Rishigiri

Author:Laxman Burdak, IFS (R)

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A map of Rajgir, showing 2-Ratnagiri

Rishigiri (ऋषिगिरि) is a mountain mentioned in Mahabharata, Ramayana and Buddhist records. Alexander Cunningham identifies Rishigiri with Ratnagiri which is due east, one mile distant from the Son Bhandar Cave in Rajgir (राजगीर) city in Nalanda district of Bihar.

Variants

• Isigila (इसीगिल) =Rishigiri (ऋषिगिरि) (राजगृह, बिहार) (p.84)
• Rishigiri (ऋषिगिरि) (AS, p.107)
• Risigiri (ऋसिगिरि) (AS, p.107)
• Rishi-giri/Rishigiri (ऋषिगिरि) (Mountain) Mahabharata (II.19.2)
• Isigili
• Ratnagiri रत्नगिरि (AS, p.776)

Alexander Cunningham

Alexander Cunningham 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 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 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

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[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

In the Mahabharata the five hills are named Vaihara, Varaha, Vrishabha, Rishi-giri, and Chaityaka; 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.

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.

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Alexander Cunningham identifies Rishigiri with Ratnagiri which is due east, one mile distant from the Son Bhandar Cave in Rajgir (राजगीर) city in Nalanda district of Bihar. This situation corresponds exactly with Fa-Hian's position of the " Pippal-tree Cave", in which Buddha after his meals was accustomed to meditate. It was situated at 5 or 6 li (about one mile) to the east of the cave of the first Synod. The hill of Ratna-giri is therefore identical with the

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[p.464]: Pandao Mountain of the Pali annals, in which Buddha dwelt, and which in the Lalita-Vistara is always styled the "King of Mountains." A paved zigzag road now leads from the eastern side of old Rajagriha to a small Jain temple on the top of Ratna-giri, which is frequently visited by Jains. I would identify it with the Rishigiri of the Mahabharata.

In Mahabharata

Rishigiri (ऋषिगिरि) (Mountain) mentioned in Mahabharata (II.19.2)

Sabha Parva, Mahabharata/Book II Chapter 19 mentions that Krishna, Bhima and Arjuna attacked Girivraja to kill Jarasandha. Rishigiri (ऋषिगिरि) (Mountain) is mentioned in Mahabharata (II.19.2). ....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.

ऋषिगिरि

विजयेन्द्र कुमार माथुर ने लेख किया है ... ऋषिगिरि (AS, p.107) महाभारत के अनुसार ऋषिगिरि, ऋसिगिरि, गिरिव्रज या राजगृह-वर्तमान राजगीर (बिहार) की पांच पहाड़ियों में से एक है। वाल्मीकि रामायण में भी गिरिव्रज के पंचशैलों का वर्णन है- 'एते शैलवरा: पंच प्रकाशन्ते: समन्तत:'। (बाल. 32, 80)

पाली साहित्य में ऋषिगिरि को इसगिलि कहा गया है। 'वैहारो विपुल: शैलो वराहो वृषभस्तथा, तथा ऋषिगिरिस्तात शुभाश्चैत्यक पंचामा:, एते पंच महाश्रृंगा पर्वता: शीतलद्रुमा:, रक्षन्तीवाभिसंहत्य संहतांगा गिरिव्रजम्'। महाभारत सभापर्व 21,2-3

रत्नगिरि

रत्नगिरि (AS, p.776)राजगृह के निकट सप्तपर्वतों में से एक का वर्तमान नाम है. (देखें राजगृह)