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BIMBINARA
209 (old Rājagļiha) was afflicted by fires, the king went to the cemetery and built a new city. Fa Hien, however, gives the credit for the foundation of New Rājagriha to Ajātaśatru. The patronage of Jivaka shows that medical arrangements were not neglected.
In one respect Bimbisāra was unfortunate. Like Prasenajit he was possibly the victim of the malevolence of the Crown Prince whom he had appointed to the vice-royalty of Champā,' and had perhaps even admitted to royalty, following the precedent of his own father.” The ungrateful son, who is variously called Ajātasatru, Kūņika and Aśokachanda 3 is said to have put his father to death. The crime seriously affected the relations of Magadha with Kosala. Dr. Smith regards the story of the murder as 'the product of Odium theologicum,' and shows excessive scepticism in regard to the evidence of the Pāli canon and chronicles. But the general credibility of these works has been maintained by scholars like Rhys Davids and Geiger whose conclusions seem to be confirmed directly or indirectly by the testimony of independent classical and Jaina writers.
1 Bhagavati Sutra, Nirayāvali Sutra, Parisistaparvan IV. 1-9; VI 22. and the Kathākośa, p. 178.
2 Chullavagga, VII. 3. 5, Bimbisāra seems to have sought the assistance of other sons, too, in the work of government. One of these, Abhaya (son of Padmāvati of Ujjain or of Nandā) helped his father to foil the machinations of Pradyota. Other children, recorded by tradition were Vimala Kondañña by Ambapāli, Halla and Vehalla by Chellanā, Kala, Silavat, Jayasena and a girl Chundi by other wives.
3 Kathākosa. The Aupapātia sūtra styles him Devānupiya (1A, 1881. 108) a title possibly identical with Devānampiya of inscriptions of the third century B.C.
4 Cf. the Jaina attempt to whitewash Kūnika from the stain of intentional parricide (Jacobi referring to the Nirayāvali Sūtra in his Kalpa Sutra of Bhadravāhu, 1879, p. 5). Q. P. 90—27.
