________________ 222 Homage to Vaisali relations with the Yadavas and the Pandavas; but, after the Bbarata War, the continued eclipse of Ayodhya and the revival of Mithila (after Kftaksana, who was contemporary with that war), under the Janaka' Ugra-Sena and at least three other 'Janaka's after him (Janadeva, Dharmadhvaja, and Ayasthuna),--which renaissance lasted for about twelve generations after the Great War, that is for about 250 years, c. 950 to 700 B. C.,-leaves no doubt that the Vaisali region became part of this Videha kingdom. It was in the time and mostly in the court of these later Janaka's that the famous sages of the Brahmanas, Aranyakas, and Upanisads flourished,-about sixty in number from the generation of Auddalaki-Svetaketu (conten porary with Ugra-Sena Janaka') to that of Satyakama-Jabala (contemporary with Ayastbuna Janaka'). To this group belong Yajnavalkya-Vajasaneya, founder of the Vajasaneya Vedic School, and his pupil 'Asuri's pupil, the Vasistha-Pancasikha, (son of the lady Kapila, .and hence shortly called 'Kapila'), the founder of the Sankhya system and a 'bhiksu' of the Buddhist Order (of the "Former Buddhas"); this Pancasikha converted the Janaka's Janadeva and Dharmadhvaja, to the Sankhya system of 'Moksa' (Nirvana). Therefore, "proto-Buddhism," side by side with Vedantism (Upanisadism), had already taken root in the Videha-Vaidall region between the ninth and the seventh century B.C. The later 'Janaka's, in their spiritual enthusiasm, often relinquished dynastic monarchical power, aod the last of them probably voluntarily disestablished' the monarchy of Mithila. The whole region, from the Middle Himalayas to Ganga, seems then to have broken up into a number of aristocratic republics, mostly belonging to some Iksvaku family or other, amongst whom of course were the Licchavis or Simhas of Vaisalia, cognate to the Sakyas, Koliyas, Moriyas, and Mallas,--all Iksvakus. This change to non-monarchical government occurred between 750 and 650 B. C. In Gautama Buddha's time (born 623 B. C.) Vaigali was 1. Cf. the details about "proto-Buddhist memorial architecture in Vaj. Sam. and other Yaj. Veda Samhitas and Brahmanas. 2. The same as Rksas or Raksas, 'r' becoming 'l' and 'ks' 'cch'in Prakst. It should be noted the Raksa has the same import as Ksatra, and Kksa as Simba : the Mauryan 'Lion Capital really is a Rksa or Licchavi or Simha emblem. Cf. Dilipa, ancestor of Rama, sees a vision of divinity in the form of a lion (Raghuvamsa). All 'Iksvakus', earlier or later, including Sakyas, Licchavis and Mauryas, used this emblem, as also the Horse.
