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Title: Mrigadava
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Site: Sarnath, near Varanasi, India
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Iconography/Iconology: The mrigadava , "deer park," is the place of the first teaching or the First Sermon by Sakyamuni Buddha. Originally, it had been a game reserve for the royal families of Varanasi. The name, itself, means "place of game animals," with "mriga" literally meaning, "those who are afraid to die." The symbolism of the place then becomes significant to the Buddhist teachings, because, in essence, the Buddha taught how to overcome the fear of death.
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