3 :  Palace Life

§ 3.1  I have heard that on one occasion the Blessed One was staying near Sāvatthī at Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery. And on that occasion King Pasenadi Kosala had gone with Queen Mallikā to the upper palace. Then he said to her, “Mallikā, is there anyone dearer to you than yourself?”

“No, great king. There is no one dearer to me than myself. And what about you, great king? Is there anyone dearer to you than yourself?”

“No, Mallikā. There is no one dearer to me than myself.”

Then the king, descending from the palace, went to the Blessed One and, on arrival, having bowed down to him, sat to one side. As he was sitting there, he said to the Blessed One, “Just now, when I had gone with Queen Mallikā to the upper palace, I said to her, ‘Mallikā, is there anyone dearer to you than yourself?’

“When this was said, she said to me, ‘No, great king. There is no one dearer to me than myself. And what about you, great king? Is there anyone dearer to you than yourself?’

“When this was said, I said to her, ‘No, Mallikā. There is no one dearer to me than myself.’”

Then, on realizing the significance of that, the Blessed One on that occasion exclaimed:

§ 3.2  I have heard that on one occasion the Blessed One was staying among the Udaññans, in the Deer Park at Kaṇṇakatthala. And on that occasion King Pasenadi Kosala had arrived at Udañña on some business or other. So King Pasenadi Kosala said to one of his men, “Come, my good man. Go to the Blessed One and, on arrival, showing reverence with your head to his feet in my name, ask whether he is free from illness & affliction, is carefree, strong, & living in comfort, saying: ‘King Pasenadi Kosala, venerable sir, shows reverence with his head to your feet and asks whether you are free from illness & affliction, are carefree, strong, & living in comfort.’ And then say: ‘Venerable sir, today King Pasenadi Kosala will come to see the Blessed One after his morning meal.’”

Having responded, “As you say, sire,” the man went to the Blessed One and, on arrival, having bowed down to him, sat to one side. As he was sitting there, he said to him, “King Pasenadi Kosala, venerable sir, shows reverence with his head to your feet and asks whether you are free from illness & affliction, are carefree, strong, & living in comfort.” And then he said, “Venerable sir, today King Pasenadi Kosala will come to see the Blessed One after his morning meal.”

Now, the sisters Somā and Sakulā heard, “Today, they say, King Pasenadi Kosala will go to see the Blessed One after his morning meal.” So they approached King Pasenadi while his meal was being served and on arrival said to him, “Well in that case, great king, show reverence with your head to his feet in our name, too, and ask whether he is free from illness & affliction, is carefree, strong, & living in comfort, saying: ‘The sisters Somā and Sakulā, venerable sir, show reverence with their heads to your feet and asks whether you are free from illness & affliction, are carefree, strong, & living in comfort.’”

Then, after his morning meal, King Pasenadi Kosala went to the Blessed One and, on arrival, having bowed down to him, sat to one side. As he was sitting there, he said to the Blessed One, “The sisters Somā and Sakulā, venerable sir, show reverence with their heads to your feet and asks whether you are free from illness & affliction, are carefree, strong, & living in comfort.”

“But, great king, couldn’t the sisters Somā and Sakulā get another messenger?”

“Venerable sir, the sisters Somā and Sakulā heard, ‘Today, they say, King Pasenadi Kosala will go to see the Blessed One after his morning meal.’ So they approached me while my meal was being served and on arrival said to me, ‘Well in that case, great king, show reverence with your head to his feet in our name, too, and ask whether he is free from illness & affliction, is carefree, strong, & living in comfort, saying: “The sisters Somā and Sakulā, venerable sir, show reverence with their heads to your feet and asks whether you are free from illness & affliction, are carefree, strong, & living in comfort.”’ Venerable sir, the sisters Somā and Sakulā show reverence with their heads to your feet and asks whether you are free from illness & affliction, are carefree, strong, & living in comfort.”

“May the sisters Somā and Sakulā be happy, great king.”

Then King Pasenadi Kosala said to the Blessed One, “Venerable sir, I have heard that ‘Gotama the contemplative says this: “It is not possible that a contemplative or brahman would claim a knowledge and vision that is all-knowing and all-seeing without exception.”’ Those who say this: are they speaking in line with what the Blessed One has said? Are they not misrepresenting the Blessed One with what is unfactual? Are they answering in line with the Dhamma, so that no one whose thinking is in line with the Dhamma would have grounds for criticizing them?”

