Two supreme sharavakas

The two supreme sharavakas were Buddha Shakyamuni's two foremost disciples:

• Maudgalyayana and
• Shariputra.

They were both born on the same day near Rajagriha, the capital of Magadha, in families with close ties and grew up together. It is through Ashvajit that they first heard of Buddha Shakyamuni's teachings. They both passed away into nirvana one year before the Buddha.

Further Reading

• Philippe Cornu, Manuel de bouddhisme — Philosophie, pratique et histoire. Tome I, Bouddhisme ancien et Theravāda (Editions Rangdröl, 2019), pages 63-64.
• “Kangyur, The Chapter on Going Forth” from The Chapters on Monastic Discipline, Toh 1-1