THE KINGS OF MAGADHA. lOT 



tollA'jA jMunja, considers him and Vicrama'ditya 

 as the two most powerful kings that ever existed. 

 He is, for that reason, called Ad'itya, and also 

 Ra'ja-Vicrama : and in tlie Agni-purdii'a Vicra- 

 ma'ditya, the son of Gaxd'ha-rupa, is positively 

 declared to be Ca'rn'a'nsya, or descended from 

 IIa'ja'-Caux'a. This is, of course, the Vicram'a- 

 DiTYA mentioned by Ferishta, as contemporary 

 with Sapor king of Persia, who ascended the thronei 

 in the year 241 : and in some lists Suraca is said to 

 have reigned 56 years. Ferishta knew of no other 

 Vicrama'ditya, but this; and some missionaries, 

 who have fixed the death of Vicrama and the be- 

 ginning of his era, in the year (250, must have been 

 misled by legends wholly relating to this Vicrama'- 

 ditya. 



He is mentioned in the Vrihat-cat'hd, under the 

 of name SuDRACAjOr Suraca, among tlie several wor- 

 thies, dignified witli the title of Vicram'aditya. 

 In another section he is introduced as the prime mi- 

 nister of an emperor of Patal'i-jmtra, or Patna, who 

 was labouring under various infirmities; when he 

 was advised, by a mischievous Brahmen^ to avail 

 himself of these circumstances, and usurp tlie throne; 

 which he did, according to the Purdmis and the Ma- 

 hdbhdrata. 



In the Bhdgavata. he is called Bali mica, or rather 

 Balihita ; in the rishriu-purcmd, Sipraca ; in tlie 

 Brahman da, Cii'hesmaca ; in tlie Vdijupurdnd, Sixd'- 

 ;huca: he was the first of the And'hra-ja'tiyas. 

 In the Cumdricd dhanda he is called Su'draca, and 

 in some copies ^Su'raca; and the first year of his 

 reign was the 3C:91 of the Calt-yuga. In the Mahd- 

 Bhdrata, he is calied Maha'-Carn'i, king of 

 kin^s; and the name oi' his sovereign, whom he de- 



