Devadatta, consumed by jealousy towards his cousin Siddhartha Gautama (Buddha), seeks to kill him and seize control of his religious group. His envy fuels multiple assassination attempts. He first hires mercenaries to kill Buddha, but they abandon their mission upon meeting him. Later, Devadatta attempts to crush Buddha with a boulder; the plan fails when an external force destroys the boulder. He then bribes handlers to release an intoxicated elephant, Nalagiri, to trample Buddha during an alms round. Buddha's aura pacifies the elephant, causing it to kneel remorsefully. Frustrated, Devadatta poisons his fingernail to stab Buddha but is publicly exposed during a sermon. Confronted by Buddha's admonishment, Devadatta bites his poisoned fingernail in anger, collapses, and dies in despair, crying as the poison takes effect. His arc serves as a cautionary tale of ambition and hatred leading to self-destruction.