Jain Journal 1969 01

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

Page 20

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JAIN JOURNAL
the necklace and the elephant along with Halla and Vihalla to Campanagri. Cetaka said, “The necklace and the elephant belong to Halla and Vihalla. They have sought my asylum and I would not return them. If my grand-son Kunika, the son of king Srenika and Cellana, would give half of his kingdom to Halla and Vihalla, I can manage to get him the necklace and the elephant.” Kunika again sent his ambassador and said, “Halla and Vihalla have taken away the necklace and the elephant without my permission. Both these things belong to our State, Magadha." Cetaka returned the ambassador with a negative reply. The ambassador reported all the details to Kunika, who got enraged. Out of excitement his lips staited quivering, eyes reddened, and wrinkled. In anger he ordered the ambassador to go for the third time and said, "I give you a written letter. In this is written 'return the elephant and the necklace or get ready to fight'. Proceed to Cetaka's assembly and kick his throne. Deliver this letter into his hands with the edge of a spear-head.” The emissary complied. Cetaka got angry with the contents of the letter and the etiquette of the emissary. In agony he said to the ambassador, “I am prepared for war. Let K come soon, I wait for him." Cetaka's aides caught hold of the ambassador by the neck and turned him out from the assembly. Kunika heard all this from the ambassador. He summoned his ten brothers Kalikumara, etc., and said to them, “Go to your states and come back with your armies. I shall fight with king Cetaka.” All the princes went to their states and came back accompanied by their own, each with three thousand elephants, three thousand horses, three thousand chariots and three crores of foot soldiers. Kunika too provided his elephants, horses, chariots three thousand each and three crores of infantrymen. Thus, Kunika with a great force of elephants, horses and chariots thirty-three thousand each and thirty-three crores of foot-soldiers came to Vaisali.
King Cetaka too summoned his eighteen confederate republican kings of Kasi and Kosala, nine being the Mallakis and nine the Licchavis. Seeking their advice he said to them, "Kunika, the son of Cellana, the queen of king Srenika, my grand-son, has come to fight for the necklace and the elephant. Should we all fight with him or surrender to him ?” All the kings said, “Surrender not, we shall fight.”
With this decision they all went to their respective kingdoms and each returned with his own three thousand elephants, three thousand horses, three thuosand chariots and three crores of foot-soldiers. Cetaka himself got prepared with an equal number of his army. Cetaka marched into the battle-field with 57,000 each of elephants, horses, chariots and 57 crores of foot-soldiers.