Videgha Mathava
DynastyMathu
FatherMathu
ReligionSanatana
Videgha Mathava
Mithila
Other namesVidegha Madhava
AbodeVideha
TextsYajurveda, Shatapatha Brahmana
RegionVideha
Personal information
Parents
  • Mathu (father)
DynastyMathu

Videgha Mathava (Sanskrit: विदेघ माथव, videgha māthava; Maithili: विदेह माधव, videha mādhav) was the founder and first king of the Videha kingdom in the ancient Indian subcontinent. Videha is the ancient name of Mithila. Videgha Mathava previously lived on the banks of the holy Sarasvati river with his philosophical teacher Gotama Râhûgana. According to Shatapatha Brahmana, Mathava came to Mithila with his teacher and established the kingdom of Videha.[1][2]

Etymology

Videgha Mathava is made of two Sanskrit words Videgha and Mathava. According to the commentary of Sayana, Mathava was the name of a son from the King Mathu from Videgha. Similarly Gautama was a son from the Rishi Rahugana.[3] According to some books Mathava is also written as Madhava. It is believed that the name of the kingdom came to be known as Videha after the tribal name Videgha of Mathava.[4]

Story of Videgha Mathava

The story of Videgha Mathava is narrated in Yajurveda. According to Shatapatha Brahmana, Videgha Mathava migrated from the Sarasvati river to the middle Ganga valley. He travelled towards east with Agni ( fire ) but stopped at the river Sadanira (Gandak).[5] Then Videgha Mathava asked to Lord Agni that where he abided now. Lord Agni then said that your abode was at the east of the river Sadanira. It is said that Lord Agni ordered Videgha Mathava to establish the new kingdom of "Videha" amongst the "Easterners".[2] Lord Agni burned away the vegetation on the other side of the river Sadanira, so that the tribe could settle there. In later times, the Sadanira formed the boundary between the kingdoms of Videha and Koshala . He had taken his tribe to the plains of the Ganges which had dense vegetation in the east. This is the Theory of Aryanisation of Videha Kingdom in the eastern India.

References

  1. ↑ SINGH, LAL BABU (1996). "Champaran and the Coming of the Aryans into Bihar". Proceedings of the Indian History Congress. 57: 118–125. ISSN 2249-1937. JSTOR 44133296.
  2. 1 2 Eisenstadt, Shmuel Noah (1986-01-01). The Origins and Diversity of Axial Age Civilizations. SUNY Press. ISBN 978-0-88706-094-6.
  3. ↑ Leitz, Andreas. "Mathava – The King of Videgha". {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  4. ↑ "The literary and religious background of vidyapati" (PDF). JOURNAL OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE (JOELL).
  5. ↑ "Archeological Survey of India" (PDF). Archeological Survey of India.
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