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CHAPTER VI
Twenty-fifth year of Ascetic Life (B. C. 544-43)
I. Untimely Death of King Srenika. 2. Díkşā of Padma, Mahá Padma and other grandsons of King Śréņika 3. Vratagrahaņa of Jina Pälita and other house-holders 4. Dikṣā of Kșemaka, Dhritidhara and others.
After the close of the rainy season, Sramaņa Bhagavâna Mahavira went in the direction of Campa Nagari.
Untimely Death of King Srèņika. King Śréņika reigned for many years, Hindu and Buddhist writers calculate the reign of King Sréņika to be of fifty-one (51) or fifty-two (52) years' duration. Kūņika alias Ajātasatra was very impatient to get his father's throne: he was only waiting for the old man to die; hence he imprisoned his father with the help of his other brothers, and he himself usurped the throne.
When Kūņika was in the womb of his mother Céllana-devi, a wicked idea occurred in her mind, of eating Srénik's flesh. Thinking that the would be child would be an object of misfortune to King Sréņika, she had her son thrown away into a heap of rubbish as soon as he was born. But by the persistent order of King Śréņika, the child was brought back into the palace. and as he was thrown away into a heap of rubbish in the King's Asoka garden, he was fondly named Asoka-chandra by the king himself, But Cellaņā-dévî had no love for him. There was always some distinction in her treatment towards Kunika and other princes, Kunika realised his condition but he thought
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