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________________ JAINISM IN NORTH INDIA During his imprisonment Bimbisara was no doubt very badly treated by his son, but his comforts were very keenly looked after by his wife Cellana, the mother of Kunika. Once it so happened that while he was taking his food with his son Udaya in his lap, the child's urine fell into his dishes, but without taking any notice of this he went on taking his food. After a short while he asked his mother, who was sitting near him "Mother, did anybody ever love his son so much ?" His mother replied: "You monstrous criminal, listen! When you were born I abandoned you in an enclosure of Asoka-trees, saying that you were & villain. When your father came to know about this lie himself went to the enclosure and brought you back, so you were named Asokacandra Then a cock tore your finger It became a whitlow. So all gave you the name of Konika. When the swelling on your finger ripened you suffered a good deal of pain from it Your father held that finger in his mouth, though streaming with matter, so you did not cry To this extent did he love you." When Kunika heard this he was full of remorse. He said. "A sorry return I have made to my father." So he immediately went off in person with an iron club to break the fetters of his father. In the meanwhile the guards said to Srenika: "Konika is coming in a very impatient mood, with an iron club in his hand; it is not known what his object is" Hearing this, Srenika felt that he would be put to death by some painful execution, so he took Talaputa poison and died then and there, before Kunuka could come over to break his father's fetters. When Kunika came to know about this sad coincidence he was very much afflicted at the loss of his father. Though admonished by his nobles he would not bathe or take food. Then, being unable to endure his sorrow for his father, he left Rajagrha, and made Campa the seat of his rulei This incident of Kunika's life as laid down by the Jainas makes at least tliis much clear that it was not he who murdered or starved Srenuka to death. This is because there is nothing in this account that is unnatural or cannot be believed. It further shows that the Jainas were in the good books of Kunika, because if otherwise they would, like the Buddhists, have given a crude version of this unfortunate happening of his life 2 1 Cf Acastjaka-Sutra, pp 682-889; Hemacandra, opal, pp 101-164, Tawncy, op al PP 176-178 : "It is probable, however, that the story is the product of odruir llcologicum, or sectonan rencour, which bas done so much to falsify the history of ancient India 120
| SR No. | 011067 |
| Book Title | Jainism in North India |
| Original Sutra Author | N/A |
| Author | Chimanlal J Shah |
| Publisher | Longmans Green and Compny London |
| Publication Year | 1932 |
| Total Pages | 66 |
| Language | English |
| Classification | Book_English |
| File Size | 3 MB |