Historical Geography of Ancient India c8.413

c8.413

*Pippalaguhā or Pippaliguhā or Pipphaliguhā*.—It was situated on the north face of the Vaibhāragiri. The cave stood some 300 paces south-west from the Charnelfield (Legge, *Fa-hien*, pp. 84, 85). It was a favourite resort of Mahākassapa (*Saṃyutta*, V. 79; *Udāna*, p. 4). Fa-hien knew it to be a dwelling among the rocks in which the Buddha regularly sat in meditation after taking his midday meal (Legge, *Fa-hien*, p. 85). According to Hiuen Tsang, this cave was visited by the Buddha where he often lodged (Watters, *On Yuan Chwang*, II, 154). Buddha came to this cave when Mahākassapa fell seriously ill (*Saṃyutta*, V. 79). The cave was called Pippali or Pipphali because it was marked by a Pippali or Pipphali tree which stood beside it (*Udānavaṇṇanā*, p. 77). The *Mañjuśrīmūlakalpa* (p. 588) places it in the Varāha mountain. In some of the Chinese accounts it is placed in the Gijjhakūṭa mountain (cf. Watters, *On Yuan Chwang*, II, 155).