Pasenadi

Prasenajit
Raja Prasenajit

Prasenajit of Kosala pays a vist to buddha
Queen Mallika, Magadhan princess, Vāsavakhattiyā
Issue Viḍūḍabha, Princess Vajira
Father Sanjaya Mahākosala
Religion Budhdhism

Pasenadi (Sanskrit: Prasenajit) (c. 6th century BCE) was a Aikṣvāka dynasty (a dynasty founded by King Ikṣvāku) ruler of Kosala. He succeeded his father Sanjaya Mahākosala.[1] He was a prominent Upāsaka (lay follower) of Gautama Buddha, who built many Buddhist monasteries.

Life

Pasenadi studied in Taxila in his early life. His first queen was a Magadhan princess. His second queen was Vāsavakhattiyā, daughter of Mahānāma, a Śākya by a slave girl Nāgamundā.Though she was a slave girl not the original daughter of Mahanama. From this marriage, he had a son, Viḍūḍabha and a daughter Princess Vajira, whom he married to Ajatashatru. His third and chief queen was Mallika, daughter of the chief of garland-makers. Once, while he was away from his capital Shravasti, his minister Dīgha Chārāyana placed his son Viḍūḍabha on the throne. He went to Magadha to seek help from Ajatashatru in order to regain his throne. But before being able to meet him, Pasenadi died of exposure outside the gates of Rajagriha.[2] The Puranas instead of Viḍūḍabha mention the name of Kṣudraka as his successor.[3]

Notes

  1. Raychaudhuri H. (1972). Political History of Ancient India, Calcutta: University of Calcutta, pp.90,176
  2. Raychaudhuri H. (1972). Political History of Ancient India, Calcutta: University of Calcutta, pp.176-8,186
  3. Misra, V. S. (2007). Ancient Indian Dynasties, Mumbai: Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, ISBN 81-7276-413-8, pp.287-8
Preceded by
Mahākosala
Aikṣvāka dynasty ruler
c. 6th century BCE
Succeeded by
Viḍūḍabha