From the above quotations of Fa-Hian, Beglar argued that five caves had been described in the quotations, but so far only Pippala and Devdutta were clearly established. Cunningham had ascribed the Son Bhandar Cave as being the same as the Sattapani cave.

However, referring to the map of Rajgriha, Beglar attempted to identify the Son Bhandar caves as the on referred to as above in the first quotation from Fa-Hian. Regarding the socket holes, he alluded the description regarding the destruction of the hall as above, to being not at variance with the circumstances. Regarding the direction of the Son Bhandar, as pointed out by Cunningham, he explained that the surmise of Cunningham was mistaken, since the cave was in the northern end of the mountain, but instead of being in the northern shade, it was precisely in the opposite predicament, being in the southern glare of the hill, and the sun blazed into the cave from sunrise to about 2 p.m. 

He then having settled the two caves in hand, next ventured to identify the Sattapani cave, based upon the accounts of Fa-Hian. Following the accounts of Fa-Hian, he started from Pippala Cave, which was seen to be on the ridge of the Baibhara Hill, towards the west by not entering the valley where lied the Son Bhandar on the face of the mountain, but following the ridge to find the Sattapani Cave on the face of the ridge, at a distance of less than half a mile from the Pippala Cave.

He mentions that as the ridge runs not west or north-west, but south west, it is clear that going due west from here, in the northern shade of the hill was the famed Sattapani cave. He further mentioned that the Saptaparni was derive from Saptaparna plant meaning seven-leaved, and that the cave also was divided into seven compartments, of which he could count six, and notice the seventh.

To be continued...