King of Kosambī. He was the son of Parantapa. His mother, when pregnant with him, was carried off by a monster-bird and deposited on a tree near the residence of Allakappa. The child was born in a storm (utu?) — hence the name. Allakappa, having discovered the mother and child, took them under his protection. One day, when Udena was grown up, Allakappa saw by the conjunction of the planets that Parantapa had died. When he announced the news, Udena’s mother revealed to him her identity. Allakappa taught Udena the various charms he knew for taming elephants and sent him to Kosambī, with a large following of elephants, to claim the kingdom. Some time after he became king, Udena appointed Ghosaka as his treasurer, and one day, having seen Ghosaka’s adopted daughter, Sāmāvatī, going to the river to bathe, sent for her and married her. Later he married, in very romantic circumstances, Vāsuladattā, daughter of Caṇḍapajjota, king of Ujjeni. The Dhammapada Commentary ¹ contains a whole story-cycle of Udena from which these details, except where otherwise stated, are taken. For details of other persons mentioned in the article and their encounters with Udena, see under their respective names.

Udena had another wife, Māgandiyā, who took advantage of her new position to wreak vengeance on the Buddha for having once slighted her. When Sāmāvatī was converted to the Buddha’s faith by her handmaiden Khujjuttarā, Māgaṇḍiyā tried to poison the king’s mind against her, but the attempt was frustrated, though Sāmāvatī very nearly lost her life at the king’s hand. When Udena realised how grievously he had wronged her, he promised to grant her a boon, and, as the result of her choice, the Buddha sent Ānanda with five hundred monks to the palace every day, to teach the women of the court. Udena himself does not seem to have been interested in religion. Once when be discovered that the women of the court had given five hundred costly robes to Ānanda, he was annoyed, but when in answer to his questions Ānanda explained to him that nothing given to members of the Order was wasted, he was pleased and himself made a similar offering of robes to Ānanda.² The incident took place after the Buddha’s death.

His encounter in his park the Udakavana with Piṇḍola-Bhāradvāja, in somewhat similar circumstances, did not, however, end so happily. Udena’s women had given Piṇḍola their robes, and when the king questioned Piṇḍola as to the appropriateness of the gift, he remained silent. Udena threatened to have him bitten by red ants; but Piṇḍola vanished through the air.³ Later ⁴ we find him visiting Piṇḍola again on friendly terms and receiving information as to how young members of the Order succeeded in curbing their passions in spite of their youth. In this context Udena calls himself a follower of the Buddha.

Udena had a son named Bodhi,⁵ among whose activities the building of a palace, called Kokanada, is specially recorded. It is clear from the incident of the presentation of robes to Ānanda, referred to above, as well as by a definite statement to that effect contained in the Petavatthu Commentary,⁶ that Udena survived the Buddha; but whether his son Bodhi succeeded him or not is not known.

Among Udena’s possessions mention is made of his bow, requiring one thousand men to string it,⁷ and of his elephant Bhaddavatikā.⁸ Udena is sometimes referred to as Vaṃsarājā.⁹

In the Udāna Commentary ¹⁰ he is called Vajjirājā. The Milindapañha ¹¹ tells a story of a woman called Gopālamātā, who became a queen of Udena. She was the daughter of peasant-folk, and, being poor, she sold her hair for eight pennies, with which she gave a meal to Mahā-Kaccāna and his seven companions. That very day she became Udena’s queen.