Life in Ancient India as Depicted in Jain Canons

Author(s): Jagdishchandra Jain
Publisher: New Book Company

Page 53

CENTRAL ADMINISTRATION
51
RELATION BETWEEN KINGS AND PRINCES
The wholc problem of succession was complicated by ambitions, jealousies and the practice of renunciation.13 The Vivāgasuya refers to prince Nandivaddhana of Mathurā, who wanted to take the life of his father and rule over the kingdom. But he was detected and was executed.18 Similarly, the prince Kūniya of Rāyagıha put his father into prison and was consecrated on thc throne. Sometimes the king, out of fear, banished the unruly prince and asked him to live in another place. The Avasyaka Cūinz refers to the prince Seniya, who, being afraid of his father, fled away to Bennāyada and lived there with a merchant.16 Then the princes Mūladeva and Agadadatta of Ujjeni and Sankhapura respectively are said to have been banished by their fathers.16
SUCCESSION BY PRIMOGENITURE
It has been pointed out that as a general custom, the kingdom descended directly to the king's eldest son and all was right if the king had an heir, but if he died heirless, it was a great problem for the ministers. Under such circumstances, finding no other alternative, the heirless kings were often advised by their ministers to bcget sons through the medium of the monks. If the monks did not agree to the proposal they were brought to the palace under the pretext of hearing religious discourses or being asked to worship some holy imagc. Of the monks those who were full of youth and energics were forced to cohabit with the inmates of the palace under thc thrcat of cxccution ; thosc unwilling were even bcheaded 18 Thc Brhalkalpa Blusya iefcis to another interesting practice of succcssion It is said that a certain hing had thice princes who joincd the ascetic order. In course of time, the king dict and it so happened that the thrcc ascetic princcs arrived in thic city and sojouincu in a garden. When the ministers came to learn of thic arrival of the princes, they approached them along with the royal insignia and rcquestcd them to come back and accept the sceptic Thc sust puncc succumb
19 According to Kautilya's Arthas estra (pp 32 11) the king should yuaid himself against his own sons Kautilya, quoting the opinions of Visilaki and Paläsara, says that the uniuly princes are constant danger to the king and they should be kept under guard in a definite place or fort
186, p 39
14 Ava cū , II, P 171 , in the Thūsa Fatala (No 338, III, P 122) a sixteen years old prince tries various expedients to kill his father
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18 Uttard 11, 4, p 83 a ff, 3, p 59 ff In the Succaja Jataka (III, No. 320, p. 87) a prince governor comes to the capital Benares, to pay his respects to his father. The latter thinks, "this fellow may do mc wiong if he gets an oppoi tunity." So he asks him to live some where else, and return at his death and rule the kingdom The prince obeys and leaves Benator with his chief wife,
17 Cf Nuyt., 14, p. 163
18 Brh. Bha., 4. 4948, also cf Kusa Jataka (No. 631, V, 278 ff); also cf, the evil results a monk visiting the king's harem (Anguttara, V, P 81ff).