Republics in Ancient India, c. 1500 B.C.–500 B.C. c13.s3.8

c13.s3.8

According to the tradition, after the seizure of the throne of Kosala by Viḍūḍabha, his father Pasenadi died. It is said that Viḍūḍabha was on bad terms with the Sakyas because they had given his father to wife a slave girl who was the mother of Viḍūḍabha.⁵ According to this story, the destruction of the Sakyas was his first aim. He advanced towards Kapilavatthu with his army three times, but thrice he returned out of regard for the Buddha. But the fourth time he went ahead with his attack because the Buddha did not intervene. "The king Viḍūḍabha slew all the Sakyas, beginning with babes at the breast, and with their hearts' blood did he wash the bench [on which he had sat in the Sakyan assembly] and returned."⁶ This is just the sort of legend that would be concocted in order to bring scorn on the wicked Viḍūḍabha. Moreover, these are the sort of details which would be invented to fit the moral. In our opinion, the only reliable fact is that Viḍūḍabha conquered and absorbed the Sakyas. In view of the fact that the Sakyas claimed a share of the Buddha’s relics it seems likely that this took place some time after the *Parinirvāṇa*. It appears, however, that the story developed among people with considerable knowledge of the district, since it contains several circumstantial topographical details, and we have therefore made use of it for establishing the Sakyan boundaries.