Indian Antiquary Vol 45

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Devadatta Ramkrishna Bhandarkar
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 19

JANUARY, 1916)
THE ANCIENT HISTORY OF MAGADHA
15
at this time the boundary between the Vatsas and Magadha, and there may have been a danger of the revolt being fomented by the latter power. Udayana had an able minister, by name Yaugandhara yana, who appreciated the difficulties of the situation. Procuring the half-hearted consent of the Queen, Vasavadatta, daughter of Pradyota, he gave out that she was consumed by the flames in a general conflagration at Lâvânika, where 500 women of the harem actually perished. Then he arranged the marriage of Udayana with Padmavati, sister of Darsaka. The marriage was of political significance to Udayana, as it meant not only Darsaka's abstention from actively helping the insurgents of tho Vatsa country, but prompt aid in putting the rebellion down.50 It is also of some social significance. Originally Nâgas by race, the kings had come to be looked upon as Vaisyas, or at best as inferior Kshatriyas, in Bimbisåra's time. The Magadha princess was taken as the crowned queen of Udayana, & high class Kshatriya. Thus the Saišunâgas were rising gradually in the social scale.
Nandivardhana and Mahậnandin were the next two rulers of the dynasty. The Puranas know nothing more of them than their names, but the Buddhist records, which mention the names wrongly, em body traditions of some historical value. The first ruler they call Susunaga and say of him that he transferred his capital to Vaišali "not unmindful of his mother's origin." 51 This vague statement perhaps implies that king Darsaka of Magadha (whom the Buddhists call Nâga Dasaka) married & Vaisali princess. There is nothing impossible in this. The silenoe of the Purâņas and Buddhist records about Darsaka, who is allowed a fairly long reign, combined with the fact that he was free to send his forces across the Ganges to help Udayana in putting down the Vatsa revolt, go to show that Magadha was free from disturbance on the eastern frontier. In keeping with the usual practice the war with the Lichchhavis under Udaya may have ended in peace on the death of that king followed by a marriage relations, between the two kingdoms. The son of Darsaka, to have his capital at Vaišali, must have inherited that kingdom from his mother, or have conquered it by war. Vesali is mentioned as a city of Magadha in the Paraya navagga.52
Mahậnandin was probably the ruler whom the Buddhists name Kalásoka. The chronological results lead us to this conclusion. Kâlâśôka is said to have reigned a century after the Buddha, and the Buddhist council is said to have been held in the 10th year of his reign. The date for Mahậnandin is 88-116 A.B. The second Buddhist council should therefore have been held in this reign. This result is confirmed by the Tibetan Buddhist tradition of a council being convened by king Nanda and Mahậpadmass Mr. Rookhill wonders why we have the singular number while we should expect the
18 tarih T HEZ (Page 3) says Yaugandharayana to Våsavadatta. 19 When Udayana had been out a bunting.
..afen ITS Turfora 91 Tor" (page 11). The same story is preserved in the Divyavadana where 500 women of the harem are said to have perished. (Chap. XXXVI.) 50 Ibid, p. 60.
51 Bigandet : Vol. II, p. 115. 52 Páriyažavagga I, 38.
5) Rockhill : Life of the Buddha, p. 186.