PIPPALA CAVE

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 01/05/2016

Either a modified natural temple cave or man-made 'cave temple' (rock-cut chamber used for religious or troglodyte monastic purposes). Situated on the most north-eastern point of the Vaibhara hill crest, and at a linear distance of about 1 km south-southwest of New Rajgir. Marked on the location map of KURAISHI & GOSH (1959) and indicated with the letter "a" on the map of STRASSER (1991). Literary sources: FAXIAN (ca. 415 for 399-414, translated by J.W. Laidlay from Remusat, Klaproth & Landresse 1848 edited 2000, page 273): »Cavern of the Pi pho lo.« Page 301: »On crossing the southern mountain and proceeding westward three hundred paces, there is a stone building [sic!] called the Grot of Pin pho lo [footnote3 on page 303: … elsewhere written Pi pho lo, and appears to me very plainly the Chinese transcript of Baibhara, In Pali Webharo, the name of the hill in which was situated the Sattapanni cave. J.W. LANDRESSE].« XUANZANG (648 for 629-645, also: Hiouen Thsang; Hiuen Tsiang; Hsüan Chwang; ; Hsuan TsangHsüan Tsang; Huan Chwang; Hwen Thsang; Yuan Chwang; Yuén Chwàng) after: BEAL (1884-1885, edited 1981, vol. 2, book 9, page 156) places Pippala (Pi-po-lo) stone house west of hot springs, recalls that when the »Lord of the World was alive in olden days, he constantly dwelt here« and reports a fabulous tunnel from Pippala Cave to –>Asura's Palace.KÖRÖS (1836, after CUNNINGHAM 1871, page 391 & note 1): »In the Tibean Dulva it is called the "Cave of the Nyagrodha," or Banyan tree (Csoma de Körös in Bengal 'Asiatic Researches,' xx, 91).« CUNNINGHAM (1871 edited 1990: 391): »Ratnagiri is due east, 1.6 km distant from the Son Bhandar Cave [–>Sonbhandar]. This situation corresponds exactly with Fa Hsian's position of the Pippal-tree Cave which Buddha, after his meals, was accustomed to meditate. It is situated at 5 or 6 li (about one mile) to the east of the cave of the first Synod [Sonbhandar]. The hill of Ratnagiri is therefore identical with the Pandao Mountain of the Pali annals … A paved zigzag road now leads from the eastern side of old Rajagriha to a small Jain temple on the top of Ratnagiri …« BURGESS& FERGUSSON (1880, edited1988, pages 49-50 and note) need to be checked. BALFOUR (1885 edited 1968, 3: 344-345): »Ratnagiri [hill] near Rajgir is the one called by Fa Hian… [There is] …Figtree-Cave, where Buddha meditated after his meals, identical with the Rishigiri of the Mahabharata and the Pandao of the Pali Annals« (indicated by Manfred Moser 1998, personal correspondence). BEAL (1884-1885 edited 1981, vol. 2, book 9, page 156, note 53) says FAXIAN (chapter 30) places Pippala Stone House to the south of New Rajgir and about 300 paces to the west. Pippala has been supposed to be the same (?) as –>Sonbhandar. WATTERS (1905 edited 1988, 2: 154) reports a fabulous tunnel connecting Pippala Cave with the likewise fabulous –>Asura Cave and locates Pippala on Vipula or Gridhrakuta hill: »The pilgrim [Yuan Chwang] goes on to tell us … To the west of the Hot Springs was the Pi-po-lo (Pippala) Cave in which the Buddha often lodged. Through the rock at the back of this was a passage into the Asur's Palace in which bikshus [nuns] practising samadhi lodged notwithstanding the strange sights which drove some of them mad. We have then the story of a bikshu and a small female of the Asur's Palace … Our pilgrim's P'i-pu-lo cave is apparently the Pippala or Peepul Cave of other writers. Fa-hsien and the Sung pilgrim visited this cave in the mountain which was evidently the Vipula of our text. In some books, however, the Peepul cave is placed in the Vulture Peak Mountain« or Gidhrakuta. WATTERS (1905 edited 1988, 2: 160), compare –>Kasyapa's Council Cave: »… certain other treatises (Sarvata Vinaya. Tsa-shih, chapter 39; Fu-fa-tsang-yin-yuan-chuan, chapter 1, no. 1340) describe the Council as meeting at the Pippala Cave on the Gridhrakuta and this is probably the Nyagrodha cave of Rockhill's Tibetan authority (Rockhill, 'Life', chapter 5) …« SEIDENSTÜCKER (1920, chap.1, sutta 6 and chap.3, sutta 7, page 29): Rajagaha, Maha-Kassapa resided in Pipphali cave, a vihara, dwelling for monks [indicated by MOSER 1998]. BECKH (1928: 80-81) arrives at a German »Felsen der Zeit am Abhang des Rischiberges [Rock of the time at the scarp of the Rishi's Hill].« KURAISHI (1939etc), revised KURAISHI & GOSH (1958etc: 39-40): »Immediately behind the [Suraj] Kund is a large stone plinth built in the fashion of the stone house of Pippala …« (indicated by Manfred Moser 1998, personal correspondence). BUDDHIST SHRINES… (1956: 46-47) provides a confusing combination of "cave" and "erection" by stating: »A remarkable structure, known as Jarasandha ki Baithak, on the eastern slope of the Vaibhara hill, with irregular cells at the sides is sought [sic! for: thought] to be identical with the residence of Pippala, mentioned in some of the Buddhist texts and in the itinerary of the Chinese Pilgrims. Some of the Pali texts describe the Pippala cave as the residence of Mahakasyapa, the organiser of the first Council. From the cyclopean masonry, analogous to that of the city walls and its bastioned gateway, this erection is, however, more of a military than secular or religious character.« NARAYAN (1983: 103, 105) just mentions »Pipla Stone House of Vaibhar hill.« KOSAMBI (1991, illustration 43) shows a blurred black & white photo of a so-called »Pippala House« consisting of a rectangular stone cairn at Rajgir, commented: »… It represents the pasanaka cetiya… It was a watch tower with a prehistoric natural cave just behind; probably a cult spot too.«