Tribes in Ancient India c50.176

c50.176

Magadha and its ancient capital Rājagṛha were intimately associated with the Buddha. Magadha was the scene of the real birth of Buddhism.³ The Buddha's chief disciples, Sāriputta and Moggallāna, were natives of Magadha, and it was at Rājagṛha that they were converted by the Buddha.⁴ Their conversion, and the consequent desertion of the school of Sañjaya the Wanderer, must have created a sensation among the citizens of Rājagṛha.⁵ Another notable conversion was that of Mahākāśyapa, who formerly belonged to another religious sect. Persons of many well-known families either became monks or lay supporters of the new doctrine. For want of accommodation in Veṇuvana, the bhikkhus passed the night in grottoes and caverns of the hills surrounding the city. This induced Anāthapiṇḍika, the great banker of Rājagṛha, to undertake, with the permission of the Buddha, to build some 60 vihāras for them.