The Story of MAHAJANAKA

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The King continued: “As the Goddess Mani Mekhala picked us up from the sea, she said : ‘Thou shouldst share with others the boon of enlightened wisdom. When time comes thou shouldst establish an institute of high learning.’ At that time we were exhausted and dazed; so we thought we heard we should name the institute after the sea crab which is called ‘Pudalay’ in Suvarnabhumic language. Now we are not sure of the name; please, great teacher, voice your thoughts.” The Brahmin said : “ In my humble opinion, the Goddess must have said ‘Bodhiyalaya’ ,the same name as the Hermits’ Institue in the Jetavana Temple, in Devamahanagara, Suvarnabhumi. But if the institute is called the ‘Pudalay Mahavijjalaya’, it would be quite adequate.” The King said: “Thank you, dear teacher. We are sure that time has come to establish that institute. In fact, it should have been established many years ago. Today’s events have shown the necessity. From the Viceroy down to the elephant mahouts and the horse handlers, and up from the horse handlers to the Viceroy, and especially the courtiers are all ignorant. They lack not only technical knowledge but also common knowledge, i.e. common sense: they do not even know what is good for them. They like mangoes, but they destroy the good mango tree.” The Brahmin supported the idea; he said: “Wise King you do not have to worry; I still have some good dependable disciples and The Pudalay Mahavijjalaya will be established. Mithila is not yet at a loss for good people!”

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When they were alone, the King told the Brahmin: “We have kept this to ourselves for a very long time, ever since the time we embarked for Suvarnabhumi. Just before the giant waves charged at the ship, we overheard the Suvarnabhumic traders talking among themselves in their own language, saying: ‘Non, pudalay yak su kab pla lae tao. (pronounced: ‘noan,bpoo tul-lay yuk soo gkub plar lae dtow.’ Meaning: over there, a giant sea crab fights with fish and turtles.)’ And they also said that whoever manages to step on that giant crab, will achieve greatness, provided he practices genuine perseverance.” The Brahmin said: “I have also heard of a story in this vein, but I do not know if there are such giant crabs.” The King spoke further: “There surely are. After jumping from the top of the mast into the sea beyond the fish and the turtles, we swam in the ocean. We rested from time to time. Sometimes we felt like treading on the sea floor, like being near the shore, the same feeling as the sixth individual among the Seven Individuals (in the Fifth Udakupamasutta). In fact, it was the Giant Sea Crab.” The Brahmin said: “Really, that was the great merit of your perseverance.”

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Udicchabrahmana Mahasala promptly came, along with two disciples, Charutejobrahmana and Gajendra Singha Pandit. Of these two, the first mentioned was an expert in planting, the second one an expert in uprooting. The mement they arrived, Gajendra Singha Pandit threw himself at the feet of the King and said: “Your humble servant is at fault; when the courtiers asked me to pick mangoes for the Viceroy, I used my new automatic fruit harvester, unwitting that it would uproot the mango tree. Your Majesty!” The King said: “Do not despair, my good inventive man. The mango tree is down already. Now the problem is: how to restore the mango tree to its former state. We have mine methods for this; some of these could be usable. First: culturing the seeds; second: nursing the roots so they grow again; third: culturing (cutting) the branches; fourth: grafting on the other tree; fifth: bud-grafting on the other tree; sixth: splicing (approach grafting) the branches; seventh: layering the branches; eighth: smoking the fruitless tree, so that it bears fruit; ninth: culturing the cells in a container. Brahmana Mahasala, pray order your two disciples to study the problem and do the implementation.” Udicchbrahmana acknowledged the royal order by saying: “Your Eminent Majesty, Gajendra Singha will immediately bring the machine to raise the tree to its upright station. And Charutejo will collect the seeds and the branches to act according to the royal initiative.” The King ordered the two to hasten on their way, but bade the Brahmana Mahasala to stay on for further consultation.

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The King returned to the city and went to the palace. At the door of the palace, he paused for an instant and thought about what the Goddess Mani Mekhala had told him at the moment she picked him up from the sea. The King could not remember the exact words, for he was exhausted and drowsy from the seven-day swimming in the briny water, but he knew that she had said he would not find the path to absolute happiness without sharing the wisdom he had found in the ocean. Mani Mekhala had told him to establish and institute of high learning called the Pudalay Mahavijjalaya. Once he had fulfilled this mission, he could find the path to peaceful retirement. The Great Being thought: “Each one, may he be a trader, a farmer, a king. Or a priest, has his duty to do. Anyway, before anything else, we have to find a way to revive the fruitful mango tree.” So he summoned the chief minister and told him: “Go and invite the Brahmin to come here, together with a couple of his disciples.”

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The others, from the Viceroy to the elephant mahouts and the horse handlers, seeing that the King had already eaten the tasty fruit, all picked some and had their fill. Still others who came in later, used sticks to break down branches; the tree was denuded of leaves; the tree was uprooted. The other mango tree still stood majestically as a mountain glistening like a gem. The King came out of the Royal Park; seeing this spectacle, he asked the courtiers: “What is all this?” The courtiers said: “The people, knowing that Your Majesty had already eaten the succulent fruit, fought among themselves to get a bite of that mango fruit.” The King asked: “The foliage and the resplendence of this tree are all gone, but the foliage and the resplendence of that yon tree are all gone, but the foliage and the resplendence of that yon tree are still intact. How is it so?” All the courtiers said: “The foliage and the resplendence of the other tree are not all gone because it bears no fruit.” The King, on hearing thus, felt very sad. He mused: “That tree is still beautifully green, because it has no fruit, but this tree has been cut down and uprooted because it bore fruits. This throne is like the tree with fruits; peaceful retirement is like the tree without fruits. Danger lurks around the one with worries and does not menace the one without worries. We will not be like the tree with fruits; we will be like the one without fruit.”

