The countries send envoys to Kusinārā demanding a share of the Buddha's , on grounds such as “the Buddha was a khattiya, and we too are khattiyas”. The Mallas of Kusinārā refuse on the grounds that “the Buddha passed away within our territory”, and the armies of the countries arrive before the city. The Pali canon of the Southern tradition lists seven parties, including King Ajātasattu of Magadha, the Licchavis of Vesālī and the Sakyans of Kapilavatthu; the Moriyas, who arrive late, receive only the embers of the cremation. Pali Canon
More sources (1)
Different Accounts
The list of countries that came to claim a share, and the renderings of their names, differ between sources, and the correspondences between the names are largely conjectural.
More differences between accounts (2)
Ajātasattu's envoy: the Chinese Youxing jing has Xiangxing (who later divides the relics); the Chinese Bannihuan jing has Maojue (who likewise later divides the relics); the Chinese Sarvāstivāda Vinaya has Polishajialuo (Vassakāra); the Chinese Mūlasarvāstivāda Vinaya has the minister Vassakāra. Taishō Canon
The Chinese Fo bannihuan jing says only that “eight border countries” sent troops, without naming them. Taishō Canon
Dating
The Buddha has already passed away (aged eighty at his passing); this is still counted in Year 45 after the Awakening, after the ; the Pali canon of the Southern tradition says it was after the seven days of guarding; inferred from the sequence of events, only the year is known.
Related Entries
- Year
- Places
- People
- Discourses
Research Notes: Reliability, Dating and Sources
- How Reliability Is Assessed
Recorded by five schools: the Pali canon of the Southern tradition, the Chinese Dīrgha Āgama, the Chinese Kṣudrakavastu of the Mūlasarvāstivāda Vinaya, the Chinese Fo bannihuan jing and Bannihuan jing and the Chinese three-fascicle Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra. Attested across multiple schools.
- Dating Evidence and Precision
Inferred from the sequence of events (neither the canonical texts nor the commentaries give the time; the year is worked out from the order of this event and those around it). Time precision: year only.
Sources
- 藏譯（德格版）德格版 D6 da 297b3–299a5
- 藏譯（德格版）德格版 D6 da 297b3–297b5
- Pali Canon巴利 DN 16:6.24.1–6.25.2
- Pali Canon巴利 DN 16:6.26.1–6.26.7
- 大正藏大正藏 T01 no.1 p.29b–c
- 大正藏大正藏 T01 no.1 p.29b
- 大正藏大正藏 T01 no.5 p.175a
- 大正藏大正藏 T01 no.6 p.190a–b
- 大正藏大正藏 T01 no.6 p.190a
- 大正藏大正藏 T01 no.7 p.207a–b
- 大正藏大正藏 T01 no.7 p.207b
- 大正藏大正藏 T24 no.1451 p.401c
- 大正藏大正藏 T23 no.1435 p.446b–c
- 大正藏大正藏 T04 no.192 p.52b
- 大正藏大正藏 T04 no.193 p.112a