Monday, July 5, 2010

Places around Griddhkuta

Maddakucchi, Moranivapa, Udumbarika Paribbajakarama, and Sumagadha are few places that find mention in Pali sources that were at the foothills of Griddhkuta. River sappini, the river that lay between Andhakavinda and Rajgriha, and probably rose in Griddhkuta (Vin. Texts i.254, n.2).



Maddakucchi was a park, monastery and a preserve (migadāya) where deer and game could dwell in safety. According to the Commentaries Maddakucchi was so called because it was there that Bimbisara’s queen, mother of Ajatshatru, tried to kill her unborn child when she was told by soothsayers that the child in her womb, in reference to the later Prince Ajatshatru, was destined to bring about Bimbisara’s death. She went into the park without the king’s knowledge and violently massaged her womb to drop the baby but without success. The king heard of this and forbade her to visit the park (S.A.i.61; cp. J.iii.121f).


The Udumbarika Paribbajakarama was a place where mendicants used to stay (Vin.ii.76; iii.159). The Paribbajakarama was built by the queen Udumbarika (D.iii.36; DA.iii.832), but the sources do not mention about her origins and her connection to king Bimbisara or the reason this arama was built. All that’s gathered from the sources is that the Paribbajaka Arama was away from the city situated on banks of river sappinni where famous Paribbajaka lived in the Buddha's time (A.i.185; ii.29, 176; S.i.153). Lotus pond Sumagadha (Sumāgadhā, Sumāgavā) was near Paribbajakarama and the larger area together was called Moranivapa The place was so called because peacocks were protected there and food was provided for them (DA.iii.835; MA.ii.694). The Buddha has been mentioned (D.iii.39) to have walked at Moranivapa.


Next Post: Conversations between the Buddha and Paribbajakas

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