After the departure of Mahendra, Ashoka's eldest son, he was supposed to be the heir to the empire, but was blinded by his step-mother, Tishyaraksha, at a young age in jealousy.
[5] At the age of eight, Ashoka sent his son to Ujjain, to be brought up and carry out his princely education, to become the heir to the throne of the Mauryan Empire.
She secretly put a dot over the letter 'a', which changed the word to Andheetaam - Meaning "He (Kunala) must be blinded".
Considering that as yet no Maurya prince had disobeyed the chief of the house, and unwilling to set a bad example, he stoutly put out his eyesight with a hot iron".
This made Emperor Ashoka angry, finding out that his wife had changed the letter, he sentenced her to death.
[citation needed] Years later Kunala came to Ashoka's court dressed as a minstrel accompanied by his favourite wife Kanchanmala.
It might be the same place where the present village, Kunauli (earlier known as Kunal Gram) at the bank of Kosi river on the Indo-Nepal Border is situated.