266 Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal. [N.S., XVII, 
This proves that the Licchavis were a for we know that 
men of Vasistha’s gotra are Ksatri It is mentioned in the 
| Mahdparinibbéna Sutta of the Dighanikaya ! that the Licchavis 
claimed a portion of the relic of the august body of the Buddha 
as they were his castemen. It is stated there: ‘ Bhagava pi khat- 
nye, mayam pi khattiya’”’ (The Blessed one is a Ksatriya, so are 
we.) From these two instances, we can safely come to the conclus- 
icn that the Licchavis were Ksatriy as. rea = also po crigareiets 
it. e chief Queen of Benares became pregnant and was 
delivered of a lump of flesh. To avoid a scandal, she placed 
it in a pot and threw it into the Ganges, the pot drifting with 
the current. Gods took it and wrote on it that it contained 
the son of the chief Queen of Benares. A hermit found the 
pot and kept it with him. From _— biped of flesh children 
were born and they were kno the Licchavis.’ This 
mythical account has very little hina value of its own. 
e term Licchavi or Lecchavi, ory: works point 
out that by it we understand ‘Skin-thin’ ‘same skin,’ 
‘Chavi’ here means ‘skin’.6 Buddhaghosa in his Para- 
matthajotika on the Khuddaka Pdtha® splits it up into Lina- 
id vi=Licchavi=Nicchavi. He says that things in their 
mach appear to be attached to their Chavi or skin and hence 
they are called Liccha vis. (“Sibbetva thapita viya nesam 
aifamafifiam lina ahosi’ 
oung Licchavis of Vaisali were a free, wild set, very 
handsome and full of life. They dressed well and drove fast 
carriages.’ Once Buddha with the Bhikkhus went out in search 
ofalms. He addressed his followers when he saw the Licchavis 
on his way, ‘‘ Look at the Licchavis, those who have not seen 
the Tavatimsa gods, let them look at these Licchavis.1 We 
know ie the Tavatimsa gods were very beautiful. 
s stated in the Dulva® that there were continuous 
festivities among the piochayis: Of them Chana and Sabbar- 
attivaro t important. At the Sabbarattivaro 
or Sabbaratticaro festival, songs were sung, trumpets, drums 
! Dighanikdya (P.T.S), Vol. IT, p. 
2 Kalpa Sitra (Jacobi), Verse of 286, 8.B.E., Vol XXII. 
Paramatthajotikd (P.T.S.), p 8 Bo 
Watters’ Yuan Chuwang, vor I 
P. aramatthajotika on Khuddaka- pay ( p. T.S. ), pp. 158-165. 
Watters’ Bn Saspine 5 Vol. II, B 79. 
Mahavastu, ed. Senart Vol. I, p. 262 
Buddhist aio: (S. BE .) Vol. XI, p . ah 
The Life of the Buddha by Rockhill, a. 63, 
con a OT Sf te 
