Videha untranslated

Videha 01. A seṭṭhi in the time of Padumuttara Buddha. He was a previous birth of Mahā Kassapa. His wife was Bhaddā Kāpilānī in this age. Ap.ii.578.

Videha 02. Videhā, Videhas. A country and its people. At the time of Gotama Buddha, Videha formed one of the two important principalities of the Vajjī confederacy. Its capital was Mithilā. The kingdom bordered on the Ganges, on one side of which was Magadha and on the other Videha (see, e.g., MN.i.225; MN­a.i.448). Adjacent to it were Kāsi and Kosala. In the Gandhārajātaka (Ja 406, Ja.iii.365; iv. 316) the kingdom of Videha is said to have been three hundred leagues in extent, with sixteen thousand villages, well-filled storehouses and sixteen thousand dancing girls. Videha was a great trade centre, and mention is made (Pv-a.227) of merchants coming from Sāvatthī to sell their wares in Videha.

The Surucijātaka (Ja 489) seems to show that a close connection existed between Videha and Benares. In the Buddha’s time, one of Bimbisāra’s queens was probably from Videha (see Vedehiputta). Mention is also made (MN­a.i.534) of a friendship existing between the kings of Gandhāra and Videha. In earlier times Videha was evidently a kingdom, its best known kings being Mahā Janaka and Nimi; but in the Buddha’s time it was a republic, part of the Vajjī federation. According to the Mahā Govindasutta (DN.ii.235), it was King Reṇu who, with the help of Jotipāla, founded the Videha kingdom. The Commentaries (e.g., DN­a.ii.482; MN­a.i.184) state that Videha was colonized by the inhabitants, who were brought from Pubbavideha by King Mandhātā.

The Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa (I.iv.1), however, ascribes the kingdom to Māthava the Videgha, and gives as its boundaries Kausikī in the east, the Ganges to the south, the Sadārūra in the west, and the Himālaya in the north. In the centre of Videha was Pabbataraṭṭha, in which was the city Dhammakoṇḍa, the residence of Dhaniya. (Snp­a.i.26).

The strainer used by the Buddha was honoured, after his death, by the people of Videha (Bv.xxviii.11). Uruvelā Kassapa was, in a previous birth, king of Videha (Ap.ii.483).

Videha 03. v.l. Vedeha. The name of a king of Videha, the father of the Bodhisatta in the Vinīlakajātaka (Ja 160) (q.v.).

Videha 04. v.l. Vedeha. A king of Videha who later became an ascetic. For his story see the Gandhārajātaka (Ja 406). He is identified with Ānanda. Ja.iii.369.

Videha 05. See Vedeha.