Life in Ancient India as Depicted in the Jain Canons, with Commentaries: An Administrative, Economic, Social and Geographical Survey c7.s1.t10.5

c7.s1.t10.5

Very often the queens were jealous of the sons of their co-wives. When king Gunacanda, after the death of his father, came to the throne of Sāketa, his step-mother felt suspicious of him and sent him a poison-smeared sweet-meat ball (moyaga) to eat. At that time Gunacandra's two step-brothers also were present there. He divided the moyaga in two and gave each of them. Soon after eating this the boys were affected by poison and the physicians were called for treatment.⁶⁰ Then we hear of the jealous step-mother of Kuṇāla who caused his step-son's eyes to be put out by her stratagem.⁶¹ We also come across instances when a king was poisoned by his own queen. We are told that when king Paesī of Seyaviyā embraced the Jain faith, he did not attend to state affairs attentively. Thereupon his queen Suriyakantā is said to have poisoned him and established her son on the throne.⁶²