Vaibhara

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Author:Laxman Burdak, IFS (R)

A map of Rajgir, showing 5. Vyavahara (व्यवहार गिरि)

Vaibhara (वैभार) or Baibhara (बैभार) is a mountain, one of the Five Hills of Rajagriha.

Origin

Variants

Mention by Panini

History

Alexander Cunningham[2] mentions.... Kusagarapura was the original capital of Magadha, which was called Rajagriha, or the " Royal Residence." It was also named Girivraja, or the "hill-surrounded," which agrees with Hwen Thsang's description of it as a town " surrounded by mountains." Girivraja[3] is the name given in both the Ramayana and the Mahabharata to the old capital of Jarasandha, king of Magadha, who was one of the principal actors in the Great War, about 1426 B.C. The Chinese pilgrim Fa-Hian[4] describes the city as situated in a valley between five hills, at 4 li, or two-thirds of a mile, to the south of the new town of Rajagriha. The same position and about the same distance are given by Hwen Thsang, who also mentions some hot springs, which still exist. Fa-Hian


[p.463]: further states that the " five hills form a girdle like the walls of a town," which is an exact description of Old Rajagriha, or Purana Rajgir, as it is now called by the people.

A similar description is given by Tumour from the Pali annals of Ceylon, where the five hills are named Gijjhakuto, Isigili, Webharo, Wepullo, and Pandawo[5]

In the Mahabharata the five hills are named Vaihara, Varaha, Vrishabha, Rishi-giri, and Chaityaka;[6] but at present they are called Baibhar-giri, Vipula-giri, Ratna-giri, Udaya-giri, and Sona-giri.

In the inscriptions of the Jain temples on Mount Baibhar, the name is sometimes written Baibhara, and sometimes Vyavahara. It is beyond all doubt the Webharo Mountain of the Pali annals, on whose side was situated the far-famed Sattapanni Cave, in front of which was held the first Buddhist synod, in 543 B.C. This cave, I believe, still exists under the name of Son Bhandar, or " Treasury of gold," in the southern face of the mountain ; but following Hwen Thsang's description, it should rather be looked for in the northern face. In the Tibetan Dulva it is called the " Cave of the Nyagrodha" or Banian-tree.[7]

Ratnagiri is due east, one mile distant from the Son Bhandar Cave. This situation corresponds exactly with Fa-Hian's position of the Pippal-tree Cave, in which Buddha after his meals was accustomed to meditate.

In Mahavansha

Mahavansa/Chapter 3 mentions about the First Buddhist Council.... When the repair of the vihara was finished they said to the king: `Now we will hold the council.' To the question, `What should be done?' they answered: `A place (should be provided) for the meetings.' When the king had asked: `Where (these were to be)?' and the place had been pointed out by them, he with all speed had a splendid hall built by the side of the Vebhära Rock by the entrance of the Sattapanni grotto, (and it was) like to the assembly-hall of the gods. When it was adorned in every way he caused precious mats to be spread according to the number of the bhikkhus. Placed on the south side and facing the north a lofty and noble seat was prepared for the thera, and in the middle of the hail a high seat was prepared for the preacher, facing the east and worthy of the blessed (Buddha) himself.

In Mahabharata

Vaihara (वैहार) (Mountain) is mentioned in Mahabharata (II.19.2)

Sabha Parva, Mahabharata/Book II Chapter 19 mentions that Krishna, Bhima and Arjuna attacked Girivraja to kill Jarasandha. Vaihara (वैहार) (Mountain) is mentioned in Mahabharata (II.19.2).[8] ....The five large hills of Vaihara, Vipula, Varaha, Vrishabha, Rishigiri, and the delightful Chaityaka, all of high peaks and overgrown with tall trees of cool shade and connected with one another, seem to be jointly protecting the city of Girivraja.

