Ajatasattu definition
Ajatasattu s name means ‘enemy before birth,’ which according to the legend, derives from his mother’s wish to drink blood from the knee of her husband [when she was pregnant with him]. This was inter- preted by the astrologers to mean that her child would kill his father. Ajatasattu is described as an ambitious prince who wanted to become ruler of the kingdom as quickly as possible and could not wait for the death of his father. Together with Devadatta, he contrived a double conspiracy: since Devadatta was eager to take over the leadership of the Buddhist order, he was to murder the Buddha, and Ajatasattu was to kill his own father. The plot was discovered. Bimbisara pardoned his son and ceded him the throne. Ajatasattu, nevertheless, did not