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TRIBES IN ANCIENT INDIA bhikkhus. Buddhaghosa records various facts about Rājagrha. For instance, two chief disciples of the Buddha went to the city, and the inhabitants showered charities upon them. A silk robe was also given in charity to Devadatta (the Buddha's wicked cousin).2 The Samantapāsādikā records that Rājagrha was a good place, having accommodation for a large number of bhikkhus. We may also mention two Jātaka references to legends regarding Rājagrha.
It is not possible to refer to all of the stories told of the Buddha's disciples and their connection with Magadha, and particularly Rājagrha. We have already mentioned the fact that Sāriputta was a native of Magadha; he is often referred to in the Pāli literature.5 It was at Rājagrha that Anāthapiņdika, the great banker of Śrāvasti, was converted by the Buddha.6 The Manorathapūranī relates that Pindola Bharadvāja, one of the Buddha's foremost disciples, was born at Rājagrha in a rich Brahmin family.? It further narrates that Cullapanthaka and Mahāpanthaka, grandsons of Dhanasetthi, a banker of Rājagrha, could by their supernatural power create as many bodies as they liked.8 Kumārakassapa, foremost of the orators amongst the Buddha's pupils, was born at Rājagsha. While the Buddha was at Rājagrha at Kalandakanivāpa, a party of six bhikkhuņīs went to attend the Giraggasamajja, a kind of festival.10 Apparently such festivals were common in the Magadhan capital, for we read in the Jātaka (I, 489) that there was a festival at Rājagrha where people drank wine, ate flesh, danced and sang; and in the Visuddhimagga 11 we read of a festival at Rājagrha in which five hundred virgins offered Mahākassapa-thera a kind of cake which he accepted. Another celebration known as Nakkhattakiļam, 'sport of the stars', in which the rich took part, used to be held at Rājagrha, and lasted a week.12
The Divyāvadāna contains several stories about Rājagrha. For instance, a householder went to sea with merchandise 13; on another occasion 500 merchants came to Rājagrha, but could not buy merchandise as there was a festival going on at the time.14 Once a childless merchant of Rājagrha died. The inhabitants of the town put seeds of various colours into a pot and declared that the
1 Vimānavatthu Comm., pp. 250-1; and see ibid., pp. 246-7, 27-8. 2 Dhammapada Comm., I, pp. 77ff.
s Vol. 1, P.T.S., pp. 8-9. 4 Jataka (Fausböll), No. 445, IV, pp. 37 foll., No. 3II, IV, pp. 33 foll. 5 See, e.g. Arguttara Nikāya, V, pp. 120-1; Samyutta Nikāya, IV, pp. 251-60. 6 Samyutta Nikāya, I, pp. 55-6.
7 Sinhalese Ed., p. 122. 8 Manorathapūrani, Sinhalese Ed., pp. 13off. 9 Ibid., pp. 173ff.; and see Dhammapada Comm., III, pp. 144 foll. 10 Vinaya Pitaka, IV, 267.
11 Vol. II, p. 403. 12 Vimānavatthu Comm., pp. 62-74.
13 p. 301.
14 p. 307
