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542
STUDIES IN THE BHAGAWATI SUTRA [Ch. IX
with the present village, Vasukunda in Basarh region in the Muzaffarpur district of North Bihar.'
Mahanakunḍagāma (Brāhmaṇakundagrāma)
Mahanakunḍagama was also a quarter of ancient Vaisali and lay to the east of Ksatriyakuṇḍagrāma, as it is evidenced in the BhS. It appears that there were two Kundagrāmas, viz. Ksatriyakundagrāma and Brāhmaṇakundagrāma; the prince, Jamalī hailed from the former quarter, while Ṛsabhadatta, the Brahmana from the latter locality.
It is here in the Bahukalaka Caitya of Brahmanakundagrāma Lord Mahavira initiated Rṣabhadatta, his wife Devanandā, and the prince Jamali to asceticism. It may correspond to a place lying somewhere to the east of Vasukunda.
Mahesariya
It was an ancient city in the Vindhya region. It finds mention in other Jaina texts' and may correspond to Mahiṣmati or Mahesa on the right bank of the Nerbuda (Narmada) forty miles to the south of Indore."
Mihila (Mithila)"
Mihila appears as the capital city of Videha in other Jaina texts, Buddhist and Brahmaņical works with the historical background of its culture. The Rāmāyaṇa10 attributes the name 'Mithila' to the city as well as to the country itself. According, to the Puranas, Mithi, the son of Nimi popularly known as Janaka was the founder of this celebrated city.
Here lay the Manabhadra Caitya which was hallowed by the august visits of Lord Mahāvīra." It is recorded in the Jaina
1 Homage to Vaišali. p. 85-90. Ib, 14, 8, 528.
5 G. D. pp. 119, 120.
2
Bhs, 9, 33, 380. Ava. Ti. p. 249, a; Ava. Cu. 2, 1, p. 333.
Bh8, 9, 1, 312.
8 Jataka, 3, 365, 4, 316; 6, 246; etc.
Ramayana. 1, 48, 11; Mbh. III, 210, Vanaparva, 254; etc. 10 Ramayana, Adikanda, XLIX, 9, 16. 11 Bhagavat Pu. IX, 13, 13.
12 BhS, 9, 1, 312.
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Pannavana, 1, 37; Kalpa Sutra, 5, 123.
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