Tribes in Ancient India c33.77

c33.77

From the earliest times, the Vatsas, as the Aitareya Brāhmaṇa clearly attests, established a monarchical form of government in their land. They formally anointed their kings in accordance with the prescribed Vedic rites, and they are not known to have deviated from this practice at any period of their history. Ordeal by walking through fire was applied as a test of purity of descent of the kings.⁶ Capital punishment by impaling on a stake was inflicted on a culprit even for a light offence, as illustrated by the Jātaka story of ‘Maṇḍavya with the Peg’. When King Kosambika ruled over Kosambī in the kingdom of Vatsa, a robber committed a theft and, being chased, left the stolen goods near the door of an ascetic named Maṇḍavya, and himself escaped. When the owner of the property came there, he took the ascetic to be the robber, and brought him before the king. The king without enquiry said, ‘Off with him, impale him upon a stake’. Stakes of acacia and nimb wood did not pierce him, so concluding that the ascetic was innocent, the king ordered the stake to be drawn out. This was found to be impossible, however, so at Maṇḍavya’s suggestion the stake was cut off with the skin. Thenceforward he was called Maṇḍavya with the Peg. The king asked his pardon and settled him in the royal park.¹