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TRIBES IN ANCIENT INDIA
Avanti was one of the most flourishing kingdoms of ancient India, mentioned in the Anguttara Nikāya as one of the sixteen 'mahājanapadas' of Jambudvīpa. From the first, Avanti became an important centre of the new doctrine which we now call Buddhism. and may have been the scene of elaboration of Pāli, the sacred language of the Buddhists.2 Several of the most earnest adherents of the Dhamma were either born or resided there: Abhaya Kumāra, Isidāsī,4 Isidatta, Dhammapāla,Sona Kuţikaņņa,and especially Mahākaccāyana.8
Many are the stories that are told of Mahākaccāyana. He was born at Ujjayinī in the family of the chaplain of King Caņdapajjota. He learnt the three Vedas, and, on his father's death, succeeded him in the chaplainship. Subsequently, both Mahākaccāyana and the king his master were converted by the Buddha, and Mahākaccāyana devoted himself to furthering the Dhamma in his native province. One of his most celebrated converts was Sono Kuţikaņņo (so called because he used to wear ear-jewellery worth a crore). Kuţikanno, the son of a wealthy councillor of Avanti, became a land-owner, but asked Mahākaccāyana to ordain him, after hearing him preach.10 Isidatta was another of Mahākaccāyana's converts. He was born at Veļugāma as the son of a guide to caravans. 11
Dhammapāla, a Brahman's son of the country of Avanti, was also one of the early converts to the new faith. When he was returning from the university of Takşaśīlā after completing his education, he met a thera, heard the Dhamma from him, left the world and acquired six-fold abhiññā.12
When the first Great Council of the disciples of the Buddha was held after his parinibbāna, to compile his teachings, Yasa sent messengers to the bhikkhus of Avanti inviting them to attend and help to perform the task.13 This shows that at that time
1 Arguttara Nikāya, Vol. IV, pp. 252, 256, 261. 2 Eliot, Hinduism and Buddhism, Vol. I, p. 282. 3 Theragāthā Commentary, 39.
4 Therīgāthā Commentary, 261-4. 5 Theragāthā, 120.
6 Ibid., 204. 7 Vinaya Texts, II, 32; Theragāthā, 369; Udāna, V, 6.
8 Samyutta Nikaya, III, p. 9; IV, I7; Aiguttara Nikāya, I, p. 23; V, 40, Majjhima Nikaya, III, I94, 223.
9 Psalms of the Brethren, pp. 238-9; also (for further stories of Mahākaccāyana) Anguttara Nikāya, V, pp. 46-7; Samyutta Nikāya, III, pp. 9ff.; ibid., Vol. IV, PP. 11516, Dhammapada Commentary, Vol. II, pp. 176-7.
10 Dhammapada Commentary, Vol. IV, p. 101; cf. also Vinaya Texts, S.B.E. Pt. II, pp. 32ff.; Psalms of the Brethren, pp. 202-3.
11 Psalms of the Brethren, p. 107; Samyutta Nikāya, IV, pp. 285-8. 12 Psalms of the Brethren, p. 149. 18 Vinaya Texts, Pt. III, p. 394; cf. Geiger, Mahāvamsa, Tr., p. 21.
