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and sufficient light is thrown by them on the then political situation in the country. The main Jaina source books for this great event are the Bhagavati, the Niraya valiya Sutta and the Avasyaka Curni, their Buddhist counterparts being the Mahaparinivvana Sutta of the Digha Nikaya and its Atthakatha.
From the Jaina Sources
Having arrived at the city of Campa, Kunika sent for his ten brothers, Kalakumar and others. He divided the kingdom, army, wealth, etc., into eleven equal parts and lived on happily with his own share. Kunik a had two brothers (from the same mother Celana) named Halla and Vihalla (131). During his lifetime, King Srenika had bestowed on them two gifts, viz., one watering (secanaka) elephant, and another, an 18-fold divine necklace(132).
Everyday, Vihallakumar rode on this elephant with his harem to come to the river Ganga and enjoyed water sports there. Seeding the happiness and joy of the prince, the people in the city said,
"Vihallakumar, and not Kunika, enjoys the real pleasures of the kingdom".
This gossip reached the ears of Queen Padmavati, wife of Kunika. She thought in her mind,
"If I do not have this elephant and this divine necklace in my possession, then, what's the use of this kingdom?".
So she shared her thinking with her husband Kunika at the first available opportunity and became excessively insistent in her demand. Kunika at last agreed to make a request to his two brothers to surrender these two precious objects. Accordingly, he sent for Halla and Vihalla and requested them to give the elephant and the necklace. But they were not ready to oblige him. They said,
"These are gifts from our dear father to ourselves. Why should we part with them?"
The arrogant reply caused much annoyance in Kunika. Halla and Vihalla availed a chance and escaped to their
