Gunamati

Author:Laxman Burdak, IFS (R)

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Gunamati (गुणमती) is an ancient Buddhist Vihara in Jahanabad tahsil of district Gaya, Bihar state in India. It has been mentioned by Chinese traveler Xuanzang.

Variants

• Gunamati (गुणमती) (बिहार) (AS, p.291)

Visit by Xuanzang in 637 AD

Alexander Cunningham writes that On leaving Pataliputra the Chinese pilgrim Xuanzang started from the south-west corner of the city, and proceeded for 100 li, or 16-2/3 miles, to the south-west to the monastery of Ti-lo-shi-kia or Ti-lo-tse-kia, from whence he continued his route in the same direction for 90 li, or 15 miles, to a lofty mountain from the summit of which Buddha had contemplated the kingdom of Magadha. He then turned to the north-west for 30 li, or 5 miles, to visit a very large monastery on the slope of a hill, where Gunamati had worsted a heretic in argument. Then resuming his south-west route for 20 li, or 3-1/3 miles, he visited an isolated hill, and the monastery of Silabhadra, and continuing in the same direction for 40 or 50 li, 7 or 8 miles, he crossed the river Ni-lien-shen, or Nairanjan and entered the town of Kia-ye, or Gaya. Before attempting to identify any of the places

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[p.456]: noted in this route, I must remark that there are several errors both in the bearings and distances that require to be corrected. As the direction of Gaya is very nearly due south from Patna, the several south- west bearings should certainly be altered to south. The several distances also when added together amount to only 230 li, or 38 miles, while the actual distance between the cities of Patna and Gaya is 60 miles by the high-road, and must have been about 70 miles by the route followed by Hwen Thsang. The sum of his distances is, therefore, about 200 li, or 33 miles, short of the distance actually travelled. This amount I would divide into two even sums of 100 li, and add one to each of the first two distances recorded by the pilgrim.

By adopting this double correction of bearing and distance the position of the monastery of Ti-lo-tse-kia, or Tiladaka, will be fixed at 200 li, or 33 miles, to the south of the south-west corner of the city of Patna, or as nearly as possible on the site of the town of Tillara, on the eastern bank of the Phalgu river. That this was nearly the true position of Tiladaka is proved by a later mention of the same place by the pilgrim.

When leaving the Nalanda monastery on his return to China, he went direct to Tiladaka, which he places at 3 yojanas or 21 miles, to the west of Nalanda. Now the position of Nalanda, as I will hereafter show, was at the village of Baragaon, 6 miles to the north of Rajgir ; and from Baragaon to Tillara the distance is 17 miles in a direct line to the north of west, or about 20 miles by road.

The next place visited by Hwen Thsang, was the

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[p.457]: lofty mountain from which Buddha had contemplated the country of Magadha. Following my proposed corrections, this mountain should be looked for at 190 li, or 32 miles, to the south of Tiladaka or Tillara, and at 70 li to the north-east of Gaya. These bearings and distances fix the position of Buddha's Mountain in the lofty range of hills lying between Giryek and Gaya, somewhere about 3 miles to the north-west of Vazirganj, and about the same distance to the west of Amethi. This mention of hills is very fortunate, as it proves the necessity of applying the correction in distance to the first part of the route as the nearest hill is upwards of 50 miles from Patna.

From Buddha's Mountain the pilgrim proceeded 30 li, or 5 miles, to the north-west to the large monastery of Gunamati, which was situated on a slope in a pass of the mountains. The bearing and distance point to the low range of hills on the eastern bank of the Pewar Nadi, near Nidawat. From the Gunamati monastery Hwen Thsang travelled 20 li, or 3-1/3 miles, to the south-west to the Silabhadra monastery, which was situated on an isolated hill. This position may, I think, be identified with Bithawa, an isolated hill, which is also on the eastern bank of the Pewar Nadi, 3 miles to the south-west of Nidawat. The name of Bitha, which means an artificial mound, may perhaps refer to the ruined monastery of Silabhadra.

From this place the pilgrim proceeded for about 40 or 50 li, about 7 or 8 miles, to the south-west, and crossing the Nairanjan river, entered the town of Gaya. The river is now called Phalgu, opposite Gaya, and the name of Lilajan, or Nilajan, is restricted to the western branch, which joins the Mohani 5 miles

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[p.458]: above Gaya. The town was thinly peopled, but it contained about 1000 families of Brahmans. The city is still called Brahm-Gaya, to distinguish it from Bauddh-Gaya.

At 5 or 6 li, or 1 mile, to the south-west of the town stood the mountain of Gaya, which was known amongst the people of India as the divine mountain. This hill is now called Brahm-juin, or Brahmyoni, and a small temple now occupies the site of Asoka's stupa. To the south-east of the hill there were stupas of the three Kasyapas, and to the east of them, across a great river (the Phalgu), there was a mountain named Po.lo.ki.pu.ti, or Pragbodhi which Buddha ascended for the purpose of dwelling in silent solitude upon its summit. He had previously spent six years in silent abstraction, but having afterwards renounced his austerities, he accepted some rice and milk, and going towards the north-east, he saw this mountain, and ascended it for the purpose of resuming his austerities ; but he was disturbed by the tremblings caused by the fright of the god of the mountain, and descended on the south-west side, from whence he reached the famous Pippal-tree at Bauddha Gaya, at 15 li, or 2½ miles, to the south-west. The last distance and bearing show that the Pragbodhi mountain is the Mora Pahar of the present day, as its south-west end is exactly 2½ miles to the north-east of Bauddha Gaya. Midway in the descent there was a cave, in which Buddha rested, and sat with his legs crossed. Fa-Hian mentions this cave, which he places at half a yojana, or 3½ miles, to the north-east of the Bodhi-tree. It was therefore about one mile from the

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[p.459]: southern end of the mountain. I was informed that a cave still exists on the western face.

Hwen Thsang has omitted to mention the distance of this eastern mountain from that of Gaya, or Brahm-juin, which is about 4 miles, or 24 li. The account of the earlier pilgrim, Fa-Hian, is of no assistance in this place, as he makes the distance from Kia-ye, or Gaya, to the neighbourhood of the Bodhi-tree only 20 li, or 3-1/3 miles, the actual distance being upwards of 5 miles, or more than 30 li.

Bauddha-Gaya was famous for its possession of the holy Pippal-tree under which Sakya Sinha sat for five years in mental abstraction, until he obtained Buddha-hood. The celebrated Bodhi-drum, or " Tree of Wisdom," still exists, but it is very much decayed. Immediately to the east of the tree there is a massive brick temple, nearly 50 feet square at base, and 160 feet in height. This is beyond all doubt the Vihar that was seen by Hwen Thsang in the seventh century, as he places it to the east of the Bodhi-tree, and describes it as 20 paces square at base, and from 160 to 170 feet in height.

गुणमती

विजयेन्द्र कुमार माथुर ने लेख किया है ...गुणमती (AS, p.291) गया ज़िला, बिहार की जहाँनाबाद तहसील में स्थित एक प्राचीन बौद्ध बिहार है। इस बिहार का चीनी यात्री युवानच्वांग ने भी उल्लेख किया है। यहाँ एक मंदिर में अवलोकितेश्वर की मूर्ति स्थित है। इसे अब भैरव की मूर्ति कहा जाता है। (ग्रियर्सननोट्स ऑन दि डिस्ट्रिक्ट ऑव गया।)