Tribes in Ancient India c50.366

c50.366

The Dāṭhāvamsa contains a long story concerning King Pāṇḍu of Pāṭaliputra, the heretical Nigaṇṭhas, and King Guhasīva, a vassal of Pāṇḍu. In brief, the Nigaṇṭhas went to Pāṇḍu to complain that Guhasīva worshipped the tooth-relic of the Buddha, instead of Pāṇḍu’s gods Brahmā, Śiva and the rest. Pāṇḍu, angered, sent a subordinate king called Cittayāna to arrest and bring Guhasīva to him with the tooth-relic. However, Cittayāna was converted by Guhasīva to be a follower of the Buddha, and together they went to Pāṭaliputra, where a series of miracles ensued, as every effort made by Pāṇḍu to destroy the relic failed. Finally, King Pāṇḍu was convinced of the relic’s miraculous properties, and gave up his false belief.⁷