Matsya (Mahajanapada)

Matsya was one of the early states of north India. It matters for exams for two reasons. Its capital has real ruins, and its king appears in the Mahabharata. This lesson keeps the two apart.

1.1 What is a Mahajanapada?

A Mahajanapada was a “great realm”, a large state of early India. Buddhist texts list sixteen of them. The Anguttara Nikaya is one such list. Matsya is on it.

1.2 Where was Matsya?

Matsya lay in the Jaipur area of Rajasthan. It stretched towards Alwar and Bharatpur. Its capital was Viratanagar, which is modern Bairat. INFLIBNET says the city was named after the founder king Virata.

1.3 How long did it last?

The Matsyas appear as early as the Rigveda. The Satapatha Brahmana names a Matsya king, Dhvasana Dvanivatavana. In the end Matsya was absorbed into the Magadhan empire.

1.4 Why did the Pandavas pick Matsya?

In the epic, Yudhishthira lists lands around the Kuru kingdom. Matsya is among them, with Panchala, Chedi and Surasena. He calls the aged Virata virtuous, powerful and charitable. He adds that Virata is fond of the Pandavas. So they chose his city for their hidden year.

2.1 How did the hiding begin?

The epic tells that the Pandavas had spent twelve years in the forest. The thirteenth year had to pass unrecognised. First they hid their weapons in a Sami tree near a cemetery. Then they walked into Virata’s city.

Common mistake: this is epic tradition. It is not a dated event.

2.2 Who hid as whom?

Each took a false role at court:

• Yudhishthira was Kanka, a Brahmana skilled in dice.
• Bhima was Vallabha, a cook.
• Arjuna was Brihannala, a dance teacher.
• Nakula was Granthika, keeper of horses.
• Sahadeva worked with the cattle.
• Draupadi was Sairindhri, a maid of the queen.

2.3 What happened with Kichaka?

Kichaka pursued Draupadi at court. In the epic he pays for it. Bhima kills him. The deed stays secret, and the Pandavas stay hidden.

2.4 What were the cattle raids?

Next the Trigartas under Susarman set out to seize Virata’s cattle. The Kauravas raided the herds the following day. Virata was away fighting the Trigartas by then. Virata’s son took Brihannala as charioteer. Brihannala was really Arjuna.

2.5 How was the secret told?

Later Arjuna names himself and his brothers. He says Yudhishthira is the courtier, Bhima the cook, Nakula the groom, and Sahadeva the cow-keeper. The Sairindhri, he adds, is Draupadi.

3.1 Who dug at Bairat?

Bairat is the traditional site of Virata’s capital. D.R. Sahni dug there in 1935-36. His report is for the Archaeological Survey of India. The site lies in a valley about 52 miles from Jaipur.

3.2 What was the circular temple?

Sahni found a circular Buddhist temple, 27 feet across. A walking passage ran around it. The inner wall alternated brick sections with 26 octagonal wooden pillars. Only their charred bases survived. He thought it probably the oldest known structural temple in northern India.

He called it the work of Ashoka, so by his reading it dates to the 3rd century BCE.

3.3 What else did he find?

He found fragments of a large monastery with ranges of cells around a courtyard. It had been rebuilt at least twice. He also found pieces of two Ashokan pillars. They were probably battered by the Huns in the 6th century CE.

3.4 The Bhabru edict

Bairat also has Ashokan Minor Rock Edicts. The Bhabru-Calcutta-Bairat edict is addressed to the Buddhist Sangha. It recommends seven texts, including Vinaya-samukase, Munigatha and Laghulovada. The stone was moved to Kolkata and now stands in the Indian Museum.

3.5 What should you remember?

• Matsya: capital Viratanagar (Bairat), Jaipur-Alwar region.
• Pandavas hid there in the epic’s thirteenth year.
• Bairat temple: circular, Ashokan period, found by Sahni.
• Bhabru edict: Ashoka to the Sangha, lists texts.