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THE LICCHAVIS
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All this bespeaks a prosperous people, and it might be expected that they would be given to luxury and indolence. But this was not their character at the time when the Buddha lived and preached among them. The Samyutta Nikāya preserves this saying, which is attributed to the Buddha: 'Look ye Bhikkhus here, how these Licchavis live sleeping with logs of wood as pillows, strenuous and diligent (appamattā), zealous and active (ātāpino) in archery. Ajātasattu Vedehiputto, the Magadhan king, can find no defect in them, nor can he discover any cause of action (against them). Should the Licchavis, O Bhikkhus, in the time to come, be very delicate, tender and soft in their arms and legs, should they sleep in ease and comfort on cushions of the finest cotton until the sun is up in the heavens, then the Magadhan king, Ajātasattu Vedehiputto, will find defects and will discover cause of action.’i This testimony of the Buddha goes to show that the Licchavis were hardy and active, ardent and strenuous in their military training.
The Licchavis used to kill animals on the 8th, 14th and 15th day of the lunar months and eat their flesh.2
They were fond of manly pastimes such as elephant training and hunting. Among the Psalms of the Brethren (Theragāthā), we find one composed by Vajjiputtaka, the son of a Licchavirājā at Vaiśālī, who, in his early life, was engaged in training elephants.3 The Anguttara Nikāya narrates how a large number of Licchavi youths, armed with bows, ready with strings, set and surrounded by a pack of hounds, were roving about in the Mahāvana, but finding the Buddha seated at the foot of a tree in the forest, threw away their bows and arrows and sending away the pack of hounds sat by the Great Teacher, subdued by his presence. A Licchavi of advanced years, named Mahānāma, who came to pay his respects to the Buddha, expressed his great wonder at the sight of the Licchavi youths, full of life and vivacity, notorious for their insolent and wanton conduct in the city, thus sitting silent and demure, in an attitude of reverence before the Great Teacher. The Licchavi youths, O Lord!' he goes on, ‘are rude and rough and whatever presents are sent to the families, sugarcane or plums, cakes, sweetmeats or preparations of sugar, these they plunder and eat up, throw dust at the ladies of respectable families and girls of good families; such young men are now all silent and demure, are doing obeisance with joined palms to yourself, O Lord.''
1 Samyutta Nikāya (P.T.S.), Pt. II, pp. 267-8. 2 Divyāvadāna (Cowell and Neil), p. 136. 3 Psalms of the Brethren, Mrs. Rhys Davids, p. 106; Theragāthā, V, 119. 4 Anguttara Nikāya (P.T.S.), Pt. III, p. 76.
