Republics in Ancient India, c. 1500 B.C.–500 B.C. c14.32

c14.32

The *Mahāvastu* version⁸ varies from the above account. It reports that the daughter of a Sakyan noble was attacked by leprosy and physicians tried in vain to cure her; sores appeared all over her body, and people began to hate her. She was taken by her brothers, in a palanquin, to a spot in the Himālayas. They there dug out an underground room and left her with sufficient food and water. They blocked up the entrance with wooden planks, and put a large heap of earth in front of it. Then they returned to Kapilavatthu. After living in this stuffy room for some time, she resumed her former beauty, for the heat cured her of leprosy. Now, not far from her cave lived a royal sage named Kola. While wandering about in the vicinity of his hermitage, Kola came to the cave and saw a tiger scratching up the heap of dirt with its feet. His curiosity was aroused. He drove away the tiger, removed the planks and opened the door of the cave, revealing the Sakyan girl. Seeing her exquisite beauty, the sage fell in love with her and took her to his hermitage. Sixteen pairs of twins were born to the couple. They were trained in Sakyan style by their mother, who sent them to Kapilavatthu. These children impressed the Sakyas who were then in session in their assembly-hall. They were given Sakyan girls in marriage, held Sakyan appointments, cultivated their lands and established villages. As the princes were sons of the sage Kola, they were known as Koliyas.