“Great king, those who say that are not speaking in line with what I have said, and are misrepresenting me with what is untrue and unfactual.”

Then King Pasenadi Kosala turned to General Viḍūḍabha: “General, who brought this topic into the palace?”

“Sañjaya, the brahman of the Ākāsa clan, great king.”

So King Pasenadi turned to one of his men, “Come, my good man. Summon Sañjaya the brahman of the Ākāsa clan, saying, ‘King Pasenadi Kosala summons you.’”

Responding, “As you say, sire,” the man went to Sañjaya the brahman of the Ākāsa clan and on arrival said to him, “King Pasenadi Kosala summons you.”

Then King Pasenadi Kosala said to the Blessed One, “Could it be that something was said by the Blessed One in reference to something else, which a person could have misunderstood? In what way does the Blessed One recall having said (such) a statement?”

“Great king, I recall having said, ‘It is not possible that a contemplative or brahman could know everything and see everything all at once.’”

“What the Blessed One says, venerable sir, seems reasonable. What the Blessed One says seems logical: ‘It is not possible that a contemplative or brahman could know everything and see everything all at once.’

“Venerable sir, there are these four castes: noble warriors, brahmans, merchants, & workers. Is there any distinction or difference among them?”

“Great king, of these four castes, two—noble warriors & brahmans—are held to be foremost in terms of receiving homage, hospitality, salutation, & polite services.”

“I’m not asking about the present life, venerable sir. I’m asking about the future life. Is there any distinction or difference among these four castes?”

“Great king, there are these five factors for exertion. Which five?

“There is the case where a monk has conviction, is convinced of the Tathāgata’s Awakening: ‘Indeed, the Blessed One is worthy & rightly self-awakened, consummate in clear-knowing & conduct, well-gone, an expert with regard to the cosmos, unexcelled trainer of people fit to be tamed, teacher of devas & human beings, awakened, blessed.’

“He is free from illness & discomfort, endowed with good digestion—not too cold, not too hot, of moderate strength—fit for exertion.

“He is neither fraudulent nor deceitful. He declares himself to the Teacher or to his observant companions in the holy life in line with what he actually is.

“He keeps his persistence aroused for abandoning unskillful qualities and taking on skillful qualities. He is steadfast, solid in his effort, not shirking his duties with regard to skillful qualities.

“He is discerning, endowed with discernment leading to the arising of the goal—noble, penetrating, leading to the right ending of stress.

“These are the five factors for exertion.

“As for the four castes, great king: If they were endowed with these five factors for exertion, that would be for their long-term welfare & happiness.”

“Venerable sir, if these four castes were endowed with these five factors for exertion, would there be any distinction or difference among them in that respect?”

“I tell you, great king: The difference among them would lie in the diversity of their exertion. Suppose that there were two tamable elephants, tamable horses, or tamable oxen that were well-tamed & well-trained; and two tamable elephants, tamable horses, or tamable oxen that were untamed & untrained. What do you think? Would the two tamable elephants, tamable horses, or tamable oxen that were well-tamed & well-trained acquire the habits of the tamed and reach the status of the tamed?”

“Yes, venerable sir.”

“And would the two tamable elephants, tamable horses, or tamable oxen that were untamed & untrained acquire the habits of the tamed and reach the status of the tamed?”

“No, venerable sir.”

“In the same way, great king, it is impossible that what could be attained by one who has confidence, who is free from illness, who is neither fraudulent nor deceitful, whose persistence is aroused, and who is discerning could also be attained by one who is without conviction, who is sickly, fraudulent & deceitful, lazy, and dull.”

“What the Blessed One says, venerable sir, seems reasonable. What the Blessed One says seems logical. But with regard to these four castes: if they were endowed with these five factors for exertion, and they had right exertion, would there be any distinction or difference among them in that respect?”

“I tell you, great king, that there would be no difference among them with regard to the release of one and the release of another. Suppose that a man, taking dry Sal wood, were to generate a fire and make heat appear. And suppose that another man, taking dry saka [teak?] wood, were to generate a fire and make heat appear. And suppose that another man, taking dry mango wood, were to generate a fire and make heat appear. And suppose that another man, taking dry fig wood, were to generate a fire and make heat appear. Now what do you think, great king? Among those fires generated from different kinds of wood, would there be any difference between the glow of one and the glow of another, the color of one and the color of another, the radiance of one and the radiance of another?“

“No, venerable sir.”

