PANSABDA SHELTER

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 06/01/2018

An inhabitable, south-facing troglodyte rock shelter, locally called Pansabda, which is said to have been used by the saint Vyas (note 1), found the Chinese pilgrim XUENZANG (648) at a solitary hill rising at a distance of 3 or 4 li north of the great mountain --the Handia range (STEIN, M A 1901: 82). SITUATION 648: … three or four li to the north of the great mountain … [is] a solitary hill (XUANZANG 648 edited by BEAL 1884-1885, 2: 147). SITUATION 1901: At a walking distance of about 1.2 km east of Jethian village and in the south face of the Bhaluahi Pahar (some 0.6 to 0.9 km north of Sahudrasthan, a modern temple), the last offshoot of the Handia range, from which it is separated by a deep gap, the Saffi Ghat. SITUATION 1903: At distance of -about three-qaurters of a mile [circa 1.2 km]- south-east of Jestiban (which he [STEIN, M A 1901] identifies as a -small undulating plateau,- at the west foot of the hill, which is the last offshoot of the Handia range, about three-quarters ofa mile [circa 1.2 km] to the east of Jethian village), there is a gap in the main hill range called Saffi Ghat. Proceeding south-east from Jestiban, and flanking the approach to Saffi Ghat on the west, a spur is seen to descend on which is situated a modern temple called Sahudrasthan. The site of this temple corresponds to -the stupa which stood 6 or 7 li (i.e. about one and a quarter mile [circa 2 km]) to the south-east of Yashtivana.Yuan Chwang [Xuanzang] then mentions a -solitary hill- 3 or 4 li to the north of the Sahustrasthan stupa … (VOST 1903: 87-88 after STEIN 1901 edited [a.i.] pages 9-12 and BEAL 1884-1885, 2: 147-148). CAVE DESCRIPTION 648: Formerly Rishi Yvasa lived here in solitude. By excavating the side of the mountain he formed a house. Some portions of the foundation are still visible (XUANZANG 648 edited by BEAL 1884-1885, 2: 147). CAVE DESCRIPTION 1901: … a natural recess formed by the rocks of the hillside overhanging their base at a height of about 15 yards … jus deep enough to afford sufficient shelter … I could hear of no other excavation, natural or artificial, on this hill or further up the valley of the Harhar stream … (STEIN, M A 1901). deep enough to afford sufficient shelter … I could hear of no other excavation, natural or artificial, on this hill or further up the valley of the Harhar stream … (STEIN, M A 1901).