Yetgeul › Da Tang Xiyu Ji (Great Tang Records on the Western Regions) › Book 11

The Country of Maoluosanbulu茂羅三部盧國

Da Tang Xiyu Ji (Great Tang Records on the Western Regions) 大唐西域記 · Xuanzang · compiled by Bianji · 646 (Tang, 20th year of the Zhenguan era) · 3 passages · 213 Chinese characters · reading time 0.9 min

Da Tang Xiyu Ji (Great Tang Records on the Western Regions) Book 11 The record Xuanzang laid before Emperor Taizong of the Tang after seventeen years of walking through the Western Regions and India, a hundred and thirty-eight countries in all. It is the stuff from which Journey to the West was made, but what stands here is not monsters — it is the compass and the climate and the speech and the faith of one country after another. The road runs two hundred years after Faxian and eighty years before Hyecho.

茂羅三部盧國周四千餘里,國大都城周三十餘里。居人殷盛,家室富繞。役屬磔迦國。土田良沃,氣序調順。風俗質直,好學尚德。多事天神,少信佛法。伽藍十餘所,多已圮壞,少有僧徒,學無專習。天祠八所,異道雜居。

The country of Maoluosanbulu is more than four thousand li around. The great capital city of the country is more than thirty li around. The people who live there are many and thriving, and every house is rich. It is subject to the country of Zhejia. The fields of the land are good and fat, and the seasons are even and mild. The custom is plain and straight, and they love learning and esteem virtue. They serve the gods of heaven much and believe little in the Law of the Buddha. The monasteries are more than ten, but most of them have already fallen and are broken down. There are few monks, and in their study there is nothing they work at as their own. The temples of the gods are eight, and followers of other ways live mixed among them.

Interlinear notes 1

The source text writes rich here with the character for winding, which does not stand; it is taken as a mistake for the character meaning plentiful and read as every house is rich. — translator

2The god of the sun cast in gold

有日天祠,莊嚴甚麗。其日天像鑄以黃金,飾以奇寶。靈鑒幽通,神功潛被,女樂遞奏,明炬繼日,香花供養,初無廢絕。五印度國諸王豪族,莫不於此舍施珍寶,建立福舍,以飲食醫藥給濟貧病。諸國之人來此求願,常有千數。天祠四周,池沼花林,甚可遊賞。

There is a temple of the god of the sun, and its adornment is very fair. The image of the god of the sun is cast in yellow gold and decked with strange jewels. Its divine seeing reaches through what is hidden and its wonderful power is laid upon men unseen. Women musicians play there by turns, bright torches carry on the day, and the offering of incense and flowers has never once been let fall. Of the kings and the great families of the countries of the five Indias there is none that does not give rare jewels here. They have raised a house of blessing, and with drink and food and medicine they supply and save the poor and the sick. Of the people of the many countries who come here to ask for their wish there are always a thousand and more. Round about the temple of the god there are ponds and flowering groves, and it is a very pleasant place to wander and enjoy.

從此東北行七百餘里,至缽伐多國。

Going northeast from here more than seven hundred li, one comes to the country of Bofaduo.

Interlinear notes 1

北印度境。

It is the border of North India.