Chaitya Parvata

Author:Laxman Burdak, IFS (R)

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Chaitya Parvata (चैत्य पर्वत) is a mountain in Sri Lanka mentioned in Mahavansa. It has been identified with mountain Mihintale - the cradle of Buddhism in Sri Lanka.

Variants

• Chaitya Parvata (चैत्य पर्वत) (लंका) (AS, p.344)

• Cetiyapabbata = Cetiya-mountain/Cetiya mountain (Mahavansa/Chapter 16, - Ch.17, - Ch.19, - Ch.20, - Ch.21, - Ch.23, - Ch.34, - Ch.35)

• Cetiyagiri/Chetiyagiri (चैत्य गिरि)

• Chaityagiri (चैत्य गिरि)

• Sagiri

• Mihintale (मिहिन्ताल)

History

Mihintale is a mountain peak near Anuradhapura in Sri Lanka. It is believed by Sri Lankans to be the site of a meeting between the Buddhist monk Mahinda and King Devanampiyatissa which inaugurated the presence of Buddhism in Sri Lanka. It is now a pilgrimage site, and the site of several religious monuments and abandoned structures.

In Sinhala Mihin-Thalé literally means the “plateau of Mihindu”. This plateau is the flat terrain on top of a hill from where Arahat Mihindu was supposed to have called King Devanampiyatissa, by the King's first name to stop him shooting a deer in flight. Hence, “Mihin Thalé” is a specifically Sinhala term.

This is said have been called Cetiyagiri or Sagiri, even though it was more popularly known as Mihintale - the cradle of Buddhism in Sri Lanka.

Chetiyagiri in Sanchi Inscriptions

Chetiyagiri is mentioned by Cunningham in an inscription at the Buddhist Stupa of Sanchi of the Ashoka period as under:

1. Devānam(piya) Magadhe (raja).

2. . . (a)bhi(vādemā)nam Chetiyagiri.

3. . tikhi-cha(Dha)magiri . ikeye sangham.

4. bhokhati-bhikhunābhikhāmavisedāto.

5. nidu . ti sanani . . chhava annā

6. Sasivi(ye) petaviye. Ichhahime Sān-

7. -ti Sangham samage milathitike siyāti.

The drift of this inscription, at least as I understand it, seems to be the following- :—

" Devanampriya, king- of Magadha, offers his salutation to the community of Chaityagiri (and perhaps to that of Dharmagiri also) . . . with a gift of food for the Bhikshus, much emaciated (with their austerities ?) . . . and prays that the Santi community may always be united."

In my account of the great Sanchi Tope I have already identified the present name of Sanchi with the Sanskrit Sānti, which I presume was the name of the great Vihar on the Chetiyagiri, or "Hill of Chaityas" If my reading of Dhamagiri he correct, we may identify the " hill of religion" in the long spur which stretches northward as far as Kānākhera. This hill is still covered with ruins, which no doubt once formed a part of the vast religious establishment of Sanchi-kānākhera.

चैत्य पर्वत

विजयेन्द्र कुमार माथुर ने लेख किया है ...चैत्य पर्वत (AS, p.344) बौद्ध ग्रंथ महावंश 16, 17 में उल्लिखित है, जिसकी रचना 'भदन्त महानामा' द्वारा सम्भवत: पाँचवीं-छ्ठी शती. ई. में की गई थी। यह पर्वत श्रीलंका में स्थित बताया गया है। इस पर्वत का अभिज्ञान 'मिहिन्ताल' पर्वत से किया गया है।