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Life in Ancient India as Depicted in the Jain Canons, with Commentaries: An Administrative, Economic, Social and Geographical Survey c7.s1.t3: Relation Between Kings and Princes

Life in Ancient India as Depicted in the Jain Canons, with Commentaries: An Administrative, Economic, Social and Geographical Survey c7.s1.t3

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Relation Between Kings and Princes

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The whole problem of succession was complicated by ambitions, jealousies and the practice of renunciation.¹² The *Vivāgasuya* refers to prince Nandivaddhana of Mathurā, who wanted to take the life of his father and rule over the kingdom. But he was detected and was executed.¹³ Similarly, the prince Kūniya of Rāyagaha put his father into prison and was consecrated on the throne.¹⁴ Sometimes the king, out of fear, banished the unruly prince and asked him to live in another place. The *Āvasyaka Cūṇi* refers to the prince Seṇiya, who, being afraid of his father, fled away to Bennāyaḍa and lived there with a merchant.¹⁵ Then the princes Mūladeva and Agadadatta of Ujjenī and Sankhapura respectively are said to have been banished by their fathers.¹⁶

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¹² According to Kautilya's *Arthasāstra* (pp 32 ff) the king should guard himself against his own sons. Kautilya, quoting the opinions of Visālākṣa and Parāsara, says that the unruly princes are constant danger to the king and they should be kept under guard in a definite place or fort

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¹³ 6, p 39

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¹⁴ *Ava cū*, II, p 171, in the *Thūsa Jataka* (No 338, III, p 122) a sixteen years old prince tries various expedients to kill his father

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¹⁵ p 546

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¹⁶ *Uttarā ṭī*, 4, p 83 a ff, 3, p 59 ff In the *Succaja Jātaka* (III, No. 320, p. 67) a prince governor comes to the capital Benares, to pay his respects to his father. The latter thinks, "this fellow may do me wrong if he gets an opportunity." So he asks him to live somewhere else, and return at his death and rule the kingdom. The prince obeys and leaves Benares with his chief wife.

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