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BIRTH
BHAGAVĀNA MAHĀVĪRA
The capital of the Licchavī republic of the Vajji Union was Vaiśālī. It was the most powerful republic of the Union. The chief of the republic was king Ceṭaka. Her elder daughter, Trisalā or Priyakāriṇī, was married to king Siddhartha. The name of his sevenstorey palace was Nandyāvarta. Mother Trisala gave birth to Bhagavana Mahāvīra on Caitra śukla thirteenth.
VAISĀLĪ
Vaiśāli was a republic. It was called the Vajji Union or the Union of Licchavi Republics. This Union combined the Vajji Union of Videh and the Licchavi Union of Vaiśālī. After a treaty between the two unions the chief of the Videha republic was elected the president of this union and Vaiśālī became the capital. This union comprised of nine republics of eight clans. All these were sub-clans of the Licchavi clan. Largest among them was the Jñātravaṁśa clan, others being Bhogavaṁśa, Ikśvākuvaṁśa, Kauravavaṁśa, Licchavivamsa, Ugravamsa, Videhakula, and Vajjikula (Vṛjakula). As they all belonged to the main Licchavi clan they remained organized. In this Union no other people but the members of these eight clans had the ruling rights. Only these Licchavī clans elected the members of the governing body and every member of this body was called a king. When a new king was elected he was anointed with due celebrations in a river called Abhiseka or Mangala Puşkariņī. No one except a Licchavī was allowed to bathe in this river. It was covered by an iron grill and was protected by armed guards.
Vaiśālī had three districts
Vaiśālī, Kuṇḍagrāma, and Vanijyagrāma. They were located in southeast, northeast, and west directions. Kuṇḍagrāma or Kuṇḍapura had two parts Ksatriya Kundapura and Brāhmaṇa Kundapura. The former was largely populated with ksatriyas and the latter with Brahmins. In Vanijyagrāma mostly trading communities lived.
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