Magadha, also known as Magadh, is a geographical and cultural region of the Indian subcontinent currently situated within the modern-day state of Bihar in India. The region's name is derived from the Ancient kingdom of Magadha which played an important role in the history of India and the development of religions like Buddhism and Jainism.[1][2]
Religious sites in Magadha
editAmong the Buddhist sites currently found in the Magadha region include two UNESCO World Heritage Sites such as the Mahabodhi temple at Bodh Gaya[3] and the Nalanda monastery.[4] The Mahabodhi temple is one of the most important places of pilgrimage in the Buddhist world and is said to mark the site where the Buddha attained enlightenment.[5]
Territorial extent
editHistorically, the Magadha region was likely placed between Benares in the west and Munger in the east. The core of the region and of Magahi culture is considered to be around the Patna and Gaya region.[6]
Langauge
editHistorical figures from Magadha
editImportant people from the region of Magadha include:
- Śāriputra – born to a wealthy Brahmin in a village located near Rājagaha in Magadha. He is considered the first of the Buddha's two chief male disciples, together with Maudgalyāyana.[7]
- Maudgalyāyana – born in the village of Kolita in Magadha. He was one of the Buddha's two main disciples. In his youth, he was a spiritual wanderer before meeting the Buddha.[8]
- Mahavira – the 24th Tirthankara of Jainism. Born into a royal kshatriya family in what is now Vaishali district of Bihar. He abandoned all worldly possessions at the age of 30 and became an ascetic. He is considered a slightly older contemporary of the Buddha.[9]
- Maitripada – an 11th-century Indian Buddhist Mahasiddha associated with the Mahāmudrā transmission. Born in the village of Jhatakarani in Magadha. Also associated with the monasteries of Nalanda and Vikramashila.[10]
- Dhyānabhadra - 13th/14th century monk of Nalanda born to a minor chief in Magadha and later travelled across South and East Asia.[11]
- Subhūticandra - 11/12th-century Indian Buddhist monk associated with Nalanda and Vikramashila who belonged to Magadha.[12]
References
edit- ^ Lopez, Donald (2014). "Magadha". The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism. ISBN 978-0-691-15786-3.
- ^ Prasad, Saryoo (2008). Magahī Phonology: A Descriptive Study. Concept Publishing. p. 2. ISBN 9788180695254.
- ^ K.T.S. Sarao (16 September 2020). The History of Mahabodhi Temple at Bodh Gaya. Springer Nature. pp. 66–. ISBN 9789811580673.
- ^ Pintu Kumar (7 May 2018). Buddhist Learning in South Asia: Education, Religion, and Culture at the Ancient Sri Nalanda Mahavihara. Lexington Books. ISBN 978-1-4985-5493-0.
- ^ David Geary; Matthew R. Sayers; Abhishek Singh Amar (2012). Cross-disciplinary Perspectives on a Contested Buddhist Site: Bodh Gaya Jataka. Routledge. pp. 18–21. ISBN 978-0-415-68452-1.
- ^ Dineshchandra, Sircar (1971). Studies in the Geography of Ancient and Medieval India. Motilal Banarsidass. p. 107. ISBN 9788120806900.
- ^ Prasad, Chandra Shekhar (1988). "Nalanda vis-à-vis the Birthplace of Śāriputra". East and West. 38 (1/4): 175–188. JSTOR 29756860.
- ^ Gunapala Piyasena Malalasekera (2007). Dictionary of Pāli Proper Names. Motilal Banarsidass Publishers. pp. 403–404. ISBN 978-81-208-3022-6.
- ^ Romesh Chunder Dutt (5 November 2013). A History of Civilisation in Ancient India: Based on Sanscrit Literature: Volume I. Routledge. pp. 382–383. ISBN 978-1-136-38189-8.
- ^ Tatz, Mark (1987). "The Life of the Siddha-Philosopher Maitrīgupta". Journal of the American Oriental Society. 107 (4): 695–711. doi:10.2307/603308. JSTOR 603308.
- ^ Buswell, Robert; Lopez, Donald (2014). The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism. Princeton University Press. p. 1056. ISBN 9780691157863.
- ^ Deokar, Lata (2012). "Subhūticandra: A Forgotten Scholar of Magadha". Journal of the Centre for Buddhist Studies, Sri Lanka. 10: 137–154.