Jain Journal 1968 10

Author(s): Jain Bhawan Publication
Publisher: Jain Bhawan Publication

Page 18

OCTOBER, 1968
the appointment of information officer, king's getting off from the throne, his saluting with namuthunam (the Jaina tradition of paying reverence) and meeting with devotion are quite secure proofs of his being a follower of Lord Mahavira. The king's assertion that "there is no Brāhmaṇa or Sramana who could preach such religion as you did", fully confirms and unequivocally establishes his faith in the Nirgrantha religion.
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It appears that Ajatasatru's submission to the Buddha was just a formal thing. But never does it seem likely that in fact he ever became a follower of the Buddha. King Ajatasatru had only once met the Buddha,11 whereas he had often visited Mahavira.12 Not only this, the king had even attended the religious discourses of Sudharma Svami, the successor of Mahavira.13
Dr. Smith writes, "Both the Buddhists and Jainas claimed him as one of themselves. The Jaina claim appears to be well founded."'14 According to Dr. Radha Kumud Mukherjee, Ajatasatru was a follower of Mahavira in the days of the Buddha and Mahavira.15 He further states that it is often observed that the Jainas have called Ajatasatru and Udaibhadda both as men of high character as both were followers of the Jaina religion. It is because of this that their characters have been stained in the Buddhist books.16
There are many more reasons for Ajatasatru not being a follower of the Buddha, such as his intimacy with Devadatta, a rebel disciple of the Buddha; enmity with the Vajjis, a favourite clan of the Buddha; his battle against Prasenajita, a staunch devotee and follower of the Buddha.
The Buddhist tradition looks on him as a killer of his own father,17 while the Jainas regard him as most humble to his father after the repentance for his bad deed.18 These references tend to show Ajatasatru's distance from the former traditions and nearness to the latter.
The Buddha's disregard for Ajatasatru is clearly surmised from the fact that after the king had heard the discourses of Samaññуaphala
11 Buddhist India, p. 88.
12 Sthananga Vrtti, 4-3.
18 Parisista Parva, sarga IV, sloka 15-54.
14 Oxford History of India by V. A. Smith, second edition, Oxford 1923, p.51.
15 The Hindu Civilization (Hindi Edition), pp 190-1.
1. Ibid. p. 264.
17 Dighanikaya, Samannyaphala Sutta.
18 Aupapatika Sutra (Hindi Edition), p. 26, Senaprasna, chapter III, question 237