Śrāvastī

Śrāvastī was one of the great ancient cities of northern Kosala, in the region of present-day Uttar Pradesh near the Nepal border. The Mahābhārata says the Ikshvāku king Śrāvasta built it and gave it his name. The Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa says Rāma made his son Lava king of northern Kosala, with Śrāvastī as his capital.

Foundation in the Mahābhārata

In the Vana Parva, in the Dhundhumāra Upākhyāna, Mārkaṇḍeya Maharshi gives the line of the Ikshvāku kings. It runs as follows.

  1. Ikshvāku
  2. Śaśāda
  3. Kakutstha
  4. Anenī
  5. Pṛthu
  6. Viśvagaśva
  7. Adri
  8. Yuvanāśva
  9. Śrāva
  10. Śrāvasta
  11. Bṛhadaśva
  12. Kuvalāśva

Śrāvasta was the son of King Śrāva and the father of the famous Bṛhadaśva. He founded the city and named it Śrāvastīpurī after himself. So the city began as a foundation of the Ikshvāku kings of the Solar dynasty. Śrāvastī was the royal city of his line in the generations before Bṛhadaśva and Kuvalāśva. The Mahābhārata tells this in the Vana Parva, Chapters 201–204.

Śrāvastī in the Uttara Kāṇḍa

Rāma got ready for his mahāprasthāna (great final journey) and arranged who would rule after him. He made his twin sons kings in their own capitals. Lava became king of northern Kosala, with Śrāvastī as his capital. Kuśa received the southern part, with Kuśāvatī. In this way the Ikshvāku line went on through both sons. The Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa tells this in the Uttara Kāṇḍa, Chapter 106.

Location

Śrāvastī lay in northern Kosala, in the area that is now part of Uttar Pradesh near the Nepal border. It stood on the banks of the Aciravatī river, which is also called the Rāpti.

Later importance

In the Dvāpara age and the ages after it, Śrāvastī grew into one of the major cities of northern India. It was tied to the Ikshvāku line through the descendants of Lava. Later it became one of the most sacred places in Buddhist tradition. The Buddha spent many rainy seasons there and gave many discourses. Jetavana (Jeta’s grove) in Śrāvastī was the main place of his teaching.

Sources

  • Mahābhārata, Vana Parva, Chapters 201–204 (the Dhundhumāra Upākhyāna)
  • Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa, Uttara Kāṇḍa, Chapter 106