“In the same way, great king, in the power that is kindled by persistence and generated by exertion, I say that there is no difference with regard to the release of one and the release of another.”

“What the Blessed One says, venerable sir, seems reasonable. What the Blessed One says seems logical. But, venerable sir, are there devas?”

“But why do you ask, ‘But, venerable sir, are there devas?’?”

“Whether the devas come back to this life, venerable sir, or whether they don’t.”

“Those devas who are afflicted come back to this life, whereas those devas who are unafflicted don’t come back to this life.”

When this was said, General Viḍūḍabha said to the Blessed One, “Venerable sir, can the afflicted devas oust or expel the unafflicted devas from that place?”

Then the thought occurred to Ven. Ānanda, “This General Viḍūḍabha is the son of King Pasenadi Kosala, and I am the son of the Blessed One. Now is the time for the son to counsel the son.” So Ven. Ānanda turned to General Viḍūḍabha and said, “In that case, general, I will cross-question you. Answer as you see fit. Through the extent of land conquered by King Pasenadi Kosala—where he exercises sovereign & independent kingship—is he able to oust or expel a contemplative or brahman from that place, regardless of whether that person has merit or not, or follows the holy life or not?”

“Sir, through the extent of land conquered by King Pasenadi Kosala—where he exercises sovereign & independent kingship—he is able to oust or expel a contemplative or brahman from that place, regardless of whether that person has merit or not, or follows the holy life or not.”

“And what do you think, general? Through the extent of land not conquered by King Pasenadi Kosala—where he does not exercise sovereign & independent kingship—is he able to oust or expel a contemplative or brahman from that place, regardless of whether that person has merit or not, or follows the holy life or not?”

“Sir, through the extent of land not conquered by King Pasenadi Kosala—where he does not exercise sovereign & independent kingship—he is not able to oust or expel a contemplative or brahman from that place, regardless of whether that person has merit or not, or follows the holy life or not.”

“And what do you think, general? Have you heard of the devas of the Thirty-three?”

“Yes, sir, I have heard of the devas of the Thirty-three, as has King Pasenadi Kosala.”

“And what do you think, general? Could King Pasenadi Kosala oust or expel the devas of the Thirty-three from that place?”

“Sir, King Pasenadi Kosala can’t even see the devas of the Thirty-three. How could he oust or expel them from that place?”

“In the same way, general, afflicted devas, who will come back to this life, can’t even see the unafflicted devas who don’t come back to this life. How could they oust or expel them from that place?”

Then King Pasenadi Kosala said to the Blessed One, “Venerable sir, what is the name of this monk?”

“His name is Ānanda [Joy], great king.”

“What a joy he is! What a true joy! But, venerable sir, are there Brahmās?”

“But why do you ask, ‘But, venerable sir, are there Brahmās?’?”

“Whether the Brahmās come back to this life, venerable sir, or whether they don’t.”

“Those Brahmās who are afflicted come back to this life, whereas those Brahmās who are unafflicted don’t come back to this life.”

Then a man said to King Pasenadi Kosala, “Great king, Sañjaya the brahman of the Ākāsa clan has come.”

Then King Pasenadi Kosala said to Sañjaya the brahman of the Ākāsa clan, “Who brought that topic into the royal palace?”

“General Viḍūḍabha, great king.”

General Viḍūḍabha said, “Sañjaya the brahman of the Ākāsa clan, great king.”

Then a man said to King Pasenadi Kosala, “Time to go, great king.”

So King Pasenadi Kosala said to the Blessed One, “Venerable sir, we have asked the Blessed One about omniscience, the Blessed One has answered about omniscience, and that is pleasing & agreeable to us, and we are gratified because of it. We have asked the Blessed One about the purity of the four castes, the Blessed One has answered about the purity of the four castes, and that is pleasing & agreeable to us, and we are gratified because of it. We have asked the Blessed One about the higher devas, the Blessed One has answered about the higher devas, and that is pleasing & agreeable to us, and we are gratified because of it. We have asked the Blessed One about the higher Brahmās, the Blessed One has answered about the higher Brahmās, and that is pleasing & agreeable to us, and we are gratified because of it. Whatever we have asked the Blessed One about, that he has answered, and that is pleasing & agreeable to us, and we are gratified because of it. Now, venerable sir, we must go. Many are our duties, many our responsibilities.”

