Lord Mahavira and His Times

Author(s): Kailashchandra Jain
Publisher: Motilal Banarasidas

Page 65

Life of Lord Mahāvīra
where Mahavira spent the twelve rainy seasons of his ascetic life. He stayed the first rainy season in Asthigrama, three rainy seasons in Champa and Prishtichampā and eight in Vaisali and Vanijyagrāma. This view does not appear to be correct. Except the first and the last, the other places have not been mentioned in chronological order but in groups.
2
According to a commentary on the Kalpa Sutra, Asthigrāma was formerly called Vardhamana. It would perhaps be more correct to say that Asthigrama was the earlier name of Vardhamana (modern Burdwan). But none need be surprised if Asthigrama was the same place as Hatthigāma (Hastigrāma) which lay on the high road from Vaiśālī to Pāvā (probably modern Kasia). Champa was the capital of Anga which was conquered in Mahavira's time by Śreņika Bimbisāra and permanently annexed to Magadha. Its actual site is probably marked by two villages of Champānagara and Champapura near Bhagalpur. Prishtichampä must have been a place near Champa. Vaisālī is identified with modern Basarah in Vaiśāli, a district of Bihar. It was the chief seat of government of the Vriji-Lichchavis in Mahāvira's time. Vāņiyagama is the same as modern Bania, a village near Basarah.3 Rājagriha (modern Rajgir) was the capital of Magadha in Mahavira's time. Nālandā is identified with modern Bargaon, 10 km. to the northwest of Rajgir in the district of Nālandā near Bihar (Biharsharif).4 Mithila was the capital of the prosperous kingdom of Videha. . It is identified with Janakapur, a small town within the Nepal border, north of which the districts of Muzaffarpur and Darbhanga meet.5 Badrikā, which is the same name as the Pali Bhaddiya, was an important place in the kingdom of Anga. It was visited by Buddha and is identified with modern Monghyr."
1. LMLT, 29. 2. Ibid., p. 33.
3. GEB, p. 6.
4. AGI, p. 537.
5. Ibid., p. 718.
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6. Dhammapada Commentary, I, p. 384.
7. R. SANKRITYAYANA : Vitara Pitaka, p. 248nt