1848.] Gleanings in Buddhism. 75 



Crishna, or Bala,) invaded Kosinnarai (Kusinarake, Kusumapuri or Raja- 

 matty where the Maha Raja often resided* and said by Wilford to be 

 Patna), where Samoula Raja governed. His, Ajatasattu's army was com- 

 posed of the troops of one hundred and one countries." 



[This hyperbolical mode of describing numbers is also common both 

 to the Burmans and Siamese.] 



" These forces posted themselves in seven lines of blockade around 

 Kusinarake, and Ajatasatru despatched a herald to demand the relics 

 from Samoula Raja, or to stand a storm, should he refuse to deliver 

 them up ; and the latter was just preparing to march out of the town 

 and give battle to the enemy, when Thoula, a Brahman, urged the great 

 risk attending an attack on so superior a force, and the sin of waging 

 war in such a cause, when much blood must be spilt. He then pro- 

 posed to negociate and bribe off the enemy, and as the king acquiesced, 

 the Brahman conciliated Ajatasatru by giving to him a large portion of 

 the relics." 



I will stop here to remark that this Brahman must have been a Bud- 

 dhist, if we are to judge from the humanity, not the policy of his advice. 



" Four more kings arrived afterwards, and obtained relics and gifts ; 

 Indra descended on purpose to decide on the respective claims of these 

 Potentates to the Dhatha, or Dhato, or relics. 



Some time after the death of Buddha, Mali Raja, the king of a cer- 

 tain country, arrived at Kusinarake, and solicited a portion of relics, but 

 Samoula Raja replied that he had come too late, and advised him to 

 gather some of the ashes. He took the advice, and having collected 

 enough he returned home and deposited them in a splendid Chaitya." 



* A Buddhist Priest of Bankok gave me a description of the city of this name, which, 

 he said is to be found in the Bali works Dhato Webhahang and Maha Parin Mirana. 

 But he considered it as having been a Siamese city. They have indeed a province and 

 city, so called, having taken the name from the Pali, and which they affirm was an inde- 

 pe dent Government before Siam became united under a king. I suppose it to have 

 included the province of Kanburi, a place of some note in former days. The present city 

 or town so named lies further south than the ancient one, the population having been 

 driven south by the inroads of the Burmans. Kusinarake is said to have been seven 

 yojanas in length, with nearly the same breadth, was fortified, had spires on the walk, 

 these last being 8 cubits high and was encompassed by a deep fosse. [Kusinagara was 

 on the banks of the Gandak not far from Bettiah , Kusumapwa was another name for 

 Patalirmtra, or Patna.— Eds. J 



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