A legend of the first king in Saṅghabhedavastu

Abstract

The article contains an annotated translation of a fragment of the Buddhist text Saṅghabhedavastu, which recounts а legend about the appearance of the frst people, the formation of social structures and the institutionalisation of royal power. The translation is preceded by an introduction that places the text in the context of other ancient documents that contain this legend and analyzes the fgure of the frst king and its fate in those countries where Buddhism would spread. The introduction also includes some brief information about Saṅghabhedavastu as a whole.