Jain Journal 1967 04

Author(s): Jain Bhawan Publication
Publisher: Jain Bhawan Publication

Page 61

188
Vaisali, one of the central places in the history of Buddhism as well as in that of the religion of Mahavira.
JAIN JOURNAL
It is not possible, without autopsy, even without a good map of India, to discuss the problems connected with the ancient site of Vaisali ; therefore the few remarks are given here in a tentative form. A future inquiry must be based on the whole Indian literature, especially on the Buddhist and the Jinist, down to the records of the Chinese pilgrims.
Three theories about the site of Vaisali have been made: (i) That which is expressed by A. Cunningham and completed by V. A. Smith*, locating the town at the modern village of Basar (Basad) and the neighbouring villages in the Muzaffarpur District of North Bihar. (ii) In a letter to Prof. Rhys Davids, W. Vost expressed his opinion "that Vaisali city was situated in the Chapra District of Bengal, and is represented by the extensive remains of the underscribed walled city of Manjhi, on the left bank of the Ghaghara (Gogra) river, opposite to the confluence of this river with the old bed of the Ganges5." (iii) A third, similar to the former, is dealt with by W. Hoey in JASB XLIX, 1900, 77ff., (shortly repeated in JRAS, 1907, p. 46), assuming the site of Vaisali eighteen miles to the west from Paleza Ghat, at Cherand, seven miles towards the south-east by east of Chapra.
The indications for the topography of Vaisali, as laid down in Jaina works, are discussed by A.F.R. Hoernle in his translation of the Uvāsagadasão. He pointed out that Vaniyagama is another name of the well-known city of Vesali, that Kundagama or Kundapura is an equivalent for Vesali. Vaniyagama may be found in the existing modern place of Baniya (Buneean), lying north-west of Basar". Should this identification be correct, then Vaniyagama could not be another name of Vaisali, and Kalpa Sutra (II, 122) explains that Mahavira is said to have stayed twelve years in Vaisali and Vanijyagrama. A further proof against the view held by Hoernle is the analogous connection between Rajagrha and its suburb Nalanda. Kundapura cannot be equivalent to Vaisali, because in Kalpa Sutra (100) it has been again mentioned as suburb and is described as nagara. An argument against this view is also the name of Mahavira as Vaisalian.
4 The Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society, 1902, p. 267-288 with a map.
8 JRAS, 1903, p. 583.
Biblographia Indica, Vol. II, p. 3 ff., n. 3.
7 Smith, l.c., p. 272f.
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