Studies in the Bhagavati Sutra

Author(s): J C Sikdar
Publisher: Research Institute of Prakrit Jainology & Ahimsa Mujjaffarpur

Page 150

Sec. VIIC STUDIES IN THE BHAGAWATI SUTRA
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away as captives, a hundredth or thousandth part thereof is considered to-day a serious matter by the Beloved of the gods."
As Nagaputra Varuna, having followed the principle of self-defence fought the battle of Rathamusala without passion and died a righteous death, he was destined to be born in heaven.1
But those soldiers, who being swayed by passion took the offensive and fought the Rathamusala Sangrama and Maha. Silakantaka Sangrama were destined to be born in hells and other lower animal worlds.'
In the Nirayavaliya Sutta also the same view is expressed by Lord Mahāvīra on the next infernal birth of kala and others, the ten step-brothers of king Kūņika (Ajātaśatru), who lost their lives in the Mahasilakantaka Sangrama, fighting for an unrighteous cause on the side of the Magadhan king.3
The principle of a righteous war in defence of the sovereignty of the state as laid down in the BhS is also supported by the Manu-Smrti in which it is stated that if three expedients, viz. conciliation, (sāma), gift (dana) and sowing dissension (bheda) prove unsuccessful to achieve the objectives of the state, the king should resort to war to conquer the enemy.*
It is learnt from the Nirayavaliya Sutta that before declaring war against Vaiśāli, king Kunika sent his ambassador thrice to the court of king Ceṭaka for demanding the peaceful extradition of the scent-elephant, Secanaka and the necklace of eighteen strings of pearl which were secretly taken away by the princes, Hall and Behalla to their maternal-grandfather, the Vaiśalian king. But his diplomatic mission for obtaining those precious objects met with utter failure on the refusal of the king Ceṭaka to give them up.
So king Kunika ordered his ambassador to strike the foot-stool of king Cetaka with his left foot and then to deliver
1 BhS, 7, 9, 303.
2 Ib, 7, 9, 301, 303.
Nirayavaliya Sutta (60-62), 63, 65; Kala and others were born in Hemäbha hell.
* Manu Smrti, VII, 200, 108.