“Then do, great king, what you think it is now time to do.”

Then King Pasenadi Kosala, delighting in and approving of the Blessed One’s words, got up from his seat, bowed down to the Blessed One and—keeping him to his right—departed. — MN 90

§ 3.3  As he was sitting to one side, King Pasenadi Kosala said to the Blessed One: “Just now, venerable sir, as I was sitting in judgment, I saw that even affluent nobles, affluent brahmans, & affluent householders—rich, with great wealth & property, with vast amounts of gold & silver, vast amounts of valuables & commodities, vast amounts of wealth & grain—tell deliberate lies with sensuality as the cause, sensuality as the reason, simply for the sake of sensuality. Then the thought occurred to me: ‘I’ve had enough of this judging! Let some other fine fellow be known for his judgments!’” — SN 3:7

§ 3.4  So King Koravya sat down on the seat made ready. As he was sitting there, he said to Ven. Raṭṭhapāla, “There are cases where, having suffered these four kinds of loss, men shave off their hair & beard, put on the ochre robe, and go forth from the home life into homelessness. Which four? Loss through aging, loss through illness, loss of wealth, & loss of relatives.… But Master Raṭṭhapāla has suffered none of these. What did he know or see or hear that Master Raṭṭhapāla went forth from the home life into homelessness?”

“Great king, there are four Dhamma summaries stated by the Blessed One who knows & sees, worthy & rightly self-awakened. Having known & seen & heard them, I went forth from the home life into homelessness. Which four?

“‘The world is swept away. It does not endure’: This is the first Dhamma summary stated by the Blessed One who knows & sees, worthy & rightly self-awakened. Having known & seen & heard it, I went forth from the home life into homelessness.

“‘The world is without shelter, without protector’: This is the second Dhamma summary.…

“‘The world is without ownership. One has to pass on, leaving everything behind’: This is the third Dhamma summary.…

“‘The world is insufficient, insatiable, a slave to craving’: This is the fourth Dhamma summary.…

“These, great king, are the four Dhamma summaries stated by the Blessed One who knows & sees, worthy & rightly self-awakened. Having known & seen & heard them, I went forth from the home life into homelessness.”

“Master Raṭṭhapāla, you say, ‘The world is swept away. It does not endure.’ Now how is the meaning of this statement to be understood?”

“What do you think, great king? When you were twenty or twenty-five years old—an expert elephant rider, an expert horseman, an expert charioteer, an expert archer, an expert swordsman—were you strong in arm & strong in thigh, fit, & seasoned in warfare?”

“Yes, Master Raṭṭhapāla, when I was twenty or twenty-five years old… I was strong in arm & strong in thigh, fit, & seasoned in warfare. It was as if I had supernormal power. I do not see anyone who was my equal in strength.”

“And what do you think, great king? Are you even now as strong in arm & strong in thigh, as fit, & as seasoned in warfare?”

“Not at all, Master Raṭṭhapāla. I’m now aged, old, elderly, advanced in years, having come to the last stage of life, 80 years old. Sometimes, thinking, ‘I will place my foot here,’ I place it somewhere else.”

“It was in reference to this, great king, that the Blessed One who knows & sees, worthy & rightly self-awakened, said: ‘The world is swept away. It does not endure.’ Having known & seen & heard this, I went forth from the home life into homelessness.”

“It’s amazing, Master Raṭṭhapāla. It’s astounding, how well that has been said by the Blessed One who knows & sees, worthy & rightly self-awakened: ‘The world is swept away. It does not endure.’ For the world really is swept away, Master Raṭṭhapāla. It does not endure.

“Now, in this royal court there are elephant troops & cavalry & chariot troops & infantry that will serve to defend us from dangers. And yet you say, ‘The world is without shelter, without protector.’ How is the meaning of this statement to be understood?”

“What do you think, great king? Do you have any recurring illness?”

“Yes, Master Raṭṭhapāla, I have a recurring wind-illness. Sometimes my friends & advisors, relatives & blood-kinsmen, stand around me saying, ‘This time King Koravya will die. This time King Koravya will die.’”

