• Nālandā

A town near Rājagaha, (according to Buddhaghosa, DA.i.35) one league away. The Buddha is mentioned as having several times stayed there during his residence in Pāvārika's mango grove, and while there he had discussions with Upāli-Gahapati and Dīghatapassī (S.ii.110; M.i.376ff.), with Kevatta (D.i.211ff.), and also several conversations with Asibandhakaputta (S. ii. 311 23).

The Buddha visited Nālandā during his last tour through Magadha, and it was there that Sāriputta uttered his "lion's roar," affirming his faith in the Buddha, shortly before his death (D.ii.81f.; iii.99ff.; S.v.159ff.). The road from Rājagaha to Nālandā passed through Ambalatthikā (D.ii.81; Vin.ii.287), and from Nālandā it went on to Pātaligāma (D.ii.84). Between Rājagaha and Nālandā was situated the Bahuputta cetiya (S.ii.220).

According to the Kevatta Sutta (D.i.211), in the Buddha's time Nālandā was already an influential and prosperous town, thickly populated, though it was not till later that it became the centre of learning for which it afterwards became famous. There is a record in the Samyutta Nikāya (S.iv.322), of the town having been the victim of a severe famine during the Buddha's time.

Nālandā was the residence of Sonnadinnā (VvA.144). Nigantha Nātaputta is several times mentioned as staying at Nālandā, which was evidently a centre of activity of the Niganthas.

Hsouien Thsang (Beal.: op. cit., ii.167f ) gives several explanations of the name Nālandā. One is that it was named after the Nāga who lived in a tank in the middle of the mango grove. Another -  and accepted by him -  is that the Bodhisatta once had his capital here and gave "alms without intermission," hence the name.

Nālanda is, in the northern books, given as the name of Sāriputta's birthplace (see Nālaka).

Nālanda is identified with the modern Baragaon (CAGI. 537).

A village in the central province of Ceylon. Once Parakkamabāhu I. occupied a camp there, and it is several times mentioned in the accounts of his campaigns. Cv.lxx.167, 207; lxxii.169.

A conversation between the Buddha and Upāligahapati in Pāvārika's mango grove, as to why some beings attain full freedom in this world while others do not. S. iv.110.

Sāriputta's affirmation of faith in the Buddha - there never was, nor is, nor shall be, anyone possessing higher wisdom than the Buddha. S. v.159 f.; cp. D.ii.81 and D.iii.99ff.