Republics in Ancient India, c. 1500 B.C.–500 B.C. c9.s1.12

c9.s1.12

Although the word Licchavi occurs in no less than four forms, the majority of scholars have accepted *Licchavi* as standard on the authority of the Pāli Canon, the *Divyāvadāna* and the Gupta inscriptions.⁷ Trusting the same sources and the previous authorities, we also accept the standard form *Licchavi*. In order to establish the derivation of the term, Buddhaghosa gives a particular legend about the origin of the Licchavis. Briefly, the story tells how the Queen of Banaras brought forth a lump of flesh instead of a normal baby, which she then hurried to lose in the currents of the Ganges. A hermit caught the basket and looked after the lump. Within six weeks it developed into a boy “yellow like gold,” and a girl “white as silver.” By the strength of his compassion and the warmth of his affection, the fingers of the hermit were changed into breasts. From them milk passed into the babies like a “clear nectar into a Maṇi jewel.” Since both inside and out the brilliance ⁸ of their skins was the same, the hermit gave the children the name of *Licchavi*. Buddhaghosa mentions other possible interpretations of the name as meaning “thin-skin” (*Līna-chavī*) or even as “in the same skin” or with “no-skin” (*Ni-cchavī*), in connexion with these two children.⁹ These interpretations may be a metaphorical exaggeration implying very fair complexion. If taken literally they do not make sense—can there be children with no skin?