Bālakaloṇakārāma untranslated

Bālakaloṇakārāma, Bākaloṇakārāgama. A locality near Kosambī. When the monks of Kosambī started quarrelling, the Buddha left them and went to Bālakaloṇakārāma, where he visited Bhagu and preached to him on the virtues of solitude. From there the Buddha proceeded to Pācīnavaṁsadāya (Vin.i.350; MN.iii.154; Dhp­a.i.47; Ja.iii.489).

The readings of the texts are uncertain, and it is impossible to say whether a village (gāma) is meant or only a grove (ārāma).

The reading Bālakaloṇakāragāma occurs in the Majjhima Commentary (MN­a.ii.596); but even here two explanations are given: one to the effect that Bālaka was the name of a village of salt makers (? loṇakāragāma) belonging to Upāli gahapati. When the inhabitants of the village came to Upāli with their taxes, he went with them (bālakagāmavāsiniyā... parisāya) to see Nigaṇṭha Nātaputta.

The other explanation is that the word bālakiniyā in the text is an adjective meaning “composed of fools” (bālavatiyā bālussannāya, cp. Ja.i.246, where mention is made of bālagāmikamanussā who were obviously fools). The confusion seems, therefore, to have arisen very early. Upāli’s village (of Bāka), if such a place existed, was probably near Nālandā.