Republics in Ancient India, c. 1500 B.C.–500 B.C. c10.s7.4

c10.s7.4

Vesālī afforded political asylum for the victims of other states as Vassakāra, Khaṇḍa and Sakala successfully sought refuge as well as public offices there.¹ That Vesāli was also a centre of attraction to its neighbours is clearly manifested in the desire of Bandhula's wife to have a drink and bath in the Licchavian *Pokkharaṇī*.² A later tradition, preserved in the Tibetan *Dulva*, tells us that "Sakala (Dum-bu), a minister of king Virūḍhaka of Videha, had been obliged to flee from his country on account of the jealousy of the other ministers. So he went to Vaiśālī together with his two sons, Gopāla (Sa-Skyong) and Siṁha (Seng-ge). Sakala soon became a prominent citizen in Vaiśālī, and after awhile he was elected Nāyaka. His two sons married at Vaiśālī, and Siṁha had a daughter whom they called Vāsavi (Gos-chan). She was later to be the queen consort of Bimbisāra".³ This tradition wrongly makes Virūḍhaka (probably Viḍūḍabha of Kosala) the king of Videha, but the story unmistakably shows that Videhan politicians were moving to Vesāli, settling there, and obtaining high public posts.