Tribes in Ancient India c33.158

c33.158

The records of the influence of religion over Vatsa and Kauśāmbī prior to the introduction of Buddhism and Jainism are few and far between. The people were supposed to have been preoccupied with worldly thoughts, but we read even in the *Brāhmaṇas* of hermits such as Proti Kausurubindi who had considerable influence. The main supporters of such hermits were the bankers of Kauśāmbī, all of whom were members of the Vaiśya caste.⁸ The introduction of Buddhism, too, was due to the religious tendencies of persons belonging to this caste, as we have seen from the story of the bankers Ghosita, Kukkuṭa, and Pāvārika. According to the Buddhist tradition in the Tibetan *Dulva*, the Buddha visited Kauśāmbī when King Udayana was busy planning a military expedition to the city of Kanakavati. The appearance of the messenger of peace was naturally looked upon and dreaded as the appearance of a bad omen.¹ It was evidently not easy to convert Udayana and members of the royal family to the new faith. There seems to be some truth in the Buddhist legends that the devotion of Queen Sāmāvatī and her attendants, and the martyrdom suffered by them, were greatly instrumental in bringing about a change of heart in Udayana and making him a supporter of Buddhism.² Here again the banker Ghosita is indirectly concerned, for Sāmāvatī was brought up with his family.