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VIVIDHATIRTHA-KALPA
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(iii) Madana Vārāṇasī, and
(iv) Vijaya Vārāṇasi.
Here are many popular shrines. Near the Dautakhāta tank is the caity of Pārsvanātha. Six miles away from this place is an elevated temple of Bodhisattva.
Srāvastīnagarīl: Srāvastī is an ancient important town, now known as Sāheth Māheth. Here is still to be seen a citya adorned with the image of Sri Sambhavanātha. At its gate stands an Asoka tree of crimson colour. Here is a Buddhist temple where kings, devoted to the Buddha, used to offer horses before the deities. Here the Buddha made a brilliant display of his arts, and Lord Sanblavasvāmi attained the bliss of K'evalujñana. Saint Kapila came to this town for the purpose of acquiring knowledge. In course of time, he attained perfection. Lord Mahāvīra spent a night here during the rains and practised various forms of religious austerities. Here Bhadra, son of king Jitasatru, becam: an ascetic in course of his wanderings, and he afterwards attained perfection.
Ratna cūhapura.--Ratnavāha was a town in Košala. watered by the river Gharghara. Here Dharmanātha, the lamp of the Ikşvāku race', was born of Suvrata, wife of king Bhām. A māgakumāra built here it cuityu in honour of Dharmanātha, whose image is still to be seen here in the midst of the figures of the nāgas.
Mithilā-tīrthur 2: The kingdom of Vidcha is now kuown as Tirhut. Here was a flourishing town called Mithilā which is now known by the name of Jagatī. Not far from it lies Kanakapura. Mallinātha and Neminātha were not only initiated here but attained supreme knowledge. This is the birth-place of Akampita. The confluence of the Gangā and the Gandaki has made this town sacred. Mahāvīra lived and wandered about here. Here is a famous 1 tree. It is the birth-place of Jānakī. The place where
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1 Suheth-Maheth is the modern cuivalent of the site of Srāvasti of ancient fame. The entire site lies on the borders of Condat aund Bahraich districts of Oudh in the United Provinces and it can best be reached from Balarampur, a station on the Gonda-Gorakhpur branch of the O.T.R. It is situated toniniles froin Balarampur. It can also be reached froin Babraich which is at a distance of 26 miles. The name Saheth-Maheth denotes not only the site of the city proper but also the adjoining areas of archaeological importance. (For details vide B. C. Law, Srāvusti in Indian Literature, M.A.S.1., No. 50.)
2 Mithila was a capital of Videha, also called Tirabhūkti, inodern Tirhut. It has beon identified with modern Janakapura, a small town within the Nepal bordor. Tho districts of Muzaffarpur and Duurbhunga meet to the north of it. (For further details vide B. C. Law, Mithila in Ancient India in India Antiqua, Loiden, 1947, pp. 223 ff.)
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Loidon, tilber, dotustiets of modern sem, also calice
7, pp. 22346 B.C. Laurplr and bra, a sm
