Historical Geography of Ancient India c6.249

c6.249

Ghositārāma.—This monastery was at Kauśāmbi built by a banker named Ghosita. (Dīgha, I, 157, 159; Saṃ., II, 115; Papañcasūdanī II, 390). It was named after him (Samantapāsādikā, III, 574). The recent excavation at this site has resulted in the discovery of an inscription which helps us in locating this famous ārāma, which was situated on the outskirts of Kauśāmbi in the south-east corner. This site seems to be not far off from the Jumna. This ārāma was a favourite resort of the venerable Ānanda even after the Buddha’s demise (Saṃyutta, III, 133ff.). It was occasionally visited by Sāriputta, Mahākaccāyana and Upavāṇa (Ibid., V, 76-77; Paramatthadīpanī on the Petavatthu, 140-144). The Buddha after leaving Anupiyā came to Kauśāmbi where he stayed in this ārāma (Vinaya, II, p. 184). Here Ānanda was met by Channa (Ibid., II, p. 292). A monk named Channa was an inmate of this ārāma. The Buddha prescribed the Brahmadanda for him at the time of his demise (Vinaya Texts, II, 370). Here two wanderers named Maṇḍissa and Jāliya interviewed the Buddha (Dīgha, I, 157, 159-60). Piṇḍola Bhāradvāja, who was instrumental in the conversion of Udayana to the Buddhist faith, used to reside here (cf. Psalms of the Brethren, p. 111). Some thirty thousand monks of this ārāma headed by Thera Urudhammarakkhita visited Ceylon in about the 1st century B.C. during the reign of king Duṭṭhagāmaṇi (Mahāvaṃsa, P.T.S., p. 228). When Fa-Hien visited Kauśāmbi in the 5th century A.D., the Ghositārāma was tenanted by Buddhist priests ‘mostly of the Lesser Vehicle’ (Legge, Travels of Fa-Hien, p. 96). Hiuen Tsang who visited Kauśāmbi in the 7th century A.D. saw more than ten saṅghārāmas all in utter ruin (Watters, On Yuan Chwang, I, 366). Out of the ten monasteries one was the famous Ghositārāma situated to the south-east of Kauśāmbi. The Kukkuṭārāma and the Pāvārika (Pāvāriya)—ambavana stood to its south-east and east respectively (Ibid., 370-71). Aśoka built a stūpa above 200 ft. high near the Ghositārāma.