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Verañjā

At that time there was a famine, and five hundred householders of Uttarāpaṭha, staying at Verañjā, supplied the monks with food. Moggallāna proposed to get food by the exercise of his magic power or by going with the monks to Uttarakuru, but he was dissuaded by the Buddha. During this stay Sāriputta received from the Buddha an explanation as to why the religious systems of the three previous Buddhas lasted so long, while those of the three preceding them — Vipassī, Sikhī and Vesabhū — did not.

At the conclusion of the Rains Retreat (vassa), the Buddha wished to take leave of Verañja before setting out, as was the custom of Buddhas when they received hospitality. Verañja admitted that, though he had invited the Buddha, he had not kept his promise, and this was due to his having too many duties in the house. The Commentators add that Verañja forgot his invitation because Māra, being in a spiteful mood, had taken possession of him and of all the inhabitants of Verañja (Sp.i.178 L; DhA.ii.153; cf. J.iii.494).

He invited the Buddha and the monks to a meal the next day, and, at the end of the meal, presented a set of three robes to the Buddha and a pair to each of the monks.

After leaving Verañjā the Buddha went to Benares, passing through Soreyya, Saṅkassa and Kaṇṇakujja, and crossing the Ganges at Payāgapatiṭṭhāna. From Benares he proceeded to Vesāli. This account, of the Buddha’s visit to Verañja, forms the introduction to the Vinaya and is found at Vin.iii.1 11. The interview with Verañja is given at A.iv.172ff. The road taken by the Buddha from Verañjā to Benares was, according to Buddhaghosa (Sp.i.201), the shortest, and the Buddha knew the monks were tired after their experiences in Verañjā. Soon after, he appears to have visited Kapilavatthu. There he was visited by Mahānāma, the Sākyan, who asked permission to entertain him and the monks for four months that they might recover their strength. At the end of the four months he renewed his request, and thus looked after the monks for a whole year. It was this act that won for him the title of foremost in superior offerings (aggo paṇītadāyakānaṃ) (A.A.i.213).

It is said (SNA.i.154; Mil. 232) that the devas put flavour (ojā) into every mouthful of food taken by the Buddha at Verañjā. According to the Apadāna (Ap.i.301; ApA.i.103f.; cf. UdA.265), the Bodhisatta was born of a noble house in the time of Phussa Buddha, and, once, seeing the monks eating good food, he had reviled them and asked them to eat oats (yava).¹ It was for this reason the Buddha was condemned to eat oats during three months at Verañjā.

A road led from Verañjā to Madhurā, and the Aṅguttara Nikāya (A.ii.57f) contains a discourse taught by the Buddha to a large number of people while he rested by the roadside. There was evidently frequent intercourse between Sāvatthi and Verañjā, and the Verañjaka Sutta (q.v.) (M.i.290) was taught some brahmins who visited the Buddha at Sāvatthi, whither they had gone on business. The books also record (A.iv.198f ) a visit paid by the Asura Pahārāda to the Buddha at Verañjā. The Vālodaka Jātaka (q.v.) and the Cūḷasuka Jātaka (q.v.) were taught soon after the Buddha’s return from Verañjā.

Dictionary of Pāli Proper Names • G.P. Malalasekera