Barhadrathapura

Author:Laxman Burdak, IFS (R)

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Barhadrathapura (बार्हद्रथपुर) is another name of Rājagaha, the ancient name for Rajgir.

Variants

• Barhadrathapura बार्हद्रथपुर (AS, p.622)
• Magadhapura मगधपुर (AS, p.693)
• Bārhadrathapura
• Māgadhapura

History

Bārhadrathapura (बार्हद्रथपुर) is another name for Girivraja or Giribbaja: an ancient capital of Magadha, one of the sixteen Mahājanapadas of the Majjhimadesa (Middle Country) of ancient India, according to the Mahābhārata.—Early Pāli literature abounds in information about the Magadha country, its people, and its ancient capital Giribbaja. Magadha roughly corresponds to the modern Patna and Gayā districts of Bihar. The Mahābhārata seems to record that Girivraja was also called Bārhadrathapura as well as Māgadhapura and that Māgadhapura was a well-fortified city being protected by five hills. Other names recorded in the Mahābhārata are Varāha, Vrishabha, Rishigiri, and Caityaka. The statement of the Mahābhārata that Girivraja was protected by five hills is strikingly confirmed by the Vimānavatthu Commentary in which we read that the city of Giribbaja was encircled by the mountains Isigili, Vepulla, Vebhara, Paṇḍava and Gijjhakūṭa.

Hathigumpha Inscription of Kharavela mentions the city Rājagaha, modern Rajgir, about fourteen miles south-west of the town of Bihar Sharif in the Bihar sub-division of Patna district.

बार्हद्रथपुर

विजयेन्द्र कुमार माथुर ने लेख किया है .....बार्हद्रथपुर (AS, p.622) महाभारत काल में गिरिव्रज (राजगृह, बिहार) का एक नाम था, इसका उल्लेख महाभारत, सभापर्व में हुआ है- 'विवेश राजाद्युतिमान् बार्हद्रथपुरं नृप, अभिषिक्तो महाबाहुर्जारासंधिर्महात्मभि:'सभापर्व, 24, 44. जरासंध की राजधानी होने के कारण गिरिव्रज को बार्हद्रथपुर अर्थात् 'बृहद्रथ के पुत्र' - 'जरासंध का नगर' कहा जाता था।