city. In front of this there is a footprint of
Buddha, where a vihara has been built. The door of it faces the north,
and on the south of it there is a stone pillar, fourteen or fifteen
cubits in circumference, and more than thirty cubits high, on which
there is an inscription, saying, "Asoka gave the Jambudvipa to the
general body of all the monks, and then redeemed it from them with
money. This he did three times." North from the tope three hundred or
four hundred paces, king Asoka built the city of Ne-le. In it there is a
stone pillar, which also is more than thirty feet high, with a lion on
the top of it. On the pillar there is an inscription recording the
things which led to the building of Ne-le, with the number of the year,
the day, and the month.

[Footnote 1: The modern Patna. The Sanscrit name means "The city of
flowers." It is the Indian Florence.]

CHAPTER XXVIII

~Rajagriha, New and Old--Legends Connected with It~

The travellers went on from this to the southeast for nine yojanas, and
came to a small solitary rocky hill, at the head or end of which was an
apartment of stone, facing the south--the place where Buddha sat, when
Sakra, Ruler of Devas, brought the deva-musician, Panchasikha, to give
pleasure to him by playing on his lute. Sakra then asked Buddha about
forty-two subjects, tracing the questions out with his finger one by one
on the rock. The prints of his tracing are still there; and here also
there is a monastery.

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];