Vol. X, No. 9.] Notes on Ancient Anga. 345 



[X.S.] 



grown in Campa by Sona, 1 a rich nobleman of that place, who 

 from the description appears to be no other than Sona Kolivisa, 

 the reputed author of one of the Theragathas,* whereas Hiuen 

 Tsiang says that the rice was grown by Srutavimsatikoti, a 

 rich householder of Hiranya-parvata or Monghir. 8 The story 

 related by Hiuen Tsiang is almost the same as related in the 

 Avadana-Kalpalata, the only difference being in the name 

 which is mentioned as SronakotiviihSa in the latter work in- 

 stead of SrutavimSakoti, and also in the locality in which he 

 lived, which is mentioned there as Campa instead of Monghir. 

 and it should be observed that Sona is the Pali form of Srona 

 aa the nobleman was called. 4 Bimbisara is said to have visited 

 Sona at Campa, and Mudgaliputra or Maudgalyayana, the 

 celebrated disciple of Buddha, himself came to Anga to procure 

 the rice for the sage when the latter was ill. 



From the Buddhist works we get a glimpse of the reli- 



Religion gious practices followed by the people 



of Anga at and before the time of 

 Buddha's attaining Buddhahood. The stories of the Jatila 

 Uravela Kassapa and the Brahmin Kutadanta clearly prove 

 that the people performed the Vedic rites and sacrifices and 

 followed the four Asrama systems as laid down in the Grihya- 

 sutras. We find that those who adopted the Banaprastha 

 system, that is, the Jatilas or Rsis with matted hair on the 

 head, kept up the sacred fire in the fire-room, performed the 

 Astaka festivals as laid down in the Grhya sutras, celebrated 

 the Agnihotra sacrifice and recited the mantras at sacrifices. 6 

 Rich householders also performed the Vedic sacrifices. 6 The 

 people of Anga also followed the religious practices that 

 prevailed at the time, and it is related that they went with 

 the people of Magadha with customary offerings to help the 

 Jatila Uravela Kassapa in performing a Vedic sacrifice ; and 

 it is mentioned in the Ubbai Sutta that Banaprastha ascetics 



lived on the banks of the Ganges at Campa. 7 In most part 

 of Anga, Brahminism gave way to Jainism by the powerful 

 influence of Mahavira himself who was related to the royal 

 house of Magadha, Bimbisara and Ajatasatru being his early 

 disciples ; and the hold that he obtained upon the people was 

 kept alive by the revival of the memory and worship of 

 Basupujya, the twelfth Tirthankara, at Campa, the capital, 

 where he lived and died. But the superior genius of Buddha, 

 who personally visited Anga and made frequent excursions to 

 Campa, 8 served to a great extent to establish his system and 



1 Hardy : M.B., 254. * Mvg.< v, 1. 



S Beal : Records, ii, x. * Ch. 27, vs. 3, 6 ; Rockhill, 72 



* Mvg., i, 15, 20, 22. 6 Kutadanta Sutta. 



T " T^ «*i£<0«T mirror mw iwfwr ; " 



3 Mvg. 9 vi, 34 : Rockhill, 70. 



