12. Regarding Inter-state Relations and Dutas (ambassadors)

Friendly nations were always visited by the ambassadors on behalf of the king. They carried with them the good wishes and the presents (pahuda) 2 from one king to another. A duta from the country of Javana is described in the Vasudevahindi by Sanghadasa, to have brought an anklet as a present to the king of Mathura ³. While, sometimes, the dutas were sent with a specific purpose such as a proposal for marriage 4 or to protest against some wrong done by one government to the other 5, or for extending an invitation to some dignitary 1. Mentioned in the gamma list of a courteran; Vasudevahindi by Dharmadasa, T.177a 2. VhIP), 47. 3. Ibid., 296. 4. Vasudevahindi by Sanghadasa, 311. 5. Asanighosa had forcibly taken away queen Sutara. A duta was sent to the court of Asanivega to ask him to return her honourably and i mediately; Vasudevahindi by Sanghadasa, 310-11.

80 in the court of other kings 1. The duta generally went with a paraphernalia of servants (parivara) and was given warm hospitality by the host king 2. Sometimes a duta was given hospitality in the house of some high official as the amacca in order to facilitate cordiality in the diplomatic talk which generally opened with an enquiry about the welfare of the king and the country (vaya-desa-kusala-vattamani ) ³. Insult of a duta was taken to be a serious matter and inferior kings took extra care in receiving and honouring dutas from powerful kings 4. A duta during the period of hostility is described to be wearing a simple dress (viniyavesa ghano) and a waist band (baddhaparikaro). He possessed no weapon except being witty in conversation (padibhaniya-vayanauttara-kusalo)5 1. Jarasandha sent a duta in order to extend an invitation to Vasudeva through Jiyasattu of Vasamtapura, whose wife was cured of insanity by Vasudeva. Jiyasattu happened to be Jarasandha's son-in-law. Vasudevahindi by Sanghadasa, 349. See also Vasudevahindi by Sanghadasa, 325. 2. Ibid., 47. 3. Ibid., 38. 4. Ibid., 276, 311. 5. Vasudevahindi by Sanghadasa, 56.

81 In the Vasudevahindi by Dharmadasa it is described how the dutas of Jarasandha with his proposal to marry princess Muttavali meet her father, the king of Vacchagummal. The king of Vacchagumma is also described to have sent an ambassador to the court of Kakamdi kingdom which was just adjacent to his kingdom. The ambassador was a good connoisseur of dance and music. He was sent to the court of Kakamdi with a view to judge the merit of Vasudeva in training the troupe of dancers at the court of Kakamdi². The king of Vacchagumma had a keen desire that Vasudeva should marry his daughter and, therefore, extended an invitation to M Vasudeva through Bhanucanoda, with whom Vasudeva was living, to visit Vacchagumma and train the dancers in the art of Bharatanatta³. h There was custom of despatching a duta with a message of intimation before actually starting the war. In the Wh(M) there is such an instance wherein king Mamdaradeva sent a duta to the camp of Vasudeva. There, before communicating the message, the duta himself explains how an ideal duta should behave. A duta according to 1. Vasudevahindi by Sanghadasa, 56. 1. Vasudevahindi by Dharmadasa, II.208a. 2. Ibid., II.204b. 3. Vasudevahindi by Dharmadasa, II.206a.

82 him, was expected to know very well the etiquettes of the court and was expected to communicate faithfully what he was told to express, and to be ready to face the consequences of his talk, insult and sometimes even death. The courtiers and the adversary king, on the other hand, were to observe some moral code. According to this, they were neither to hurt him nor even to insult him. The duta strictly speaking, was a simple messenger and a bad messenger from the other king was not his fault¹. his Message Such an immunity from injury was enjoyed not only during the war period but even during the times of peace. Sumuha, inspite of his insulting proposal to the king of Kakamdi, was simply asked to take leave as he was an ambassador².