History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v5.c74.t2.300

v5.c74.t2.300

We have to distinguish between Gayākṣetra, Gayā and Gayāśiras or Gayāśīrṣa. The Vāyu, Agni and Nāradīya all assert that Gayākṣetra is five krośas¹⁵³³ (in extent) and Gayāśiras is one krośa. It had become the fashion to speak of famous tīrthas like Kāśī and Prayāga as pañcakrośa. But so far as the Vāyupurāṇa is concerned the Gayākṣetra is about 13 miles in length from Pretaśilā to Mahābodhi tree as shown above Gayā is said to be two krośas and a half in extent in all directions from Muṇḍapṛṣṭha¹⁵³⁴. Gayāśiras is smaller than Gayā and is identified with Phalgutīrtha (vide note 1499). Gayā and Gayāsīsa (Pāli for Gayāśīrṣa) are well known to ancient Buddhist texts (Mahāvagga I. 21. 1 in S. B. E. XIII p. 136, Aṅguttaranikāya, text vol. IV. p. 302). Vide n. 1510