Pre-Buddhist India: A Political, Administrative, Economic, Social and Geographical Survey of Ancient India Based Mainly on the Jataka Stories c3.s2.t2.55

c3.s2.t2.55

On the advice of his Brāhmaṇa minister Kevaṭṭa, so runs the story,³ King Cūlaṇi Brahmadatta started a vigorous career of conquest and succeeded in establishing his sway over the whole of India excepting Videha. Twice, in his attempts to capture Mithilā, the capital of Videha,⁴ he failed, owing to the diplomatic opposition of the Videha minister-Mahosadha.⁵ Baffled in these attempts, Brahmadatta now, again through Kevaṭṭa's advice, offered to marry his daughter Pañcālacaṇḍī to the Videha king, and invited him to the city for the purpose, with the ulterior motive of putting him to death during his stay there⁶. The Videha king was ready. But the unfailing alertness of Mahosadha again saved him from the treacherous design of Kevaṭṭa. He caused an underground tunnel from Mithilā to the Pañcāla city, had 300 ships ready within a short time, and in a most ingenuous manner carried out the safe escape of the king from the enemy's country, with Pañcālacaṇḍī who was now his wife, Pañcālacaṇḍa, the Pañcāla prince, and Nandā, Brahmadatta's wife⁷. Final reconciliation was then arrived at between the two kings. After the demise of his master, Mahosadha, as promised, left the kingdom of Videha and passed the remainder of his life with Cūlaṇi-Brahmadatta, now a sincere appreciator of his.