Lord Mahavira and His Times

SR No.: 011080
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Kailashchandra Jain
Publisher: Motilal Banarasidas
Publication Year: 1974
Total Pages: 427
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 20 MB

Page 223

Political Conditions and Institutions
203
Kāśī to Chedi was unsafe on account of its being infested with roving bands of marauders.
The Mahabharata and some of the Jātakas mention the names of the early kings of Chedi, but their accounts are legendary and cannot be relied upon for genuine historical purposes. VATSA
Vatsa or Vamsa was the country south of the Ganga of which Kaušāmbi, modern Kosam, on the Yamuna, near Allahabad, was the capital. The king of Vatsa in the time of Mahāvīra was Udayana.
According to the Purāņic evidence, Udayana was a scion of the Bhārata Kula. There is no unanimity in regard to the names of even the immediate predecessors of Udayana. His father's name is said to be Śatānika II. He married a princess of Videha on account of which his son is called Vaidehīputra.” He is said to have attacked Champā, the capital of Aiga, during the reign of Dadhivāhana.3
There are legendary traditions about Udayana Vatsarāja of Kaušāmbi and his contemporary Pradyota of Avanti. A critical examination of these legends will yield a number of historical facts of considerable importance. Udayana and Pradyota, both rulers of two adjoining kingdoms, appear to have been connected by marriage and to have engaged in war. It seems that later on cordial relations were established between them. According to the Priyadarsikā he conquered Kalinga and restored his father-in-law, Dridlavarman, 10 the throne of Anga. The laticr is probably the same as Dadhivāhana who, according to another legend, was descated by Udayana's father.
Udayana had a son named Bodhi, but we do not know anything definite about Vatsa after Udayana, noi even whether Bodhi ever succeeded his father to the throne.
1. In the Buddhist texts, his father's name is given Parantapa. Ses
l'inaga II, 127; IV, 198; Majjh, II, 97; , III, 157. In the Jaina Texts his name has been incntioned Sayarita.
Srahna-rasasadalla, Act VI, p. 129. 3. JASB, 1914, p. 321.