The Social Organisation in North-East India in Buddha's Time c11.28

c11.28

¹ The meaning of the passage in question is, according to the English translation given by G. Turnour in the "Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal" Vol. 7, Part 2, 1838, p. 993, Note, this: When in ancient times a criminal was brought before the rulers of the Vajjis (i.e., the Licchavis), they made him over at first to the vinicchaya-mahâmattas. These then tried him and if they were convinced that he was innocent, set him free. If they, on the other hand, held that he was guilty, they made him over to the vohârikas, without pronouncing any sentence. The latter examined the matter and set him free in case he was innocent; if, on the contrary, he was guilty, they took him to the suttadhâras (probably, they should be called suttadharas, "knowers of the Sutta, the law") who proceeded in the same way with him. From there he was taken to the aṭṭhakûlakas (probably, aṭṭhakulakas, by which, according to Lassen's supposition, a court consisting of eight heads of families is to be understood) who in their turn left the decision to the senâpati; from there, the accused was made over to the uparâjan and from him to the râjan. The latter then investigated the case and set the accused, if he held him innocent, at last free; if he, however, found him guilty he pronounced the judgment in accordance with the paveṇipotthaka, the "book of customs"—Cf. also Lassen, Indische Alterthumskunde, 2nd Edn., Vol. 2, p. 86 sq.