Dutiful son, doting father, capable general, wise ruler, Bimbisara had earned the right to grow old in peace but his son had other plans for him. Through his darkest hours Bimbisara was sustained by the gentle teachings of his royal-born friend Gautama Buddha, who had renounced his own kingdom. Bimbisara, on the other hand, spent a lifetime building his kingdom of Magadha around present-day Bihar. We get a glimpse of the life and times of this great king, who lived nearly 2500 years ago, in the Buddhist and Jain literature of the period.