Bimbisara

Bimbisāra (in Buddhist tradition) or Shrenika and Seniya in the Jain histories ( or ) was the King of Magadha ( or ) and belonged to the Haryanka dynasty. He was the son of Bhattiya. His expansion of the kingdom, especially his annexation of the kingdom of Anga to the east, is considered to have laid the foundations for the later expansion of the Mauryan Empire.

According to Jain tradition, he is said to be the first tirthankara (Padmanabha/Mahapadma) out of the 24 tirthankaras of the future cosmic age. He frequently visited the Samavasarana of Mahavira seeking answers to his queries. Pukkusati, the king of Gandhara, sent Bimbisara an embassy.

His court is said to have included Sona Kolivisa, Sumana (flower gatherer), Koliya (minister), Kumbhaghosaka (treasurer) and Jivaka (physician).

Marriage alliances Bimbisara used marriage alliances to strengthen his position. His first wife was Kosala Devi, the daughter of Mahā Kosala, the king of Kosala, and a sister of Prasenajit. His bride brought him Kashi as dowry. This marriage also ended the hostility between Magadha and Kosala and gave him a free hand in dealing with the other states. His second wife, Chellana, was a Licchavi princess from Vaishali and daughter of the Jain king Chetaka. His third wife, Kshema, was a daughter of the chief of the Madra clan of Punjab. Mahavagga depicts him having 500 wives.

Death

As per Buddhism, due to influence by Devadatta (a separatist Buddhist monk), Bimbisāra was assassinated by his son Ajatashatru in , who then succeeded him to the throne. However, as per Jainism, Bimbisāra committed suicide. and an illuminating sage (King Prasanachandra). He is said to be a Balabhadra in one of his previous lives.

Per Jain Scripture, Bimbisara killed himself in a fit of passion, after his son had imprisoned him. Consequently, he was reborn in hell, where he is currently residing, until the karma which led to his birth there comes to an end. It is further written, that he will be reborn as Mahapadma (sometimes called Padmanabha), the first in the chain of future tirthankaras who are to rise at the beginning of the upward motion (Utsarpini) of the next era of time.

Buddhism

According to Buddhist scriptures, King Bimbisara met the Buddha for the first time prior to the Buddha's enlightenment, and later became an important disciple that featured prominently in certain Buddhist suttas. He is recorded to have attained sotapannahood, a degree of enlightenment in Buddhist teachings. Although Bimbisara let the women in his palace visit Buddha in his monastery in the evenings; the women wanted a hair-and-nail stupa they could use to venerate the Buddha any time. Bimbisara spoke with Buddha who complied with their request.