1230, and 

 records the names of Eavataji and Baladevaji as the dedicators of a tem- 

 ple. The letters are rather smudgy, and the facsimile prepared by me 

 is peculiarly so, it is possible therefore that my interpretation of the 

 monument may be questioned, but the great test of the creed of an 

 oriental document is the salutation at the beginnings and that salutation 

 in the record under notice, being the mystic " Om," which is common 

 both to the Hindu and the Buddhist, it is impossible to determine to 

 which of the two rival creeds the stone is to be assigned. Nor are the 

 emblems engraved on the feet favourable to an easy solution of the 

 question. They conform to no known canons of palmistry Hindu or 

 Buddhist, regarding auspicious marks on the sole of the feet. 



The Lalita Vistura, (Chapter 7) in giving an account of the peculiar 



marks on, and the character of, S'akya's feet, says Ci He has expanded 



hands and feet, soft fresh hands and feet, swift and agile hands and feet 



(like those of a snake-catcher), with long and slender fingers and toes. 



On the soles of the feet of the great king and prince (Maharaja 



J Kumara) Sarvartha-siddha are two white wheels, beautifully coloured, 



,irl bright and refulgent, and having a thousand spokes, a nave, and an 



J axle-hole. His feet sit evenly on the ground." Such a wheel we 



j||| look for in vain on the foot-marks at Buddha Gaya. Again in the 



Museum of the Society there is a large flag of white marble bearing 



