Nālandā untranslated

Nālandā 01. A town near Rājagaha, one league away (according to Buddhaghosa, DN­a.i.35). 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 (SN.ii.110; MN.i.376ff.), with Kevaṭṭa (DN.i.211ff.), and also several conversations with Asibandhakaputta (SN. ii. 311-23).

Gotama 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 (DN.ii.81f.; iii.99ff.; SN.v.159ff.). The road from Rājagaha to Nālandā passed through Ambalaṭṭhikā (DN.ii.81; Vin.ii.287), and from Nālandā it went on to Pāṭaligāma (DN.ii.84). Between Rājagaha and Nālandā was situated the Bahuputtacetiya (SN.ii.220).

According to the Kevaṭṭasutta (DN.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 Saṁyuttanikāya of the town having been the victim of a severe famine during the Buddha’s time (SN.iv.322).

Nālandā was the residence of Sonnadinnā (Vv-a.144). Nigaṇṭha Nātaputta is several times mentioned as staying at Nālandā, which was evidently a centre of activity of the Nigaṇṭhas.

Xuanzang (Beal-Xuan: 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.

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

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

Nālandā 02. 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.