Historical Geography of Ancient India c5.s5.102

c5.s5.102

Kośala.—Kośala, during the time of early Buddhism, was an important kingdom. The ancient Kośala kingdom was divided into two divisions, the river Sarayū serving as the wedge between the two: that to the north was called the Uttarakośala and the one to the south was called Dakṣiṇa Kośala. (R. L. Mitra, N.B.L., p. 20.) The Buddha spent much of his time at Śrāvastī, the capital of Kośala. He delivered a series of sermons at Sālā, a brahmin village of Kośala, and the brahmin householders were converted to the new faith (Majjhima, I, 285ff.). The brahmins of Nagaravinda, another brahmin village of Kośala, were also converted by the Master (Majjhima, III, 290ff.). The brahmin householders of the brahmin village of Veṇāgapura also accepted the Master's creed (Aṅg., I, 180ff.). A famous Kosalan teacher named Bāvarī built a hermitage on the bank of the river Godāvarī in the kingdom of Assaka. He went to the Buddha who was then in Kośala with another brahmin to have his dispute settled by the Master (Suttanipāta, 190-192).