z:\ ambedkar\vol 011\vol11 05.indd MK SJ+YS 5 10 2013/YS 18 11 2013 408
408 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES
- “So long as no women or girls belonging to their clans are detained among them by force or abduction.
IV
“So long as the Vajjins respect and follow religion.
“So long, Ananda, the Vajjins may be expected not to decline but to prosper and no one can destroy them.”
In short, the Blessed Lord declared that so long as the Vajjins believe in democracy and practise democracy there is no danger to their State.
Then the Blessed One addressed Vasakara and said :
“When I was once staying, O Brahmin, at Vaishali I taught the Vajjins these conditions of welfare.
“We may expect then,” answered the Brahmin, “the welfare and not the decline of the Vajjins, so long as they observe these conditions. So, Gotama, the Vajjins cannot be overcome by the king of Magadha.”
So Vasakara heard the words of the Blessed One, rose from his seat and went back to Rajagraha to inform the king of what the Lord had said.
§ 4. War is Wrong
It so happened that Ajatasatru, the king of Magadha, mustering an army of cavalry and infantry, invaded Kasi, a part of the kingdom of king Pasenadi. And Pasenadi, hearing of the expedition, also mustered a similar army and went to meet him.
The two fought with one another and Ajatasatru defeated the king Pasenadi, who retreated to his own capital Shravasti.
The Bhikkhus who were in Shravasti returning from their alms round came and told the Exalted One of the battle and the retreat.
“Almsmen, the king of Magadha, Ajatasatru, is a friend of whatever is evil. King Pasenadi is a