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2 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES
I
- Of the kingdoms then in existence, Kosala was a powerful kingdom. So was the kingdom of Magadha. Pasanedi, King of Kosala and Bimbisara, King of Magadha, were the contemporaries of Siddharth Gautama.
§ 2. His Ancestry
The capital of the Sakyas was the city called Kapilavatsu, perhaps after the name of the great Rationalist Kapila.
There lived in Kapilavastu a Sakya by name Jaya Sena. Sinahu was his son. Sinahu was married to Kaccana. Sinahu had five sons, Suddhodana, Dhotodana, Sakkodana, Suklodana and Amitodana. Besides five sons, Sinahu had two daughters, Amita and Pamita.
The Gotra of the family was Aditya.
Suddhodana was married to Mahamaya Her father’s name was Anjana and mother’s Sulak-shana. Anjana was a Koliya and was residing in the village called Devadaha.
Suddhodana was a man of great military prowess. When Suddhodana had shown his martial powers he was allowed to take a second wife and he chose Mahaprajapati. She was the elder sister of Mahamaya.
Suddhodana was a wealthy person. The lands he held were very extensive and the retinue under him was very large. He employed, it is said, one thousand ploughs to till the land he owned.
He lived quite a luxurious life and had many palaces.
§ 3. His Birth
To Suddhodana was born Siddharth Gautama and this was the manner of Gautama’s birth.
It was a custom among the Sakyas to observe an annual midsummer festival which fell in the month of Ashad. It was celebrated by all the Sakyas