Historical Geography of Ancient India c6.649

c6.649

Sāvatthī (Śrāvastī).—Sāheth-Māheṭh¹ is the modern equivalent of the ancient site of Śrāvastī. The entire site lies on the borders of Gonda and Bahraich districts of Oudh in the Uttara Pradeśa, and can be reached from the railway station Balarāmpur. It can also be reached from Bahraich which is at a distance of about 26 miles. It occurs in Luders' List (Nos. 918, 919) as Sāvasti. Some sculptures have been found out at this site, most of them are Buddhistic, very few Jaina, and some Brahmanical. According to the Buddhist commentator Buddhaghosa this city was so called because it was originally the dwelling place of Savattha the sage. It was at first a religious settlement, and the city subsequently grew up around it (*Papañcasūdanī*, I, 59-60; *Paramatthajotikā (Suttanipāta Commy.)*, p. 300; *Udāna Commy.*, Siamese ed., p. 70). Everything was found there, which was necessary for human beings; hence it was called Sāvatthī (*sabbam-atthi*). This city is said to have been built by king Śrāvasta or Śrāvastaka (*Viṣṇupurāṇa*, Ch. II, aṃśa 4). In the *Matsya* and *Brahma Purāṇas* (XII, 29-30; VII, 53) Śrāvasta is mentioned as the son of Yuvanāśva. The *Mahābhārata* represents Śrāvastaka as the son of Śrāva and the grandson of Yuvanāśva (*Vanaparva*, 201, 3-4; *Harivaṃśa*, XI, 21, 22). The *Harṣacarita* (Kane's ed., p. 50) refers to Śrutavarma who was once the king of Śrāvastī. The *Kathāsaritsāgara* and the *Daśakumāracarita* (15, 63-79; Ch. V) refer to two kings of Śrāvastī named Devasena and Dharmavardhana respectively. King Dharmavardhana had a beautiful daughter named Navamālikā (*Daśakumāracaritam*, p. 138). Pramati continued his journey to Śrāvastī, where being tired he lay down to rest among vines in a part outside the city (*Ibid.*, p. 136). Sāvatthī figures throughout Buddhist literature as the capital of the kingdom of Kosala, and Sāvatthī and Vana-Sāvatthī find mention as two important stopping places on the high road starting from Rājagṛha and extending as far southwest as Aḷaka and Assaka. There must have been another high road by which one could travel from Śrāvastī to Benaras via Kiṭāgiri (Majjhima, I, 473).