# Videgha Mathava

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See also: [Yajurveda](/source/Yajurveda) and [Shatapatha Brahmana](/source/Shatapatha_Brahmana)

**Videgha Mathava** ([Sanskrit](/source/Sanskrit): विदेघ माथव, *videgha māthava*) was the legendary founder and first king of the [Videha](/source/Videha) kingdom in the ancient [Indian subcontinent](/source/Indian_subcontinent). Videha is the ancient name of [Mithila](/source/Mithila_(region)) .[1] Videgha Mathava previously lived on the banks of the holy [Sarasvati river](/source/Sarasvati_river) with his philosophical teacher Gotama Râhûgana. According to [Shatapatha Brahmana](/source/Shatapatha_Brahmana), Mathava came to Mithila with his teacher and established the kingdom of Videha.[2][3]

## Etymology

Videgha Mathava is made of two [Sanskrit](/source/Sanskrit) words *Videgha* and *Mathava*. According to the commentary of [Sayana](/source/S%C4%81ya%E1%B9%87a), *Mathava* was the name of a son from the King *Mathu* from *Videgha*. Similarly [Gautama](/source/Gautama_Maharishi) was a son from the Rishi *Rahugana*.[4] It is believed that the name of the kingdom came to be known as *[Videha](/source/Videha)* after the tribal name *Videgha* of *Mathava*.[5]

## Story of Videgha Mathava

The story of Videgha Mathava is narrated in [Yajurveda](/source/Yajurveda). According to [Shatapatha Brahmana](/source/Shatapatha_Brahmana), Videgha Mathava migrated from the [Sarasvati river](/source/Sarasvati_River) valley to the middle [Ganga](/source/Ganges) valley. He travelled towards the east with [Agni](/source/Agni) (fire) but stopped at the river [Sadanira](/source/Gandaki_River) (Gandak).[6] Then Videgha Mathava asked to Lord Agni that where he abided now.[clarification needed] Lord Agni then said that your abode was at the east of the river [Sadanira](/source/Gandaki_River). It is said that Lord Agni ordered Videgha Mathava to establish the new kingdom of "[Videha](/source/Videha)" [3] Lord [Agni](/source/Agni) burned away the vegetation on the other side of the river [Sadanira](/source/Gandaki_River), so that the tribe could settle there. In later times, the Sadanira formed the boundary between the kingdoms of [Videha](/source/Videha) and [Koshala](/source/Kosala) . He had taken his tribe to the plains of the [Ganges](/source/Ganges) which had dense vegetation in the east. This is the theory of Aryanisation of [Videha Kingdom](/source/Videha) in the eastern [India](/source/India).

## References

1. Thakur, Ripunjay Kumar (1 March 2022). ["Historical Geography of Early Medieval Mithila: From Videha to Tirhut."](https://www.academia.edu/72670545). New Archaeological & Genological Society, Kanpur, India. [ISSN 2348-8301](https://www.worldcat.org/issn/2348-8301). Retrieved 21 August 2025.

1. SINGH, LAL BABU (1996). ["Champaran and the Coming of the Aryans into Bihar"](https://www.jstor.org/stable/44133296). *Proceedings of the Indian History Congress*. **57**: 118–125. [ISSN 2249-1937](https://www.worldcat.org/issn/2249-1937). [JSTOR 44133296](https://www.jstor.org/stable/44133296)

1. Eisenstadt, Shmuel Noah (1986-01-01). [*The Origins and Diversity of Axial Age Civilizations*](https://books.google.com/books?id=OFGIYBK2hu8C&q=videgha+mathava). SUNY Press. ISBN 978-0-88706-094-6.

1. Sarvahitkari (2021-01-18). [*Sanskrit Vangmaya Ka Brihat Ithas IX Nyaya Gajanan Shastri Musalgaonkar*](https://archive.org/details/sanskrit-vangmaya-ka-brihat-ithas-ix-nyaya-gajanan-shastri-musalgaonkar). p. 9.

1. ["The literary and religious background of vidyapati"](https://joell.in/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/103-110-THE-LITERARY-AND-RELIGIOUS-BACKGROUND-OF-VIDYAPATI.pdf). *JOURNAL OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE (JOELL)*

1. ["Archeological Survey of India"](http://ignca.gov.in/Asi_data/42365.pdf). *Archeological Survey of India*

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