Kusāvātī

A city in the kingdom of the Mallas. In the present age it was called Kusinārā. Once it was the royal city of Mahā-Sudassana and was twelve leagues in length and twelve in breadth, prosperous and full of people, like ālakamandā (D.ii.146f; J.i.392; Cyp.i.4; Dvy.227). It was then at the head of eighty-four Towns (S.iii.144).

The Mahā-Sudassana Sutta (D.ii.170f ) contains a long description of the city. It was the capital of several kings of the Mahāsammata dynasty (Mhv.ii.7; Dpv.iii.9), including Okkāka, father of Kusa (J.v.278ff).

In the time of the Buddha Metteya, Kusāvatī will be known as Ketumatī (Anāgat.v.18).

Dictionary of Pali Proper Names, G P Malalasekera (1899-1973), which is available as printed version from