is probably the Apanchha, or Northern Sind of Hwan Thsang.

5th. MAHA DHARMA RAKSHITA was deputed to the Maháratta country, where 97,000 persons were converted.

6th. MAHARAKSHITA was deputed to the YONA or Yavana country, that is, either to the Greek province of Kabul, or to Arachosia; for the name of the capital, Alasadda* or Alexandria, was common to both countries. The former, however, seems the more probable-180,000 persons are said to have been converted, but only 10,000 ordained.

7th. Majjhimo, or Madhyama, was deputed to the HIMAWANTA, or country of the Himalayas; along with four other Stháviras, named Kassapo (or Kásyapa), Mulikadevo, Dhandabinasso, Sahasadevo. These five Stháviras are said to have converted 80 kotis of people in the five divisions of the Himalayas. Relics of Majjhima and of Kassapa were discovered in No. 2 Tope at Sánchi.

8th. SONO and UTTARO were deputed to Súvarnabhumi, or "golden land." As this country was on the sea-coast, it may be identified either with Ava, the Aurea Regio, or with Siam, the Aurea Chersonesus. Six millions of people are said to have been converted, of whom 25,000 men became monks, and 1,500 women became nuns.†

9th. Maha Mahendra the son of Asoka, with four other Sthaviras, named Ittiyo, Uttiyo, Sambalo, and • Mahawanso, p. 171. + Mahawanso, p. 74.

Bhaddasálo, were deputed to Lanka, or Ceylon, where they converted the king Devanampriya-Tishya, and the whole of his court.

5. The narrative of these missions is one of the most curious and interesting passages in the ancient history of India. It is preserved entire in both the sacred books of the Singalese, the Dipawanso and Mahawanso; and the mission of Mahendra to Ceylon is recorded in the sacred books of the Burmese. But the authenticity of the narrative has been most fully and satisfactorily established by the discovery of the relics of some of these missionaries, with the names of the countries to which they were deputed. According to the Mahawanso, the Sthávira KASSAPO, or KASYAPA accompanied the holy MAJJHIMA or MADHYAMA to the Himawanta or Himalayan region. Thus united in life, they were not separated after death, and their relics were found enshrined together in the same casket in No. 2 Tope at Sánchi. This casket bears three inscriptions, each mentioning a different name. * The legend on the top of the lid is—

Sapurisasa, KÁSAPA-GOTASA, savahemavatáchariyasa '(Relics) of the emancipated KÁSAPA-GOTA, the spiritual teacher to the whole Hémawanta."

On the inside of the lid is this legend :

Sapurisa (sa) MAJHIMASA

(Relics) of the emancipated MAJHIMA."

* See Plate XX. for these inscriptions.

And on the bottom of the casket is this inscription:

Sapurisasa HÁRITÍ-PUTASA.

"(Relics) of the emancipated HÁRITÍ-PUTRA.”

6. In the first inscription KÁSAPA is distinctly styled the achariya; that is, the spiritual teacher or missionary to the Hémawanta. The perfect agreement between this inscription and the record of the Maháwánso, in the names both of the missionary and of the scene of his labours, is too remarkable to be the result of any combination of chances. But the identity of the two persons is rendered positively certain by the discovery of the relics of Majhima, the companion of Kásapa, in the same casket, and of the relics of the great Mogaliputra in another casket which was found in the same stone box.

7. In the text of the Maháwánso Majjhimo alone is mentioned, but the other names are given in the commentary; and Mr. Turnour has therefore inserted them in his translation. It is probable, therefore, that Majhima was the senior monk or head of the mission, and that Kásapa was the most successful missionary. I infer this from the significant manner in which he is styled "Missionary to the whole Hemawanta;" a marked distinction, which cannot be accidental, as it is repeated on a second casket containing his relics which was found in No. 2 Tope at Sonári.* This inscription is the same

See Plate XXIV. Inscription on No. 3 Box.

as that of the Sánchi casket, but with the important addition of the name of the missionary's father.

Sapurisasa KOTI-PUTASA, KÁSAPA-GOTASA, savahemavatá

chariyasa.

"(Relics) of the emancipated son of Koti, KÁSAPA-GOTA, the spiritual teacher of the whole Hemawanta."

From this inscription we learn that Kásapa was also known by the patronymic of Koti-putra.

8. But there was another missionary companion of Majhima and Kásapa whose labours in the Hemawanta region are recorded on a crystal casket which was found in No. 2 Tope at Sonári.* The legend

is

Sapurisasa GOTI-PUTASI Hemavatasa Dadabhisarasa dáyádasa.

"(Relics) of the emancipated GOTI-PUTRA, the relation [of the faith] amongst the Dadabhisaras of the Hemawanta."

Dárdabhisára is the hilly country lying on both banks of the Indus, to the west of Kashmir. Dardu was on the right bank, and Abhisára (the present Hazára) on the left bank of the river. The meaning of dáyáda (literally son, offspring, relative) is best illustrated by the following anecdote from the Maháwanso.†

9. When Asoka had dedicated his son Mahendra and his daughter Sanghamitra to the religion of

See Plate XXIV. Inscription on No. 1 Box.

+ Mahawanso, p. 36.

Buddha, he inquired from the arhats-" Lords! whose acts of pious bounty to the Buddhist religion have been the greatest?" The crafty Mogaliputra answered with ready wit," Ruler of Men! a greater benefactor to the faith than thou art can only be called a benefactor, but he who dedicates a son or daughter to the ministry of our religion, that person is more than a benefactor' (dáyako), he is a 'relation (dáyáda) of the faith.'" GOTI-PUTRA had therefore earned the title of dáyáda, or "relation of the faith" by the ordination of one of his children to the Buddhist religion.

10. It seems strange that Gotiputra, who was so famous amongst his contemporaries for the success of his missionary labours, should not be mentioned in the Mahawanso. But I have a suspicion that both himself and the scene of his labours are mentioned in the Commentary. Mr. Turnour gives Kassapo, Mulikadewo, Dhandhabinasso, and Sahassadewo, as the name of the four theros or stháviras who accompanied Majjhima to the Hemawanta country. One of these, therefore, must be the missionary to Abhisára, unless the patronymic Gotiputra has been omitted as superfluous; for I propose to read the barbarous Dhandhabinasso as Dardabhisára, and to insert Gotiputra as the name of the missionary who was deputed to that country. I should be inclined to identify Gotiputra either with Múlikádewo, or with Sahasadewo, were it not that the text of the Mahawanso particularly mentions four theros (chatuhi therehi) as the com