Yashtivana

Author:Laxman Burdak, IFS (R)

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Yashtivana (यष्टिवन) refers to the “perch forest” in Gaya district of Bihar, India. It is identified with present Jethiyana.

Variants

• Yashtivana यष्टिवन, जिला गया, (AS, p.771)
• Jethiyana जेठियान = Yashtivana यष्टिवन (AS, p.369)

History

Yaṣṭivana (यष्टिवन) refers to the “perch forest”, as mentioned in an appendix of the 2nd century Mahāprajñāpāramitāśāstra chapter 36.—Near Rājagṛha, at Yaṣṭivana ‘Perch Forest’: ”Once a Brahmin, having heard that the Buddha’s body was sixteen feet high, persisted in doubting and did not believe it. He wanted to measure the Buddha with a bamboo rod sixteen feet long, but the Buddha’s body constantly rose above the top of the rod and surpassed sixteen feet. He continued growing so that the Brahmin, quite unable to reach the true height, threw away his stick and went away. As a result of this event, the bamboo stick remained planted in the ground and took root there”.

यष्टिवन, जिला गया,

विजयेन्द्र कुमार माथुर ने लेख किया है ...यष्टिवन (AS, p.771) गया ज़िला, बिहार का ऐतिहासिक स्थान है। 'सूपातीर्थ' के निकट तपोवन से दो मील की दूरी पर स्थित वर्तमान 'जेठियान' से इसका अविज्ञान किया गया है। गौतम बुद्ध ने इसी स्थान पर कई चमत्कार दिखाए थे। राजा बिम्बिसार को बुद्ध ने दीक्षा भी इसी स्थान पर दी थी। (दे.ग्रियर्सन-नोट्स ऑन दि डिस्ट्रिक्ट ऑव गया)