The Buddhist Salvation of Ajatasatru and the Jaina Non-Salvation of Ku Ika

This article examines Buddhist and Jaina attitudes towards the salvation of the Magadhan king Ajatasatru (alias Ku ika), a narrative character found in both Buddhist and Jaina traditions. A number of Buddhist texts prophesy that Ajatasatru, despite his next birth in hell, will attain liberation in his final birth. Jaina sources also speak of Ku ika's descent into hell, but give no prophecy of his ultimate liberation. While the Buddhists offered various solutions to Ajatasatru's sinful condition, the Jainas proposed no remedy to mitigate the consequences of Ku ika's sins. The Buddhist prophecies of Ajatasatru's eventual liberation indicate that some Buddhists in ancient India were particularly concerned with the salvation of an archetypal villain such as Ajatasatru. The Jaina silence on Ku ika's destiny suggests that the Jainas in general had little interest in bringing this violent figure to liberation, and deemed him incapable of overcoming his "false view of reality" (mithyatva) due to his strong passions.