Bahuputta , Bahuputtaka cetiya

A shrine in the neighbourhood of Vesāli, to the north of that city (D.iii.9). The Buddha is said to have stayed there (D.ii.118;, Ud.vi.1; S.v.259). It was a pre Buddhist shrine and, according to the Commentaries (E.g., UdA.323; SA.ii.128, etc.), was a many branched nigrodha tree where persons prayed for sons to the deva of the tree. Hence its name.

Mahā Kassapa says that while yet a "learner" he paid homage to the Buddha at a Bahuputtaka-nigrodha where the Buddha had gone to meet him. The Buddha taught him of the training to be followed and, profiting by the lesson, eight days later Mahā Kassapa became an arahant. This nigrodha, however, was on the road from Rājagaha to Nālandā and was three leagues from Rājagaha*. It cannot, therefore, have been identical with the tree, which gave its name to the Bahuputta cetiya.

* S.ii.220; see Mahā Kassapa. It was here that the Buddha exchanged his robe for that of Kassapa, SA.ii.128; ThagA.ii.145; AA.i.102; Mtu.iii.50.

Dictionary of Pali Proper Names, G P Malalasekera (1899-1973), which is available as printed version from