Upavatta (Upavattana)
The sÄla-grove of the Mallas of KusinÄra, on the further side of the HiraññavatÄ«. This was the last resting-place of the Buddha on his last tour, and here he passed away, lying on a bed placed between two sÄla trees (D.ii.137ff; Dpv.xv.70).
Here Subhadda visited the Buddha in the earlier part of the last night of his life, was converted and gained admission into the Order, afterwards winning Arahantship. (See also DhA.iii.377). It was here, too, that the Buddha asked the monks if they had any doubts they wished to hear solved regarding the Buddha, the Dhamma and the Saá¹…gha, the path and the practice (paá¹ipadÄ), or any questions they wished to ask (A.ii.79), and here he gave his last admonition to the monks (S.i.157; see also Ud.37f). Ä€nanda tried to persuade him to die in a place of greater importance, and the Buddha, in order to disabuse his mind, taught him the MahÄ Sudassana Sutta (D.ii.169f).
Buddhaghosa says (DA.ii.572f) that the road to the sÄla-grove from the HiraññavatÄ« led from the further bank of the river, like the road from the KadambanadÄ« to the ThÅ«pÄrÄma in AnurÄdhapura which led through the RÄjamÄtu-vihÄra. The row of sÄla-trees stretched from south to east and then continued to the north (“like the chief street in AnurÄdhapuraâ€). Hence the name Upavattana. The grove was to the southwest of KusinÄra. UdA.238.
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