“And what do you think, great king? Can you say to your friends & advisors, relatives & blood-kinsmen, ‘My friends & advisors, relatives & blood-kinsmen are commanded: All of you who are present, share out this pain so that I may feel less pain’? Or do you have to feel that pain all alone?”

“Oh, no, Master Raṭṭhapāla, I can’t say to my friends & advisors, relatives & blood-kinsmen, ‘All of you who are present, share out this pain so that I may feel less pain.’ I have to feel that pain all alone.”

“It was in reference to this, great king, that the Blessed One who knows & sees, worthy & rightly self-awakened, said: ‘The world is without shelter, without protector.’ Having known & seen & heard this, I went forth from the home life into homelessness.”

“It’s amazing, Master Raṭṭhapāla. It’s astounding, how well that has been said by the Blessed One who knows & sees, worthy & rightly self-awakened: ‘The world is without shelter, without protector.’ For the world really is without shelter, Master Raṭṭhapāla. It is without protector.

“Now, in this royal court there is a great deal of gold & silver stashed away underground & in attic vaults. And yet you say, ‘The world is without ownership. One has to pass on, leaving everything behind.’ How is the meaning of this statement to be understood?”

“What do you think, great king? As you now enjoy yourself well-supplied & replete with the pleasures of the five senses, can you say, ‘Even in the afterlife I will enjoy myself in the same way, well-supplied & replete with the very same pleasures of the five senses’? Or will this wealth fall to others, while you pass on in accordance with your kamma?”

“Oh, no, Master Raṭṭhapāla, I can’t say, ‘Even in the afterlife I will enjoy myself in the same way, well-supplied & replete with the very same pleasures of the five senses.’ This wealth will fall to others, while I pass on in accordance with my kamma.”

“It was in reference to this, great king, that the Blessed One who knows & sees, worthy & rightly self-awakened, said: ‘The world is without ownership. One has to pass on, leaving everything behind.’ Having known & seen & heard this, I went forth from the home life into homelessness.”

“It’s amazing, Master Raṭṭhapāla. It’s astounding, how well that has been said by the Blessed One who knows & sees, worthy & rightly self-awakened: ‘The world is without ownership. One has to pass on, leaving everything behind.’ For the world really is without ownership, Master Raṭṭhapāla. One has to pass on, leaving everything behind.

“Now, Master Raṭṭhapāla, you say, ‘The world is insufficient, insatiable, a slave to craving.’ How is the meaning of this statement to be understood?”

“What do you think, great king? Do you now rule over the prosperous country of Kuru?”

“That is so, Master Raṭṭhapāla. I rule over the prosperous country of Kuru.”

“What do you think, great king? Suppose a trustworthy, reliable man of yours were to come to you from the east. On arrival he would say to you, ‘May it please your majesty to know, I have come from the east. There I saw a great country, powerful & prosperous, populous & crowded with people. Plenty are the elephant troops there, plenty the cavalry troops, chariot troops, & infantry troops. Plenty is the ivory-work there, plenty the gold & silver, both worked & unworked. Plenty are the women for the taking. It is possible, with the forces you now have, to conquer it. Conquer it, great king!’ What would you do?”

“Having conquered it, Master Raṭṭhapāla, I would rule over it.”

“Now what do you think, great king? Suppose a trustworthy, reliable man of yours were to come to you from the west… the north… the south… the other side of the ocean. On arrival he would say to you, ‘May it please your majesty to know, I have come from the other side of the ocean. There I saw a great country, powerful & prosperous, populous & crowded with people. Plenty are the elephant troops there, plenty the cavalry troops, chariot troops, & infantry troops. Plenty is the ivory-work there, plenty the gold & silver, both worked & unworked. Plenty are the women for the taking. It is possible, with the forces you now have, to conquer it. Conquer it, great king!’ What would you do?”

“Having conquered it, Master Raṭṭhapāla, I would rule over it, too.”

“It was in reference to this, great king, that the Blessed One who knows & sees, worthy & rightly self-awakened, said: ‘The world is insufficient, insatiable, a slave to craving.’ Having known & seen & heard this, I went forth from the home life into homelessness.”

