Virudhaka
Virudhaka (Skt) (1)
[波瑠璃王] (Pali Vidudabha; Jpn Haruri-o)
A king of the state of Kosala in India during Shakyamuni's lifetime. His father was Prasenajit. According to the Increasing by One Agama Sutra, when Prasenajit ascended the throne, he wanted to take a consort from the Shakya tribe and had his wish conveyed to the Shakyas in Kapilavastu. The Shakyas were held to be of noble lineage. A Shakya named Mahanama conceived a plan to offer his maidservant's daughter, a beautiful woman, to the king in marriage, claiming that the daughter was his own. Prasenajit accepted, and together they had a son, Virudhaka. When Virudhaka was eight years old, Prasenajit sent him to Kapilavastu to have him learn archery from the Shakyas. While there, Virudhaka was ridiculed as the son of a maidservant; thus learning of his lowly birth and that his father had been deceived, he vowed to take revenge on the Shakyas. Later, upon succeeding to the throne after Prasenajit's death, he immediately led an army against Kapilavastu, destroying the Shakya kingdom. According to the sutra, seven days later, as the Buddha had predicted, a violent storm with heavy rain came up suddenly during the night, and Virudhaka and his warriors, who had been staying by the riverside, drowned, falling into the hell of incessant suffering. According to The Monastic Rules on Various Matters, while Prasenajit was away from the capital, Shravasti, Virudhaka usurped the throne. Informed of this, Prasenajit made his way to Rajagriha, the capital of Magadha under Ajatashatru's rule. After he arrived there, however, he became seriously ill and died. Soon after, Virudhaka massacred the majority of the Shakya tribe, taking revenge for the humiliation he had suffered as a youth.
(2)［増長天］(Jpn Zojo-ten or Zocho-ten): The heavenly king Increase and Growth. One of the four heavenly kings.
See Increase and Growth.
