Ujjenī untranslated

Ujjenī 01. The capital of Avanti. In the Buddha’s time, Caṇḍappajjota (Vin.i.276; Dhp­a.i.192) was king of Ujjenī and there was friendly intercourse between that city and Magadha, whose king was Seniya Bimbisāra. After Bimbisāra’s death, however, Pajjota seems to have contemplated a war against Ajātasattu. See MN.iii.7.

There was an old trade-route from Ujjenī to Benares and the merchants of the two cities showed healthy rivalry not only in trade, but also in matters of culture. See, e.g., Ja.ii.248ff., where the merchants of Benares compare their musician Guttila with Mūsila, the chief fiddler of Ujjenī.

It was while going with a caravan to Ujjenī, that Soṇa Kuṭikaṇṇa (4) met the Peta, whose words made him decide to renounce household life (Ud­a.307f).

The road taken by Bāvarī’s disciples ran through Ujjenī (Sn.vs.1011).

Ujjenī was also the birthplace of Mahā Kaccāna (Thag­a.i.483), of Isidāsī (Thīg.v.405), of Abhaya (Thag­a.41) and of the courtesan Padumavatī, mother of Abhayā (Thīg­a.39).

Before succeeding to his father’s throne at Pāṭaliputta, Asoka reigned for several years as Viceroy at Ujjenī, and it was during this period that Mahinda and Saṅghamittā were born (Mhv.xiii.10ff; Mbv.99; Vin-a.i.70).

Mahinda spent six months in Dakkhiṇagirivihāra in Ujjenī, prior to his visit to Ceylon (Mhv.xiii.5).

From the same vihāra forty thousand monks were present, under the leadership of Mahā Saṅgharakkhita, at the foundation of the Mahā Thūpa in Anurādhapura (Mhv.xxix.35).

The Jātakas speak of Ujjenī as having been the capital of Avanti from very ancient times, e.g., in Ja.iv.390, where Avanti Mahā Rāja rules in Ujjenī as capital of Avanti. But in the Mahā Govindasutta (DN.ii.235), Māhissatī is mentioned as the capital of Avanti. Perhaps Māhissatī lost its importance later and gave place to Ujjenī, for we find Māhissatī mentioned just before Ujjenī among the places passed by Bāvarī’s pupils on their way to Sāvatthī (Sn.vs.1011).

Ujjenī is identical with the Greek Ozene, about 77° E. and 23° n.(Buddhist India, p.40; see also CAGI.560, and Beal-Xuan.ii.270 for Xuanzang’s description of it).

Ujjenī 02. A city in Ceylon, founded by Vijaya’s minister Accutagāmī (Dpv.ix.36; Mhv.vii.45).

Ujjenī 03. A township (nigama), the residence of the banker’s daughter Rucinandā, who gave a meal of milk-rice to Padumuttara Buddha just before his Awakening (Bv­a.158).