Historical Geography of Ancient India c8.427

c8.427

Rājagaha (Rājagṛha).—A town occurs in the Mahābhārata (84, 104) and in Luders’ List No. 1345. It was the ancient capital of Magadha also known as Girivraja. It was so called because it was built by a king and every house in it resembled a palace. It was also called Kuśāgrapura (city of the superior reed grass). As it was surrounded by five hills,¹ it acquired the name of Girivraja which occurs in the Epics as the capital of king Jarāsandha of Magadha. According to the Sāsanavaṃsa it was built by Mandhāta (p. 152). It had 32 gates and 64 posterns (Spence Hardy, Manual of Buddhism, p. 323). According to the Vinaya Piṭaka (Vol IV, pp. 116-17) this city had a gate which was closed in the evening, and nobody, not even the king, was allowed to enter the city after the gate was closed. Rājagṛha was extensive from east to west and narrow from north to south (Watters, On Yuan Chwang, II, p. 148). It was a gay city where festivities were held in which people indulged themselves in drinking wine, eating meat, singing and dancing (Jāt., I, 489). There was a festival known as the Nakkhattakiḷā held here, which lasted for a week in which the rich took part (Vimānavatthu Commy., pp. 62-74). Another festival known as the Giraggasamajjā was held in this city, and a party of six monks attended it (Vinaya Piṭaka, II, 107; cf. also Ibid., IV, 267). This city was an abode of many wealthy bankers (Petavatthu Commy., pp. 1-9). Meetings were held in the Mote Hall at Rājagṛha where the people met, and discussed means of welfare (Jātaka, IV, pp. 72ff.). Here the inhabitants were always willing to satisfy the needs of the monks under the belief that such pious acts would bring about re-birth in a higher region (Vimānavatthu Commy., pp. 250-51). Many prominent disciples of the Buddha including Sāriputta and Moggallāna visited this city and were converted by the Buddha here (Kathāvatthu, I, p. 97). It was here that Upāli was also ordained as a monk. The Buddha's activity in the city was remarkable.¹ Mahāvīra spent 14 rainy seasons here. (Nāyādhammakahāo, II, 10). It was the birthplace of the twentieth Tīrthaṅkara (Āvaśyaka Niryukti, 325, 383). Here the Buddha summoned all the monks and prescribed several sets of seven conditions of welfare for the Buddhist Fraternity. Ajātaśatru, king of Magadha, built dhātu-caityas all round Rājagṛha (Mahāvaṃsa, ed. Geiger, p. 247) and repaired 18 great vihāras, (Samantapāsādikā, I, pp. 9-10).