Bihar and Eastern Uttar Pradesh (early history)
by Prakash Narayan | 2011 | 63,517 words
This study deals with the history of Bihar and Eastern Uttar Pradesh (Northern India) taking into account the history and philosophy of Buddhism. Since the sixth century B.C. many developments took place in these regions, in terms of society, economic life, religion and arts and crafts....
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Gahapatis and Kings
The king refers to the gahapati Mendala with the term gahapati, which is mentioned with the latter’s name. There seems to be only one instance of a talk between a gahapati and the king. The king Seniya Bimbisara addresses the gahapati Anathapindiko as gahapati, while the gahapati addresses the king as deva.[1]
Prince Jeta, a well known and distinguished man (abhinnato natamanusso), owns the Jetavana, a pleasure resort near savatthi. Anathapindika approaches him to buy the Jetavana, in order to donote it to the Buddhist samgha.
Anathapindika addresses the prince Jeta as ayyaputta and in turn is addressed as gahapati.[2]
Footnotes and references:
[2]:
Ibid., 158.