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Ajātaśatru

A Dictionary of Buddhism | 2004 | 700+ words | Copyright

Ajātaśatru (Skt.; Pali, Ajātasattu). Second encumbent of the throne of Magadha which he secured by killing his father, Bimbisāra. Initially a follower of Devadatta, Ajātaśatru was at first hostile to the Buddha and conspired with the former to kill him. Subsequently he repented and became a devout follower. An encounter between the two is narrated at length in the Sāmaññaphala Sutta of the Dīgha Nikāya, where the king describes his dissatisfaction with the teachings of the Six Sectarian Teachers. When the Buddha died in the eighth year of his reign, the king was disconsolate. Ajātaśatru reigned for 32 years and was himself deposed and killed by his son Udāyin (or Udayabhadra).

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