Jain Journal 1968 10

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

Page 19

64
and gone, the Buddha thus addressed his disciples: "The king does not have good thinking. He is an unfortunate king. Had he not murdered his religious-minded father, he could have attained, in his very present state, religious insight."19 With reference to Devadatta, the Buddha remarked, "Monks, he keeps friendship, and lives and remains in contact with Magadharaja Ajatasatru, who is an evil man."20
Once the Buddha was giving discourse to king Bimbisara in the royal palace. The child Ajatasatru was seated on Bimbisara's laps. Bimbisara was not very attentive to the lessons, and was often caring to fondle Ajatasatru. Then the Buddha drew Bimbisara's attention and narrated an anecdote of the substance in which he tried to convey that "you are much attached to him, but he shall be your killer."21
JAIN JOURNAL
Ajatasatru deputed his minister Vassakara to the Buddha for desired conquest of the Vajjis. In fact this was nothing but a conspiracy to know about some secrets of victory. Had Ajatasatru been a follower of the Buddha, he would not have played such a deceitful trick.
It is said that Ajatasatru got killed 500 Niganṭhas (Jaina monks), murderers of Maudgalyayana. 22 This expresses his firmness towards Buddhism. But this is only mentioned in Aṭṭhakatha (commentary) and thus has no greater importance than being merely a hearsay. There are some more narrations in the Aṭṭhakatha such as: 'Who should inform Ajatasatru of the Buddha's death and how.' This was a problem for his ministers. They thought that the news should be so conveyed as not to shock the king's heart. Pretending to cure the effects of a bad dream, they arranged a catur-madhu-snāna (bathing in four sweet liquids) and informed him of the Buddha's nirvāņa in that pleasant environment. Even then Ajatasatru fell into a trance as he heard the news. Twice again he was made to bathe in the catur-madhu and then only he regained consciousness and expressed deep regrets.23 According to another tradition, Minister Vassakara made the Buddha's death known to Ajatasatru by showing him the pictorial biography of the Buddha from birth to nirvana.24 These events attribute to Ajatasatru a devotion for the Buddha. But since these narrations have been taken from later works, they cannot be taken as authentic ones.
1 Dighanikaya, Samannyaphala Sutta.
20 Vinayapitaka, Chullavagga, Sanghabhedaka Khandhaka 7.
11 Jatakatthakatha, Thusa Jataka, 238.
22 Dhammapada Atthakatha, 7.
23 Dhammapada Atthakatha, part II, pp. 605-6.
24 Encyclopaedia of Buddhism, p.320.