Son of Susunāga and king of Magadha for twenty-eight years. The tenth year of his reign completed one hundred years from the date of the Buddha’s death.

During the reign of Kāḷāsoka the Vajjian heresy (s.v. Vajjiputtakā) appeared among the Saṅgha, and at first the king took the side of the Vajjī. Later, his sister Nandā persuaded him to transfer his patronage to the orthodox monks, and a convocation was held, with his support, at the Vālikārāma in Vesāli, at which the Vajjī were proved in the wrong. (Mhv.iv.7, 8, 9, 31, 38, 39, 42, 63; Dpv.iv.44, 52; v.25, 80, 99; Sp i.33).

Kāḷāsoka had ten sons,¹ who carried on the government after him for twenty-two years (Mhv.v.14). He and Paṇḍukābhaya were contemporary kings for many years (Sp.i.72).

There is great difference of opinion as to the identity of Kāḷāsoka. Some hold that he is the same as Kākavaṇṇa of the Purāṇas and Udāyin of the Jaina traditions, and that these names are merely other appellations of Udayabhadda of the Pāḷi sources. Kāḷāsoka is credited with having removed the capital of Magadha from Rājagaha to Pāṭaliputta. The whole question of Kāḷāsoka is discussed by Geiger in his Introd. to the Mhv.Trs.xliii.f.