Kāmanīta Jātaka

The King of Benares had two sons. And of these two sons the elder one became the King. The younger one became the viceroy of a colony. The one that was King was consumed by the desire of riches, the lust of the flesh, and greedy for gain.

At the time, the Bodhisatta was Sakka, King of the gods. And as he looked out over India, he observed that the King was consumed by these lusts. He said to himself, “I will reprimand that King and make him ashamed.” So he took the form of a young brahmin. Then he went to the King and looked at him.

“What does this young fellow want?” the King asked.

He said, “Great King, I see three towns. They are prosperous and fertile. They have elephants, horses, chariots, and infantry. They are full of ornaments of gold and fine gold. These may be taken with a very small army. I have come here to offer to get them for you!”

“When shall we go, young man?” the King asked.

“Tomorrow, sire.”

“Then leave me now. You will leave early tomorrow.”

“Good, my King. Hasten to prepare the army!” And so saying Sakka went back again to his own home (the Tāvatiṃsa heaven).

On the next day the King ordered the drum to beat and an army to be made ready. And having summoned his courtiers, he spoke to them: “Yesterday a young brahmin came and said that he would conquer three cities for me: Uttarapañcāla, Indapatta, and Kekaka. Now we will go with that man and conquer those cities. Summon him in all haste!”

“Where did you send him, my lord, to stay?”

“I did not give him a place to stay,” the King said.

“But you gave him money to pay for lodging, did you not?”

“No, I did not.”

“Then how shall we find him?”

“Search for him in the streets of the city,” the King said.

They searched, but they did not find him. So they went before the King and said to him, “Oh King, we cannot find him.”

Great sorrow fell upon the King. “What glory has been snatched from me!” He groaned. His heart became hot, his blood became disordered, he was attacked by dysentery, and the physicians could not cure him.

After several days had passed, Sakka meditated, and he became aware of the King’s illness. He said, “I will cure him.” He took the form of a brahmin and went and stood at the King’s door. He sent the message to the King, “A brahmin physician has come to cure you.”

When he heard this, the King answered, “All the great physicians of the court have not been able to cure me. Give him some money and tell him to go.” Sakka listened and replied, “I do not even want money for my lodging, and I will not take any fee for my services. I will cure him. Let the King see me!”

“Then let him come in,” the King said, upon receiving this message.

Then Sakka went in. Wishing victory to the King, he sat on one side. “Are you going to cure me?” the King asked.

Sakka replied, “Even so, my lord.”

“Cure me, then!” the King said.

“Very good, sire. Tell me your symptoms and how they came about -what you have eaten or drunk to bring it on, or what you have heard or seen.”

“Dear friend, my disease was brought on me by something that I heard.”

Sakka asked, “What was it?”

“Dear Sir, a young brahmin came and offered to win and give me power over three cities. I gave him neither lodging nor the means with which to pay for it. He must have grown angry with me and gone away to some other king. So when I thought how great glory had been snatched away from me, this disease came upon me. Cure, if you can, this that has come upon me because of my covetousness.” And to make the matter clear he uttered the first stanza:

“Three forts, each built high upon a mount,

I want to take, whose names I here recount,

And there is one thing further that I need,

Cure me, Oh brahmin, me the slave of greed!”

(According to the PTS notes, the “recounted” forts are named Pañcāla, Kuru, and Kekaka.)

Then Sakka said, “Oh King, you cannot be cured by medicines made with roots, but you must be cured with the medicine of knowledge,” and he uttered the second verse as follows:

“There are those who cure the bite of a black snake,

The wise can heal the wounds that goblins make.

The slave of greed no doctor can make whole,

What cure is there for the backsliding soul?”

So spoke the great Being to explain his meaning, and he added this: “Oh King, what if you were to get those three cities? Then while you reigned over these four cities, could you wear four pairs of robes at once, eat out of four golden dishes, lie on four state beds? Oh King, one ought not to be mastered by desire. Desire is the root of all evil. When desire is increased, he that cherishes her is cast into the eight great hells, and the sixteen lowest hells, and into all kinds and manner of misery.”

(In the Buddhist literature there are eight major hells and sixteen smaller hells. The major hells are called 1) Thought, 2) Black Rope, 3) Crushing, 4) Moaning, 5) Great Moaning, 6) Burning, and 8) Unremitting. The Hell of Thoughts contains sixteen smaller hells. They are called 1) Black Sand, 2) Boiling Excrement, 3) Five Hundred Nails, 4) Hunger, 5) Thirst, 6) Single Copper Cauldron 7) Many Copper Cauldrons, 8) Stone Pestle, 9) Pus and Blood, 10) Measuring Fire, 11) Ash River, 12) Iron Pellets, 13) Axes and Hatchets, 14) Jackals and Wolves, 15) Sword Cuts, and 16) Cold and Ice.)

So the great Being terrified the King with a fear of hell and misery. And the King, by hearing his discourse, got rid of his heartbreak and in a moment he became free of his disease. And Sakka, after teaching him the Dhamma and establishing him virtue, went back to the world of gods. From then on the King gave alms and did good, and he at last passed away to fare according to his karma.