国立情報学研究所 - ディジタル・シルクロード・プロジェクト
『東洋文庫所蔵』貴重書デジタルアーカイブ

one which was copied by Cunningham, who was unable to translate it. Pandit Mukund
Ram of Kashmir who studied our rubbing of it, had, however, no particular difficulty
in reading and understanding it. The language is Sanskrit, and the inscription records
the erection of two images, one of Maitreya, and another of Avalékitésvara, evidently
the two larger sculptures.

(2) The second stone is about six feet high. The carving shows a plain Maitreya.
He wears a three-pointed tiara, and has a rosary in his raised right hand, and a vase in
his left Three small figures, probably human devotees who reach up to his knees, are
carved below him, one on his right and the two others on his left. Below them is a
lotus throne which contains the figures of two lions couchant. To the left of Maitreya's
head is carved another very small human figure. To the right of his head is carved a
Śāradā inscription which is, however, in a very dilapidated condition.

(3) The third stone is also six feet high, and shows a standing human figure. The
right hand is raised, and the left hand is probably carrying some object. The head-dress
has been destroyed. This figure apparently represents Avalókitésvara. On his right
and left we see two female figure which are almost of the same size as the main image.
They are represented in the " Indian attitude," resting on one foot, and holding one
hand above their heads. They may be taken as representations of the two Tārās.
Below the female on Maitreya's right, we see three small kneeling figures, with their
hands raised in supplication (Skr. añjali). Below Avalókitésvara, there is lotus
throne, with two miniature figures emerging from it.¹ There were probably also
several small standing figures on both sides of Avalókitésvara, reaching up to his knees ;
but they cannot now be distinguished. On the reverse of this stone, there is a large and
elaborate carving of a stūpa, with thirteen umbrellas on the top. There are also thirteen
steps below it leading up to a square in the centre which contains a human figure.
Above the head of the female figure to the left of Avalókitésvara, we discovered a
much damaged inscription, partly in Tibetan. All the sculptures seem to date approxi-
mately from the 10th century A.D.

(4) The fourth sculptured stone stands on the opposite side of the road. The
carving represents a full-blown lotus flower, as we often find them on the fountain
tablets of Manchad. But this one was decorated with additional vases on the four
cardinal points of the wheel.

According to the chronicles of Ladakh, the ancient boundary between Ladakh and
Kashmir was at La-rtsa, and a "stone with holes" was the boundary stone. The
people of Dras told me that their village was also known by the name of La-rtsa ('Root
of the Pass') ; but they did not know of such a stone. They also said that, according to
their belief, the watershed on the Zo-ji Pass was the frontier between the two countries.
I had to leave Pindi Lal with two assistants at Dras, to wait for better weather. He
had not been successful in his first attempt at taking rubbings of the inscriptions,