Mahavira his Times and his Philosophy of Life

Author(s): Harilal Jain, A N Upadhye
Publisher: Bharatiya Gyanpith

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Some of the above terms are differently spelt. The Prakrit texts mention his name as Seniya which might stand for sainika or senāpati and its wrong Sanskrit back-formation might have been Śrenika." As stated in this work, Cilātaputra or Kirātaputra was born to queen Cilāta- or Kirāta-devi from Praśrenika or Upaśrenika, king of Rajagṛha, in Magadha. He arrested, through treachery, Pradyota, king of Ujjain and presented him before his father. Earlier the king had sent Audāyana against Uddyota, but the latter defeated him and made him a prisoner. The success of Cilātaputra, therefore, pleased his father who announced him as his successor and coronated him as heir apparent.
But Cilataputra was not successful as a ruler and his behaviour was unethical. The ministers and feudatories invited prince Śrenika who was an exile in Kāñcipura. Śreņika came and defeated Kirātaputra and banished him from the kingdom.
Cilātaputra got himself established as the leader of rogues and robbers in the forest, but was defeated a second time by Śrenika. Finally Cilātaputra renounced the world and became a monk; and in that status he became a victim of a female jackal and was born in heaven. Śreņika was the son of Upaśrenika from his second queen Suprabhã-devi. He was endowed with extraordinary intelligence; and, when king Upaśrenika tested the princes about their ability to govern the kingdom, it is Śrenika who proved successful.
Lest there might develop mutual enmity among the princes, Śreņika was banished from the kingdom. First Śrenika reached Nandagrāma, and thereafter he travelled exhibiting his skill and heroism and reached Kāñcipura. Oppressed by the tyranny of Cilātaputra, the ministers invited Śrenika and installed him as the king of Magadha.
One day king Śrenika went out hunting in the forest close to the capital. He saw there a monk engrossed in meditation;
11 Muni Nagaraj, Agama aura Tripitaka, p.324.
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