“It’s amazing, Master Raṭṭhapāla. It’s astounding, how well that has been said by the Blessed One who knows & sees, worthy & rightly self-awakened: ‘The world is insufficient, insatiable, a slave to craving.’ For the world really is insufficient, Master Raṭṭhapāla. It’s insatiable, a slave to craving.” — MN 82

§ 3.5  Now on that occasion King Seniya Bimbisāra of Magadha was sick with a hemorrhoid. His cloth was stained with blood. His queens, seeing it, teased him: “His majesty is now menstruating. His majesty is having his first period. It won’t be long before his majesty gives birth.”

The king was embarrassed by that. So he said to Prince Abhaya, “I say, Abhaya, we are suffering from the sort of illness that our cloth is stained with blood. My queens, seeing it, tease me: ‘His majesty is now having his period. His majesty is menstruating. It won’t be long before his majesty gives birth.’ Please find the sort of doctor who could treat me.”

“Your majesty, there is this doctor of ours, Jīvaka, who is young & talented. He will treat your majesty.”

“Very well then, Abhaya, command doctor Jīvaka. He will treat me.”

So Prince Abhaya commanded Jīvaka Komārabhacca, “Go, Jīvaka, and treat the king.”

Responding, “As you say, your highness,” to Prince Abhaya, and taking some medicine under his fingernail, Jīvaka Komārabhacca went to King Seniya Bimbisāra of Magadha and, on arrival, said to him, “Let me see your illness, your majesty.” And he dried up the king’s hemorrhoid with a single application.

So King Seniya Bimbisāra—being cured, having ordered 500 of his women to dress up with all their jewelry and then to remove it and put it into a pile—said to Jīvaka Komārabhacca, “That, I say, Jīvaka—all the jewelry of the 500 women—is yours.”

“Enough, your majesty. May your majesty simply remember my service.”

“Very well then, Jīvaka, care for me, for the women in the palace, and for the Saṅgha of monks, headed by the Buddha.”

“As you say, your majesty,” Jīvaka Komārabhacca responded to King Seniya Bimbisāra of Magadha. — Mv VIII.1.14–15

§ 3.6  Now on that occasion King Pajjota of Ujjeni was sick with jaundice. Many great doctors, the foremost in all directions, having come to treat him, couldn’t cure him of his illness. Taking a great deal of money, they left.

So King Pajjota sent a messenger to the presence of King Seniya Bimbisāra of Magadha, “We, your majesty, are sick with this sort of illness. It would be good if your majesty would command doctor Jīvaka. He will treat me.”

So King Seniya Bimbisāra commanded Jīvaka Komārabhacca, “Go, I say, Jīvaka. Having gone to Ujjeni, treat King Pajjota.”

Responding, “As you say, your majesty,” to King Seniya Bimbisāra, and having gone to Ujjeni, Jīvaka Komārabhacca went to King Pajjota and, on arrival, having observed his symptoms, said to him, “Your majesty, I will concoct some ghee, and your majesty will drink it.”

“Enough, I say, Jīvaka. Whatever can cure (me) without ghee, do that. Ghee is disgusting to me. Loathsome.”

The thought occurred to Jīvaka Komārabhacca, “The disease of this king is of a sort that cannot be cured without ghee. What if I were to concoct ghee with an astringent color, astringent smell, astringent taste?”

So, with various medicines, he concocted ghee with an astringent color, astringent smell, astringent taste.

Then the thought occurred to him, “This ghee, when drunk & digested by the king, will make him belch. The king is vicious. He could have me killed. What if I were to take leave as a precaution?”

So Jīvaka Komārabhacca went to King Pajjota and, on arrival, said to him, “Your majesty, we doctors, you know, at this sort of time, dig up roots and gather medicines. It would be good if your majesty were to command at the stables & city gates, ‘Let Jīvaka go by whatever mount he wants, through any gate he wants, at any time he wants, and to enter at any time he wants.’”

So King Pajjota commanded at the stables and city gates: “Let Jīvaka go by whatever mount he wants, through any gate he wants, at any time he wants, and to enter at any time he wants.”

Now at that time King Pajjota had a little she-elephant named Bhaddavatikā who was a fifty-leaguer [could travel fifty leagues in a day].

Then Jīvaka Komārabhacca offered the ghee to King Pajjota, (saying,) “Drink the astringent, your majesty.” Then, having gotten King Pajjota to drink the ghee and having gone to the elephant hall, he fled the city on the little she-elephant Bhaddavatikā.

