Historical Geography of Ancient India c6.506

c6.506

Mathurā was the capital of the Śūrasena country. It was built by Rāma's brother Satrughna after killing the Yādava Lavana at the site of the Madhuvana by cutting down the forest there (Pargiter, Ancient Indian Historical Tradition, p. 170). Here lived the famous disciple of the Buddha named Mahākaccāyana, Upagupta, the guide of Aśoka, Guṇaprabha,¹ a disciple of Vasubandhu, Dhruva, and Vāsavadattā, the famous courtezan. The city was known to Pāṇini (IV. 2. 82) and the Greek and Chinese pilgrims. Patañjali in his Mahābhāṣya mentions it (1. 1. 2, pp. 53, 56; 1. 3. 1, pp. 588-589; 2. 4. 1, p. 223; 1. 1. 8, p. 348). The Yoginitantra (2. 2. 120) also refers to it. There is no mention of Mathurā in Vedic literature. The city is on the Jumna, and is included in the Agra division of the United Provinces. It is situated 217 miles in a straight line north-west of Kauśāmbi. There was a bridge of boats between Mathurā and Pāṭaliputra. This city was known as Madhupurī, which is the present Maholi, five miles to the south-west of the modern city of Muttra. The Greeks were acquainted with this city by the name of Methora and Madoura (the city of the gods). The Chinese pilgrim Fa-hien called it Ma-t'aou-lo or the peacock city (Travels of Fahien, p. 42). Hiuen Tsang named it as Mo(Mei)-t'u-lo (Watters, On Yuan Chwang, I. 301). Arrian notices this city in his Indica (viii) on the authority of Megasthenes as the capital of the Śūrasenas. Ptolemy also mentions it (VII. I. 50). The Jains knew it as Sauripura or Sūryapura. Mathurā was a rich, flourishing and populous city. Many rich men and big merchants lived here. The ruling family of Mathurā was the Yādava family. Mathurā was the centre of Viṣṇu cult. The Bhāgavata religion, the parent of modern Vaiṣṇavism, also arose here. Buddhism was predominant in Mathurā for several centuries. The Jains seem to have been firmly established in this city from the middle of the second century B.C. onwards.