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RELIGION
215 illustrious contemporary kings of India, all of · whom adopted the life of a hermit, viz., Naggaji of Gandhāra, Dummukha of Pancāla, Nimi of Videha, Bhima of Vidabbha, and Karakaņdu of Kalinga. The Uttarādhyayana Sūtra 1 mentions a few other ancient kings who had reached perfection as hermits, viz., Bharata of Bhāratavarsa," Sagara of Ayodhyā, Maghavan of Śrāyasti, Sanatkumāra and Mahābala of Hastināpura, śānti, Kuntthu (Kakustha ?) who came to be rovered as Tīrthankaras, Harişeņa of Kāmpilya, Jaya of Rājagpha, Daśārņabhadra of Dasārņa, Rudrāyana of Sauvīra, and Vijaya of Dvāravati. Thus it may be shown that the tradition of hermit-life was not restricted to any particular country or kingdom. It was widely recognised as a well-ordered institution all over the Aryandom from Gandhāra to Videha and Kalinga and from Kuru-Pañcāla to Vidarbha.
In the history of the Indian tāpasas, the kingdom of Videha is entitled to much importance. Both the Satapatha Brāhmaṇa and the Makhādova Sutta 2 refer to king Māthaya, Makhādeva, Maghādeva or Mahādeva, founder of the royal dynasty of Videha, as the first gifted monarch, who was upset at the sight of a grey hạir plucked from his head, and taking it to be the sign of death and retirement, he left 1 Lec. XVIII, 2 Maggiuma Nikdya, i, p. 74.
