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INTRODUCTION
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live as man and wife. As a result of this wicked act, Sudarisana would be born in hell, and would go through a series of births amongest lower animals. He would finally be born in a merchant's family, and after becoming a monk, would attain liberation ( $ 99-100.)
5. There lived in the town of Kosambi king Udāyaṇa and queen Paumāvai. His family priest, Bahassa idatta, son of Somadatta and Vasudattā, was his friend from boyhood and was so intimate with the king that he had free access to any place in the royal household at any hour. He got into criminal intimacy with the queen, which became known to the king. The king immediately ordered that Bahassaidatta should be impaled in public. Indrabhūti saw him in that plight and asked his Master who he was and what he did in his previous birth to deserve such punishment. Thereupon Mahāvīra said ($ 101-105, 110–112 ):
There lived in the town of Savvaobhadda a king, Jiyasattu by name. His family priest, Mahesaradatta, was well-versed in the Vedic lore and used to offer human viotims at sacrifices at regular intervals. He would take out the heart of the victims and offer it to the fire with the result that the king's enemies were routed or destroyed. This Mahesaradatta died and was born in the fifth hell. In his next birth he was born as Babassaidatta, and for his wicked acts was punished by Udāyaṇa ($ 106-108). Mahāvira said further that the soul of Bahassaidatta would be born in various species of lower animals, then a human being, and ultimately attain liberation as Miyāputta did ( $ 113).
