On Yuan Chwang's Travels in India, 629–645 A.D. v2.c17.s1.52

v2.c17.s1.52

The "eight princes" of whom Yuan-chuang makes mention here were the Sakyans named, in one account, Aniruddha, Bhadi (or Bhaddiya), Nandi, Kimbila, Nanda, Upananda, Ānanda, and Devadatta. But this list does not agree with the histories of the disciples given in other works. Upāli, the barber, who left Kapilavastu in attendance on the young "princes" when these went to be ordained, also made up his mind, on the way, to join the Buddha’s Brotherhood. He was ordained before his former masters; and consequently these, on becoming bhikshus, had to reverence Upāli as their senior in religion, a service which some of them were very reluctant to render. There is not perfect agreement as to the place where the ordination of Upāli and the Sakya “princes” occurred, for the Vinaya and some other treatises refer it to Anupiya in the country of the Mallas,¹ while the pilgrims and other authorities represent the ordination as having taken place at Kapilavastu. It was in consequence of an order from king Suddhodana (or from the Sakya Elders) that the 500 young men and the eight “princes” joined the Brotherhood; but the ‘princes’ are, more properly, to be included among the 500.² Every family which had more than two sons, or only two sons, was required by the state decree to send the best son to become a Sakya bhikshu.