Dictionary of Pali Proper Names v1.c12.3446

v1.c12.3446

**Kosambī.**—The capital of the **Vatsas** or **Vaṃsas**.¹ In the time of the Buddha its king was **Parantapa**, and after him reigned his son **Udena** (*q.v.*).² **Kosambī** was evidently a city of great importance at the time of the Buddha for we find **Ānanda** mentioning it as one of the places suitable for the Buddha's *Parinibbāna*.³ It was also the most important halt for traffic coming to **Kosala** and **Magadha** from the south and the west.⁴ The city was thirty leagues by river from **Benares**,⁵ and the usual route from **Rājagaha** to **Kosambī** was up the river,⁶ though there seems to have been a land route passing through **Anupiya** and **Kosambī** to **Rājagaha**.⁷ In the *Sutta Nipāta*⁸ the whole route is given from **Mahissati** to **Rājagaha**, passing through **Kosambī**, the halting-places mentioned being **Ujjeni**, **Gonaddha**, **Vedisa**, **Vanasavhya**, **Kosambī**, **Sāketa**, **Sāvatthi**, **Setavyā**, **Kapilavatthu**, **Kusinārā**, **Pāvā**, **Bhoganagara** and **Vesālī**.