Book Title: Indian Antiquary Vol 50
Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Devadatta Ramkrishna Bhandarkar
Publisher: Swati Publications

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Page 410
________________ GIR 68 GIR Buddhist synod was held) ( Arch. S. Rep., vol. III; Fergusson's Cave Temples of India, p. 49) has been identified by Mr. Beglar with the “Stone Cavern" of Fa Hian, where Buddha used to sit in profound meditation. At a short distance tu the east is another cell where Ananda practised meditation. When Ananda was frightened by Mara, Buddha through a cleft in the rock introduced his hand and stroked Ananda on the shoulder and removed his fear (Arch. S. Rep., vol. 3). There are still thirteen socket holes in front of Buddha's cave (the Sonbhandâr cave) indicating that a hall existed there where Buddha "delivered the law as Fa Hian calls it. In the curve formed by the Bipula and Ratnagiri hills, near the northern gate, was situated a mango-garden formerly belonging to Ambapáli and then to Jivaka, the court-physician to king Bimbisåra, in which the latter built a vihara and gave it to Buddha and his 1250 disciples (SBR., vol. XVII ; SamanKaphala Sutta, and Fa Hian's Fo-lcwo-ki). Cunningham also places Devadatta's house within the curve (Arch. S. Rep., vol. III), but the location is very doubtful. Devadatta's cave was situated outside the old city on the north and at a distance of three li to the east (Legge's Fa Hian, p. XXX). It can be easily identified with Makhdum Shah's Chilwa which was formerly called Spingi-rishi's kunda. Devadatta, Buddha's first cousin, created a echism in the Buddhist order nine or ten years before Buddha's death, and his followers were called Gotamaka. It was he who instigated Ajátasatru to kill his father (Rhys David's Buddhist India; Spence Hardy's Manual of Buddhism; Sanjiva-Jataka in the Jatakas, vol. I). The Beņuvana Vihara called also Karanda Beņuvana Vihara, which was given by Bimbisara to Buddha and where Buddha usually resided when he visited Râjgir, was situated at a distance of three hundred paces from the extreme east toe of the Baibhåra hill (s. e. outside the valley and on the northern side of the Baibhâra hill). In this Vihara, Säriputra, whose real name was Upatishya, (Kern, Saddharma-pundarika. SBE. XXI, p. 89), and Maudgalá vana (called algo Kolita) became Buddha's disciples, having learnt first the dootrines from Asvajit in the celebrated couplets which mean, Tathagata has explained the cause of all things which have proceeded from a cause, and the great Sramana has likewise explained the cause of their cessation. They had been formerly the disciples of Sanjaya Vairatthi Putra of Rajgir. Near it was the Pippala cave where Buddha used to sit in deep meditation (Dhyana) after his midday-meal. This cave is at a short distance from the Jaina temple on the top of the Baibhara hill, down a narrow ledge on the west. The Saptaparni (called also Saptaparoa and Sattaparni) caves have been identified by Mr. Beglar with a group of caves situated at a distance of about a mile to the west of the Pippala cave and the northern side of the Baibhara hill, where the first Buddhist synod was held after the Nirvana of Buddha under the presidency of Mahâkalyapa (Vinaya Texts, pp. 370-385 ; SBE., vol. XX; Arch. 8. Rep., vol. VIII). The Smasanam or cemetery was two or three li to the north of Beņuvana vihåra, in a forest called Sitavana (Memoirs of the Asiatic Society of Bengal, vol. I; Avadana Kalpalaid, ch. 9, slk. 19), which may be identified with Vasu-Rajaka-Gad, Vasu Rajá being the grandfather of Jarasindhu and father of Bțihadratha. Bimbi. sara, in accordance with his promise that in whichever house a fire oocurred through negligenoe, the owner thereof should be expelled and placed in the cemetery, abandoned his palace at Rajgir in the valley as it caught fire and went to reside at the cemetery; but apprehending an attack from the king of Vaisâli, or according to some account, from Chanda Pajjota, king of Ujjayini, in this unprotected place which was not at all fortified, he commenced to build the new town of Rajagriha, which is at a distance of one mile to the north of old Rajagriha and was completed by his son Ajâ tasatru. Neer the

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