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TRIBES IN ANCIENT INDIA the city. The most famous of these mountains was the Grdhrakūta or Gijjhakūța peak, so called either because it was shaped like vulture's beak, or because it was frequented by vultures.2 Dhaniya, a potter's son, made a beautiful hothouse at the foot of the Gijjhakūta hill, and many people came to see it.3
The Vepullapabbata, which was once known as the Vaňkakapabbata, was another of the hills surrounding Rājagrha. King Vessantara was banished to this mountain, which was also called Supassa. It took three days to reach its summit.4
Among the villages which lay near Rājagsha was Ekanālā, a Brahmin village in Dakkhiņagiri, an important locality which lay to the south of the hills of Rājagļha. A Buddhist establishment was founded there. The Samyutta Nikāya distinctly places it in the kingdom of Magadha, outside the area of Rājagrha.
Nāla, Nalaka, Nālagāma or Nālakagāma was a village in Magadha, where Sāriputta died. The Vimānavatthu Commentary 8 locates Nālakagāma in the eastern part of Magadha. The village of Kolika is also associated with Sāriputta.
Khānumata was a prosperous Brahmin village somewhere in Magadha, where a Vedic institution was maintained on a land granted by King Bimbisāra.10 The garden Ambalatthikā in the vicinity of Khānumata became the site of a Buddhist establishment. The Rājagāraka at Ambalatthikā was a garden house of King Bimbisāra.11 Ambalatthikā stood midway between Rājagsha and Nālandā, 12 and was the first halting place on the high road which extended in the Buddha's time from Rājagļha to Nāland, and further east and north-east.13
The place where King Ajātaśatru is said to have built a stūpa for the enshrinement of his share of the Buddha's relics 14 is an important site from the Buddhist point of view. Hsüan Tsang definitely tells us that this stūpa stood to the east of Venuvana.15
1 For a full account of these mountains, and indeed for everything regarding Rājagsha, see B. C. Law, Rājagyha in Ancient Literature, No. 58 of Memoirs of the Archaeological Survey of India. 2 Suttanipāta Comm., p. 413.
3 Vinaya Pitaka, III, 41-2. 4 Ibid., II, 191-2.
5 Sāratthappakāsini, I, p. 242. 6 Sam yutta Nikāya, I, p. 172.
7 Ibid., V, p. 161.
8 p. 163 9 Watters, On Yuan Chwang, II, p. 171. Kolika was located eight or nine li (11 miles) south-west of the Nālandā monastery.
10 & 11 Sumangalavilāsini, I, p. 41. 12 Digua Nikāya, I, p. I; Sumangalavilasini, I, P. 35. 13 Digha Nikāya, II, pp. 72ff.
14 Ibid., II, p. 166. See also Sumangalavilāsini, II, pp. 611 and 613. Manjusrimülakalpa, p. 600.
15 Watters, On Yuan Chwang, II, p. 158.
