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Life in Ancient India as Depicted in the Jain Canons, with Commentaries: An Administrative, Economic, Social and Geographical Survey c7.s6.t4: Murder

Life in Ancient India as Depicted in the Jain Canons, with Commentaries: An Administrative, Economic, Social and Geographical Survey c7.s6.t4

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English

Murder

c7.s6.t4.1

Murder was another crime which was punished with the death penalty, public execution and fines. We hear of the prince, Maṇḍivad-dhana of Mahurā who wanted to kill his father and rule over the kingdom. He employed a barber and asked him to cut his father’s throat with the razor. The barber was frightened at the conspiracy and reported the matter to the king. The king ordered the prince to be executed publicly. He was led away by the police-officers to a square road where he was made to sit on a red-hot iron throne and was sprinkled over with hot water, etc. The officers put a red-hot necklace around his neck, fastened a badge (patta) to his forehead, and placed a crown on his head and thus he was executed.⁴² Even women were not spared and were severely punished. Devadattā, the queen of Pūsanandī, was jealous of her mother-in-law, whom she killed with a red-hot iron staff (lohadaṇḍa). When Pūsanandī came to know of this, he ordered Devadattā to be put under arrest by the police-officers, her hands were tied to her back, her nose and ears were mutilated and she was impaled publicly.⁴³

c7.s6.t4.2

⁴² Vivā., 6, pp. 36-39.

c7.s6.t4.3

⁴³ Ibid, pp. 49, 55.

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