The Pasa Stone Pagoda of Geumgwan Fortress金官城婆娑石塔
1The pagoda Queen Heo carried across the sea
金官虎溪寺婆娑石塔者昔此邑爲金官國時,世祖首露王之妃許皇后名黄玉,以東漢建武二十四年甲申,自西域阿踰陁國所載來.初公主承二親之命泛海將指東,阻波神之怒不克而還白父王.父王命載兹塔,乃獲利渉來泊南涯.有緋㠶茜旗珠玉之羙,今云主浦.初解綾袴於岡上處曰綾峴,茜旗初入海涯曰旗出邊.首露王聘迎之,同御國一百五十餘年.然于時海東未有創寺奉法之事.蓋像敎未至而圡人不信伏,故本記無創寺之文.逮第八代銍知王二年壬辰置寺於其地.又創王后寺〔在阿道訥祗王之世,法㒷王之前.〕至今奉福焉,兼以鎮南倭,具見本國本記.塔方四面五層,其彫𨩐甚竒.石微赤班色其質良脆,非此方類也.本草所云,㸃雞冠血爲驗者是也.金官國亦名駕洛國,具載本記.
The Pasa Stone Pagoda (婆娑石塔) of Hogyesa (虎溪寺) in Geumgwan (金官): long ago, when this district was the state of Geumgwan, Queen Heo (許皇后), whose name was Hwangok (黃玉), consort of the founder King Suro, brought it by ship from the country of Ayodhya in the Western Regions in the twenty-fourth year of Jianwu of Eastern Han, the gapsin year.
At first the princess, following the command of her two parents, set out over the sea meaning to go east. But she was blocked by the anger of the god of the waves, could not prevail, and turned back to tell her father the king. Her father the king had this pagoda loaded on the ship, and only then did she cross smoothly and land on the southern shore.
Because of the beauty of the crimson sails, the red banners, and the pearls and jade, the place is now called Jupo (主浦). The hill where she first took off her silk trousers is called Neunghyeon (綾峴), and the shore where the red banners first came in is called Gichulbyeon (旗出邊).
King Suro received her with due ceremony, and together they ruled the country for more than a hundred and fifty years.
But at that time there was as yet no building of temples or upholding of the Dharma in Haedong. In general, Buddhism had not yet arrived and the people of this land did not believe or follow it, so the Basic Record has no mention of building a temple.
In the second year of King Jilji, the eighth ruler, the imjin year, a temple was placed on that site. They also built Wanghusa (王后寺),〔this was in the reign of King Nulji, when Ado was present, so it is earlier than King Beopheung〕 and to this day it upholds blessings, and also holds down the Wa to the south. The details are seen in the Basic Record of that country.
The pagoda is square with four faces and five stories, and its carving is very unusual. The stone is faintly red and mottled, and its substance is soft, so it is not something from this region. This is what the Bencao (本草) calls the stone tested by dabbing it with the blood of a cock's comb.
The state of Geumgwan is also called Garak, and the details are in the Basic Record.
Interlinear notes 1
在阿道訥祗王之世, 法㒷王之前.
This was in the reign of King Nulji, when Ado was present, so it is earlier than King Beopheung.
2In praise it is said
讃曰.載厭緋㠶茜斾輕,乞靈遮莫海濤驚.豈徒到岸扶黃玉,千古南倭遏怒鯨.
In praise it is said:
Loaded to hold it down, the crimson sails and red banners grew light, She begged the spirits and held off the terror of the wild waves. How could it merely have reached the shore and helped Hwangok? For a thousand ages it has held back the angry whale of the southern Wa.