Dear Yifer and friends,


Ajatasattu is indeed a fascinating figure, as full of suggestive
ambiguities as his name. There is another Ajatasatru, King of
Benares, who engages in a dialogue where he teaches a brahman the
nature of Brahma in the Brihadarannyaka Upanishad. Some scholars
have seen him as a garbled equivalent of the 'Buddhist' Ajatasattu,
but i think it is more likely he was a different personage, who
lived a couple of centuries before the Buddha, in the time of King
Janaka, who is mentioned frequently in the Jatakas as well as
Upanishads. This would suggest that the name Ajatasattu is a semi-
title, as for example 'devanampiya'. In such a case it must
mean 'one for whom no foe is born', ie unconquerable. It is a
frequent irony in myth that just such an unbeatable champion finds a
violent death (think of Achilles, Balder, etc.).

For more details, see the translation of text and commentary of
Samannaphala Sutta by Bhikkhu Bodhi. There is also much information
in the Chinese and Tibetan sources, and Ajatasattu also rates a
mention in Jaina scriptures.

As usual, the information on Ajatasattu, who is closely bound with
the Devadatta story, is scattered here and there throughout the
Suttas and Vinaya. These few suggestive episodes are fleshed out in
the commentaries.

The public confession of his sins by Ajatasattu to the Buddha is a
moving and unforgettable story. It reminds me of the even more
public confession and apology by that other great King of Magadha,
Asoka.

in Dhamma

Bhante Sujato


--- In Pali@yahoogroups.com, "Ong Yong Peng" <yongpeng.ong@...>
wrote:

> Dear Yifer and friends,
>
> I know very little about Bimbisara and Ajatasattu, as a small part

of

> the history of the early sangha, although both kings have provided
> substantial support to the Buddha and his disciples.
>
> Because both men have played some significant roles, we will find
> them mentioned in the Pali Tipitaka. I have no idea whether the
> episode you mentioned is in Pali, and, if so, where.
>
> I know the Buddha accepted offerings from Ajatasattu, but I think

it

> was after he regretted of his killing.
>
> As for his name, ajatasattu means 'an enemy yet to be'. You can

read

> more about Ajatasattu here:
> http://www.mettanet.org/pali-utils/Pali-Proper-Names/ajatasattu.htm
>
> Hopefully, this is of some help.
>
> metta,
> Yong Peng.
>
>
> --- In Pali@yahoogroups.com, yifertw wrote:
>
> In Chinese Tipitaka, it said that Vedehiputta Ajaatasattu, the son
> and successor of Magadha's King Bimbisaara, put his father into
> prison and killed him thereafter.
>
> It said that Ajaata-sattu means unborn-enemy, he is named due to
> fortune teller predict this to-be-born child will kill his father
> when he grow up.
>
> My questions are:
> 1. It is quite odd to name his own child the enemy unborn. Is
> Ajaatasattu means that there is no born enemies, "unrivaled",
> "unbeatable", or "unconquerable"?
>
> 2. Is the stroy of Ajaatasattu translated in Chinese having a
> counterpart in Pali?
>
> 3. If Chinese story of Ajaatasattu is correct, why Buddha accepted
> daana from a king who killed his father?