Dakkhinagiri
Dakkhinagiri (v.l. Dakkhinagiri)
A janapada (district) in India, the capital of which was Ujjeni, and over which Asoka ruled as Viceroy.
It also contained the city of Vedisa (Sp.i.70; Mhv.xiii.5).
Dakkhinagiri lay to the south of Rajagaha, beyond the hills that surrounded the city - hence its name (SNA.i.136; MA.ii.795; SA.i.188). In the district was the brahmin village of Ekanala (SN., p.13).
The road from Savatthi to Rajagaha lay through Dakkhinagiri, and the Buddha traversed it in the course of his periodical tours through Magadha, residing in the Dakkhinagiri vihara in Ekanala (S.i.172; SA.ii.133; Vin.i.80).
It was during one of these tours that he converted Kasi Bharadvaja and Dhammasava (q.v.) and his father.
On another of these occasions the Buddha saw the Magadhakhetta, which gave him the idea of designing the robe of a monk to resemble a field (Vin.i.287).
Ananda is also said to have travelled through Dakkhinagiri, gathering a large number of young men into the Order, who, however, do not appear to have been very serious in their intentions, as their behaviour earned for Ananda the censure of Maha Kassapa (S.ii.217f).
Later, we find Punna with a large following in Dakkhinagiri refusing to join in the findings of the Rajagaha Council, and preferring to follow the Dhamma according to his own lights (Vin.ii.289).
Dakkhinagiri was the residence of Nandamata of Velukantaka and she was visited both by Sariputta and by Moggallana during a tour in the district (A.iv.64).
In Dakkhinagiri, Sariputta heard of the lack of zeal of Dhananjani (M.ii.185; see J.i.224 for another incident connected with Sariputtas tour).
The Aramadusa Jataka (q.v.) was preached in Dakkhinagiri.
The Dakkhinagiri vihara was, for a long time, a great monastic centre, and at the foundation of the Maha Thupa there were present from there forty thousand monks led by Maha Sangharakkhita. Mhv.xxix.35.
1. Dakkhinagiri vihara - See Dakkhinagiri.
2. Dakkhinagiri vihara - A monastery built by Saddhatissa in Ceylon (Mhv.xxxiii.7).
It was restored by Dhatusena (Cv.xxxviii.46), and Kassapa V. granted a village for its maintenance (Cv.lii.60).
It is probably identical with the Dakkhinagiridalha vihara, in which Aggabodhi I. erected an assembly hall (Cv.xlii.27).
It has sometimes been identified with the present Mulkirigala vihara (Cv.Trs.i.33, n.3).
