A city in the kingdom of the Mallas. In the present age it was called Kusinárá. Once it was the royal city of Mahá-Sudassana and was twelve leagues in length and twelve in breadth, prosperous and full of people, like Álakamandá (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 Mahá-Sudassana Sutta (D.ii.170f ) contains a long description of the city. It was the capital of several kings of the Mahásammata dynasty (Mhv.ii.7; Dpv.iii.9), including Okkáka, father of Kusa (J.v.278ff).
In the time of the Buddha Metteya, Kusávatí will be known as Ketumatí (Anágat.v.18).