Jain Journal 1968 10

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

Page 22

OCTOBER, 1968
spot. Picking up the child he brought him to the queen and cured the finger by sucking the blood from the wound. The Buddhist tradition gives the following account of it: “When the child was born, the king's minister apprehending that she might kill him took away the child. Later, after some time, the child was restored to the queen, who under the impact of her motherly love for the son, willingly nourished him. Once, child Ajatasatru developed an abscess on his finger. The servants took the weeping child to the king in the court. The king took the finger in his mouth. The abscess bled out. The king, out of his affection for the son, did not spit out the pus but swallowed it."
Father's imprisonment
The Jaina account of Kunika's plot against his father says that Kunika, being ambitious for the throne, made connivance with his brothers. Putting his father into prison, he himself occupied the throne. According to the Buddhist tradition, it was Devadatta who instigated Ajatasatru for acquiring the throne and so he imprisoned his father in the hot-house.
Patricide
According to the Jaina tradition, Kunika, on a ceremonial day, went to his mother, Cellana, for saluting her. The mother did not accept his salutations. On being asked about the reason for her refusal to accept his salutations, the mother narrated the episode regarding Srenika's filial affection for his son and rebuked him for his foul deeds. It swayed Kunika's heart with love for his father. Having lamented for his misdeed, he at once took up a chisel and set out to cut the chains to free his father. On seeing him come, Srenika, anticipating of his imminent murder, preferred to commit suicide. He instantly took a deadly poison tālaputa and ended his life
The Buddhist tradition narrates that none else was allowed entry into the hot-house where Srenika was imprisoned except Kosala Devi, the queen-mother. Ajatasatru wanted to starve the king to death at the instance of Devadatta who forbade the killing of father with weapons. Kosala Devi, under the pretext of seeing the king, used to carry meals concealed under her laps and gave it to the king. Knowing of this, Ajatasatru ordered his servants, "Do not let my mother go with covered laps.” Then she started carrying meals in her head-dress. When this too was forbidden, she carried the meals concealed in her golden foot-gear. On being prohibited for this too, the queen used to