Republics in Ancient India, c. 1500 B.C.–500 B.C. c13.s1.26

c13.s1.26

More suggestive is the *Dhamma-Cetiya-Sutta* ⁴ which describes a chariot journey of the Kosalan King Pasenadi on his way to greet the Buddha. The *Sutta* begins, "Once when the Lord was staying in the Sakyan country, at Medataḷumpa which was one of their [Sakyan] townships, Pasenadi, the King of Kosala was at Nangaraka ... and asked [Digha Kārāyana] where the Lord was then staying. Being told that he was at Medataḷumpa, the Sakyan township, the King asked how far away it was. It was not far—only some three leagues ... "⁵ "He urged his charioteer to take him to the Sakyan Medataḷumpa where the Buddha was then sojourning. Pasenadi reached that place and praised the Buddha for his absolute control of his audience while the king himself was repeatedly interrupted while trying the cases as the supreme judge . . .”.¹ If the Sakyan territory were under Pasenadi’s control, the Buddha would probably not have been mentioned as being “in Sakyan country,” or “at one of the Sakyan townships, Medataḷumpa”.