________________
:
475
mouth. Out of affection for the son, the king did not spit the blood, but Swalloed it in.
Imprisonment of the Fathe
Regarding his revolt against the father, we have it in the Jaina tradition that Kunika was a man with restless aspiration. So he won his brothers to his side, chained his father and imprisoned him, and himself ascended the throne,
According to the Buddhist tradition, the aspiration of Kūņika was aflame at the provocation given by Devadatta. So he had his father locked up in a smoky cell. Murder of the Father
According to the Jaina tradition, on a festive occasion, Künika came to his mother to bow at her feet, but the mother did not respond. When she was asked about it, she narrated the old story of Srenika's affection for his son. She condemned Künika for all he had done to such an affectionate father. At this touch on a delicate part, Kūņika's affection for his father came up. At once, he picked upon axe in his hand and hurried to the prison cell to set his father free. But when Srenika saw him coming towards him with an axe in his hand, he thought,
"So he is now coming to kill me. It is better that I end my life with my own hands".
At once, he swallowed tālapuța poison and ended his
life.
It has been said in the Buddhist tradition that no one was permitted to go to the former king inside the smoky cell except Kosala Devi. Ajātasatru wanted to starve him to death,
For, Devadatta had counselled him as follows:
'The father cannot be killed by weapon. So he has to be starvedto death".
When Kos'ala Devi went to see the king, she used to carry some food in a small wallet. When this was reported