वैभार

विजयेन्द्र कुमार माथुर[9] ने लेख किया है ...वैभार (AS, p.880) राजगृह (=राजगीर), बिहार के निकट स्थित एक पर्वत है, जिसका नामोल्लेख महाभारत सभापर्व 21,2 में है- 'वैभारो विपलो शैलो वराहो वृषभस्तथा।' इसका पाठांतर 'वैहार' है। पाली ग्रंथों में इसे 'वेभार' कहा गया है। (दे.महावंश 3,19) 'सप्तपर्णि' (सोनभंडार) नामक गुहा इसी पहाड़ी में स्थित थी। यहाँ गौतम बुद्ध की मृत्यु के पश्चात् प्रथम 'बौद्ध धर्म संगति' का अधिवेशन हुआ था, जिसमें 500 भिक्षुओं ने भाग लिया था। जैन ग्रंथ ‘विविधतीर्थकल्प’ में राजगृह की इस पहाड़ी के 'त्रिकुट' एवं 'खंडिक' नाम के दो शिखरों का उल्लेख है। पहाड़ी पर होने वाली अनेक औषधियों का भी वर्णन है। इस ग्रंथ के अनुसार सरस्वती नदी यहाँ प्रवाहित होती थी और 'मगध', 'लोचन' आदि नाम के जैन देवालय स्थित थे, जिनमें जैन अर्हतों की मूर्तियां थीं। कहा जाता है कि यहाँ देवालयों के निकट सिंह आदि हिंसक पशु भी सौम्यतापूर्वक रहते थे। प्राचीन समय में वैभार में 'रौहिणेय' नामक महात्मा का निवास था।

पिप्पलगुहा

विजयेन्द्र कुमार माथुर[10] ने लेख किया है ..पिप्पलगुहा (AS, p.559), बिहार. पिप्पल गुहा राजगृह (बिहार) में 'वैभार' पहाड़ी के पूर्वी ढाल पर स्थित है. इसे जरासंध की गुहा भी कहते हैं. कुछ विद्वानों के मत में यह भारत की प्राचीनतम इमारत है. कहा जाता है कि महाभारत काल में इसी स्थान पर मगध राज जरासंध का प्रासाद था. कुछ पाली ग्रंथों के अनुसार प्रथम धर्म-संगीति का सभापति महाकश्यप पिप्पलगुहा में ही रहा करता था. बुद्ध एक बार महा कश्यप से मिलने स्वयं इस स्थान पर आए थे. युवान च्वांग ने भी इस गुहा का उल्लेख किया है तथा इसे असुरों का निवास स्थान माना है. महा [p.560] भारत में मय दानव की कथा से सूचित होता है कि असुरों या दानवों की कोई जाति प्राचीन काल में विशाल वास्तु रचनाएं निर्माण करने में परम कुशल थी. संभवत: पिप्पलगुहा की निर्मिति भी इन्हीं शिल्पियों ने की होगी. जरासंध की बैठक की दीवार असाधारण रूप से स्थूल समझी जाती है. इस इमारत के पीछे एक लंबी गुफा 1895 ई. तक वर्तमान थी. (देखें लिस्ट ऑफ एंशिएंट मोनुमेंट्स इन बंगाल-1895, पृ.262-263)

External links

References

  1. V S Agarwal: India_as_Known_to_Panini, p.163
  2. Alexander Cunningham: The Ancient Geography of India/Magadha , pp.462-
  3. Lassen, Ind. Alterthum, i. 604.
  4. Beal's 'Fah-Hian,' c. xxviii. 112.
  5. Journ. Asiat. Soc. Bengal 1838, p. 996.
  6. Lassen, Ind. Alterthum, ii. 79. The five hills are all shown in Map No. XII.
  7. Csoma de Koros in Bengal ' Asiatic Researches,' xx. 91.
  8. वैहारॊ विपुलः शैलॊ वराहॊ वृषभस तथा, तथैवर्षिगिरिस तात शुभाश चैत्यक पञ्चमाः (II.19.2) एते पञ्च महाशृङ्गाः पर्वताः शीतलद्रुमाः, रक्षन्तीवाभिसंहत्य संहताङ्गा गिरिव्रजम (II.19.3)
  9. Aitihasik Sthanavali by Vijayendra Kumar Mathur, p.880
  10. Aitihasik Sthanavali by Vijayendra Kumar Mathur, p.559-560