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Allakappa

1. Allakappa.– A country near Magadha. When the Bulis of Allakappa heard of the Buddha’s death, they sent messengers to the Mallā asking for a portion of the relics, claiming that they too, like the Buddha, were warriors (khattiya). Having obtained them, they later built a thūpa over them (D.ii.166‑7; Bv.xxviii.2).

Allakappa seems to have had a republican form of government, but its importance was not very great. According to the Dhammapada Commentary (DhA.i.161), Allakappa was ten leagues in extent and its king was on intimate terms of friendship with the King of Veṭhadīpa. They spent a great deal of their time together, so that the two countries must have been near each other.

2. Allakappa.– The King of Allakappa and friend of King Veṭhadīpaka. They both renounced their kingdoms and became ascetics in the Himavā. At first they lived in the same hermitage, but later separated and lived apart, meeting once a fortnight, on fast-days.

Veṭhadīpaka died and was born a mighty king of devas. Soon after, when visiting Allakappa, he learned that the latter’s asceticism was being disturbed by wild elephants. Vethadīpaka gave him a lute with which to charm them, and spells whereby he might influence them. The lute had three strings; at the plucking of the first, the elephants ran away at once, of the second they ran away but looked back at each step, but when the third was plucked, the leader of the herd came and offered the player his back on which to sit.

Some time later, Allakappa met the Queen of Parantapa, King of Kosambi, with her son Udena, who had been born in the forest, the queen having been carried there by a large bird of prey. Allakappa took them to the hermitage and looked after them, in ignorance of their high estate. He later lived with the queen as his wife. One day he perceived, by the occultation of Parantapa’s star, that the king was dead; he told this to the queen who then confessed her identity and that of Udena, the legitimate heir to the throne. Allakappa gave to Udena the magic lute and taught him the spells that by their power he might gain his heritage.

See Udena.