Vaishali Institute Research Bulletin 4

Author(s): R P Poddar
Publisher: Research Institute of Prakrit Jainology & Ahimsa Mujjaffarpur

Page 26

17
Birthplace of Lord Mahavira Rerconsidered plape with two tracts of low land called chauri. It has no sign of any anciept habitation. The said uncultivated land is in the same level with the surrounding area and does not seem to have been uncultivated for more than a few decades.
(v) If we suppose that the 'Kunda' part of this village-name is the survivor of its counterpart in the ancient Ksatriya Kundagrāma, we reach the conclusion that the distinguishing feature of the village-name, namely Ksatriya' has been lost and the term Kunda' which was common to both Brāhmana Kunda grāma and Ksatriya Kundagrāma has survived. But this is contrary to expectation. Generally in compound proper names ending in a common term the first distinguishing part should be retained and not the second member which is common to two or more.
So, there is a case for re-thinking over the exact location of Lord Mabăvira's birthplace.
We may start with the assumption that the epithet Vesāliya' for Lord Mahāvira is not spurious because it has been found in two of the most ancient Jain canons viz. Suyagadam and Uttarajjbayaņa and it indicates that the Lord hailed from Vaišāli or its surrounding area. Rsabha who hailed from Košala has been called Kosaliya; in the same way, Lord Mabāvira who hailed from Vaisāli area has been called Vesāliya. We not assume that he was born in the city of Vajśāli because at several places in the Ardhamāgadbi capons he has been said to be born in Ksatriya Kundagrāma. So we are laid to believe that he was born in Ksatriya Kundagrāma which was situated in the vicinity of Vaiśāli.
Village-names can be depended upon because these carry the seeds of ancient tradition. In the neighbourhood of the ruins of Vaiśāli there are many villages which preserve their ancient names. Thus the present Baniya is the ancient Vānijyagrāma. The present Kolhuā is the ancient
Kollāga Sandivesa. Vaisāli itself bas survived in the present villages called : Basārb, Basara and Bakbarā-all these names are derivatives from Vaišāli' tbrough the stages Vaisādi... Vaişāda... Basādba... Basada... Başarā... Bakharā. 3 In looking for a village bearing a name similar to the ancient Ksatriya Kunda grāma, we should put more emphasis on the term "Ksatriya' because it is the distinguishing feature of the proper name, the subsequent member of the compound being a common feature.
Now, at a distance of approximately ten kilometers as the crow flies, in the north-east direction from the present ruios of Vaisāli, there is a village called Chitri. This may be the survivor of the ancient