230 A. M. Broadley — The Buddhistic Remains of Bihar. [No. 3, 
looking on the great trees and the forest, lovely as the gardens of the angels, 
ordered hor litter to be stayed, that she might descend and walk. Then 
standing under one of the majestic trees, she desired to pluck a sprig from 
the branches, and the branches bent themselves down, that she might reach 
the sprig that she desired ; and at that moment, while she yet held the 
branch, her labour came upon her. Her attendants held curtains around 
her, the angels brought her garments of the most exquisite softness ; and 
standing there, holding the branch, with her face turned to the East, she 
brought forth her son, without pain or any of the circumstances which 
attend that event with women in general.’ 
To speak further of the symbols of Buddhism is quite beyond the pro- 
vince I have chosen. Every information on this subject, can be gleaned with 
ease from the learned writings of Schlagintweit and Alabaster, and I shall 
have occasion to say more about them when I come to speak of particular 
figures. 
Fifthly. — Inscriptions. These vary from B. C. 200 to A. D. 1000, and 
are in most cases confined to the Buddhist creed. I have, however, discovered 
several dated inscriptions, which I shall give in full when I come to speak of 
the monastic buildings to which they belong. 
I now proceed without any further introduction to give an account of 
the Buddhist remains in Bihar. 
IV. Kusa'ga'rapura and Ba'j agriha. 
Neither Hwen Thsang nor Chi-Fah-Hiyan visited at once the capital 
of the Magadha kingdom. Both of them arrived there after spending a con- 
siderable time in the various monasteries of the surrounding territory. 
A description of the remains of those institutions will follow in future chap- 
ters ; but 1 have thought it best for many reasons to commence my narrative 
with an account of the great metropolis itself. 
The ruins of Rajagriha may conveniently be classified under two heads : 
1st, the remains of the more ancient city — Kusagarapura — situated within the 
Valley of the Five Hills ; 2nd, those of the more modern city Kaj agriha, 
which are found in the plain to the north of the mountains. The one I de- 
signate as the city of Bimbisara, the other as that of Ajatasatru. These 
towns were visited by both the Buddhist pilgrims, by Fah Hiyan about the 
year 415, A. D., and by Hwen Thsang in March, 637, A. D. Hwen Thsang 
and Fah-Hiyan have bequeathed to posterity very detailed accoimts of the 
monuments and antiquities both of the towns themselves, and the sacred 
range of hills which surrounded them. Their respective narratives are to be 
found in the “ Memo ires sur les Contrees Occidentales,” Vol. Ill, pp. 15 — 41, 
in the “ Histoire de la Vie do Hwen Thsang,” pp. 153 — 161 ; in Mr. Laidley’s 
