Bimbisāra ［頻婆娑羅王］ (, Pali;  Bimbashara-ō): A king of Magadha, one of the most powerful kingdoms in India. He was the father of Ajātashatru and a devout follower of Shakyamuni. Tradition has it that, when Shakyamuni first left his home to seek enlightenment, he arrived in Rājagriha, the capital of Magadha, where his noble bearing attracted the attention of King Bimbisāra who offered him riches and the command of his armies. Shakyamuni refused, explaining that he sought nothing but enlightenment. Bimbisāra then requested that Shakyamuni teach him the truth he was seeking once he found it. After Shakyamuni attained enlightenment, he did in fact return to Magadha, and Bimbisāra became his follower. Bimbisāra donated Bamboo Grove Monastery to the Buddhist Order and is said to have built a flight of stone steps to the top of Eagle Peak near Rājagriha where Shakyamuni often taught. According to On the Destruction of the Order, Bimbisāra’s son Ajātashatru, at the urging of Devadatta, imprisoned Bimbisāra and ascended the throne. When Ajātashatru later fell seriously ill, Bimbisāra felt deep pity for him. Realizing this, Ajātashatru regretted his actions and sent his men to release Bimbisāra. Bimbisāra took his own life, however, thinking that they were coming to torture him. According to another account, Ajātashatru had King Bimbisāra killed or starved him to death in prison; and still another says that Bimbisāra discovered Ajātashatru’s conspiracy beforehand and, seeing how eager his son was to reign, abdicated voluntarily.