Then, when the ghee was drunk and digested by King Pajjota, he belched. He said to his people, “I have been made to drink ghee by that vile Jīvaka! Very well then, I say, go find doctor Jīvaka!”

“He has fled the city on the little she-elephant Bhaddavatikā, your majesty.”

Now at that time King Pajjota had a slave named Kāka, a sixty-leaguer sired by a non-human being. So King Pajjota commanded him, “I say, Kāka, go turn doctor Jīvaka back, (saying,) ‘Teacher, the king has ordered you to be turned back.’ And you know, Kāka, these doctors have many tricks. Don’t accept anything from him.”

Then Kāka the slave caught up with Jīvaka Komārabhacca while on the road at Kosambī, having breakfast. He said to him, “Teacher, the king has ordered you to be turned back.”

“Wait, Kāka, I say, while I eat. And come, now. You eat, too.”

“No, teacher. I was commanded by the king: ‘And you know, Kāka, these doctors have many tricks. Don’t accept anything from him.’”

Now, on that occasion Jīvaka Komārabhacca was eating an emblic myrobalan while inserting medicine in it with his fingernail and drinking water. So he said to Kāka the slave, “Come now, I say, Kāka. Eat some emblic myrobalan and drink some water, too.”

The Kāka the slave, (thinking,) “This doctor is eating emblic myrobalan and drinking water; it shouldn’t do anything bad,” ate half an emblic myrobalan and drank water. And the half of the emblic myrobalan, being eaten by him, purged him right then & there. So he said to Jīvaka Komārabhacca, “Teacher, will I live?”

“I say, Kāka, don’t be afraid. You will soon be well, and so will the king. The king is vicious. He could have me killed, so I won’t turn back.” Handing the little she-elephant Bhaddavatikā over to Kāka, Jīvaka Komārabhacca left for Rājagaha. Traveling by stages, he reached Rājagaha and King Seniya Bimbisāra, and on arrival told the king what had happened.

“You did well, I say, Jīvaka, in not turning back. The king is vicious. He could have had you killed.”

Then King Pajjota, having been cured of his illness, sent a messenger to the presence of Jīvaka Komārabhacca, “Let Jīvaka come. I am giving a reward.”

“Enough, your majesty. May your majesty simply remember my service.” — Mv VIII.1.23–29

§ 3.7  “Monks, there are these ten dangers for one who enters the king’s inner palace. Which ten?

1) “There is the case where the king is on a couch together with the queen. A monk enters there. Either the queen, seeing the monk, smiles; or the monk, seeing the queen, smiles. The thought occurs to the king, ‘Surely they’ve done it, or are going to do it.’ …

2) “And furthermore, the king is busy, with much to do. Having gone to a certain woman, he forgets about it. On account of that, she conceives a child. The thought occurs to him, ‘No one enters here but the one gone forth. Could this be the work of the one gone forth?’ …

3) “And furthermore, some valuable in the king’s inner palace disappears. The thought occurs to the king, ‘No one enters here but the one gone forth. Could this be the work of the one gone forth?’ …

4) “And furthermore, secret consultations in the confines of the inner palace get spread abroad. The thought occurs to the king, ‘No one enters here but the one gone forth. Could this be the work of the one gone forth?’ …

5) “And furthermore, in the king’s inner palace the son is estranged from the father, or the father from the son. The thought occurs to them, ‘No one enters here but the one gone forth. Could this be the work of the one gone forth?’ …

6 & 7) “And furthermore, the king establishes one from a low position in a high position… (or) one from a high position in a low position. The thought occurs to those displeased by this, ‘The king is on familiar terms with one gone forth. Could this be the work of the one gone forth?’ …

8) “And furthermore, the king sends the army out at the wrong time. The thought occurs to those displeased by this, ‘The king is on familiar terms with one gone forth. Could this be the work of the one gone forth?’ …

9) “And furthermore, the king sends the army out at the right time, but has it turn around mid-way. The thought occurs to those displeased by this, ‘The king is on familiar terms with one gone forth. Could this be the work of the one gone forth?’ …

10) “And furthermore, monks, the king’s inner palace is crowded with elephants… horses… chariots. There are enticing sights, sounds, smells, tastes, tactile sensations unsuitable for one gone forth. This, monks, is the tenth danger for one who enters the king’s inner palace.” — Pc 83

• 
  
• 
  
• 
  
• 
  
•