Pre-Buddhist India: A Political, Administrative, Economic, Social and Geographical Survey of Ancient India Based Mainly on the Jataka Stories c4.t2.98

c4.t2.98

A prince of 16 years of age becomes greedy of his father's splendour (*siri-vibhavam*) and is tired of waiting for his death. He resolves to kill him and in this he is bestirred by his followers (*upaṭṭhākā*), who are of the opinion that it is no good getting kingdom when one is old. He tries four expedients one after another viz., (a) administering poison to his father's food (*visaṃ khādāpetvā*), (b) taking his stand amongst his father's councillors at the time of the great levee (*mahāupaṭṭhānam*) and striking him a blow with his sword when off his guard, (c) stabbing him at the top of the stairs in the royal closet and (d) hiding himself beneath the bed-stead in the king's chamber on the floor of the palace intending to kill him as soon as he enters the room. But everytime the impatient prince fails to carry out his plans and he finally begs his father's pardon. The father, however, has apparently no faith in his son. So the prince is bound in chains, placed into prison house and well guarded.⁷ A similar thing happens in another *Jātaka*.⁸ The prince, greedy of the throne says to his followers: "My father is still young. When I come to look upon his funeral pyre I shall be a worn-out old man. What good will it be for me to come to the throne then?".¹ Machinations are on foot. And here again, stirred by his followers, who by the by do not approve of the idea of going to the frontier and raise an open revolt against his father, he tries to use some expedients: viz., (a) killing him near the bathing ghat (*nahānapokkharaṇi*) (b) stabbing him at the foot of the stair-case (*sopānapādamūle*) and (c) killing him by a blow of the 'spoon-shaped instrument with its long handle poisoned (*dīghadaṇḍikam dabbipaharaṇam*). He fails and is arrested, put in chains and thrown into prison. The way in which the princes are dealt with in both the instances given above agrees well with the policy as laid down by Viśālākṣa and Parāśara according to Kauṭilya,² viz., that the unruly prince should be kept under guard in a definite place or fort.