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One day, the Chief Park Tender brought to the King many different kinds of fruit of many sizes and various kinds of flowers. Seeing all these, King Mahajanaka was very happy; he congratulated the Park Tender and said: “Look here, Chief Park Tender, we wish to see the Royal Park; go and prepare it.” The Chief Park Tender acknowledged the royal wish, took action accordingly and informed the King. The Great Being, riding on the neck of the royal elephant, left the city with a long retinue and arrived at the Park. Near the gate, there were two mango trees with resplendent green foliage. One of these had no fruit; the other had many. The fruit was extremely sweet. Nobody could pick the fruit from that tree because the King had not yet eaten the tasty fruit. Seated on the neck of the elephant, the Great Being picked one fruit and tasted it. As it touched the tip of the Great Being’s tongue the fruit seemed like nectar. The Great Being thought: “We shall eat our fill on the way back,” and entered the Royal Park.

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From that time on, the Great Being practiced the Ten Rules of Kingship. He reigned with righteousness. He supported all the hermit buddhas. Later, Queen Sivali Devi gave birth to a royal son who fulfilled all the characteristics of wealth and luck. The royal parents gave him the name of Dighavurajakumara. When Kighavurajakumara reached the appropriate age, the King invested him as Viceroy. And the King reigned for seven thousand years.

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Subsequently, the King ordered that his Mother and the Brahmin be invited to come from Kalachampaka Nagara. He organized a grand ceremony to pay his respects to them. All the people in the state of Videha were very excited and celebrated with a musical festival. As the Great Being, seated on his throne, was attending the function, he recalled his efforts in the ocean. When he did so, he reflected that perseverance is an essential thing: had we not persevered in the ocean, we would not be on this throne. As he was musing about perseverance, he felt elated and so imbued with happiness that he exclaimed:

….Things that we do not plan may well happen. Things that we do plan may well meet with disaster. Wealth will not come to anybody by just dreaming about it.

Among these words….The word acintitampi means: even the things that these beings have not thought of, may well exist. The words cintitampi vinassati mean: the fact that we have come to this throne without any blood-letting, we intended to amass a fortune from Suvarnabhumi in order to gain this throne, is what we actually planned. In these two instances, things we planned did not happen and things we did not plan have happened. The words na hi cintamaya bhoga mean: the wealth of all the worldly beings cannot be said to happen only just by thinking about it because wealth is not amassed by wishful thinking. Therefore one assuredly should practice perseverance, for good things that were not expected will come to those who persevere.

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Then King Polajanaka passed away to heaven. His body was cremated. After that, on the seventh day, all the courtiers had a meeting to consult the King’s wishes to entrust the throne to the one who would please the royal daughter. (They gave the Chif Minister the first chance. He did not succeed and he came back humiliated. Others fared no better. Later, nobody was successful in the attempt to string the Thousandfold Bow. Nobody was able to tell which side was the Head of the Square Throne. And nobody was able to discover the Sixteen Treasures.) The Privy Councilor said: “We should use the Grand Chariot. Because the King who comes riding on the Grand Chariot will be able to reign over the whole of Jambudipa.” The Grand Chariot went to the Mango Grove, did a dexterambulation around the Propitious Stone and the Prive Councillor included, hailed and crowned the Great Being on that spot. Later the Great Being was able to solve King Polajanaka’s four riddles; then asked if there were any other riddles: the courtiers said there were none. All the people were overjoyed and elated; they said: “Oh, what a wonderment! This King is a real genius!”

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King Polajanaka had no son; he had only one daughter, called Sivali Devi who was an intelligent and astute girl. The courtiers asked King Polajanaka, as he was lying on his death bed: “Your Majesty, after your demise, whom shall al of us entrust the throne to?” The King answered: “All of you should entrust the throne to the one who would be able to please Sivali Devi our daughter, or to the one who would be able to tell which side is the head of the Square Throne, or to the one who would be able to string the Bow that requires the strength of a thousand men, or the one who would be able to discover the Sixteen Great Treasures. All the courtiers said: “Your Majesty, pray speak out the riddle of those treasures to all of us.” The King then spoke out the riddles about various things, and of all treasures, thus:

These Sixteen Great Treasures are: the Treasure of the Rising Sun, the Treasure of the Setting Sun. the Treasure Inside, the Treasure Outside, the Treasure which is Neither Inside Nor Outside, the Treasure Going up, the Treasure Going Down, the Treasure at the Four Banyan Trees, the Treasure enclosed by the Circle One League Long, the Great Treasure at the End of the Pair of Tusks, the Treasure at the End of the Tail’s Hair, the Treasure in the Water, the Treasure at the Top of the Tree and the Bow which needs a Thousand Men to String. Which side is the Head of the Square Throne and to please Sivali Rajadevi.

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After these words, Mani Mekhala asked: “O Wise One, who has such determination, where could I take you?” When the Great Being as lightly as one would pick a bunch of flowers. She cradled him to her breast with her arms like one would one’s dear child, flying up in the air. As she did so she intoned an additional stanza:

O Wise One, thy meaningful words should not be lost in this wide empty expanse. Thou shouldst share with others the boon of enlightened wisdom that come from thy lips. When the time comes, thou shouldst establish an institute of high learning, called the Bodhiyalaya Great Wisdom Centre. Only on that day, wilst thou have fulfilled thy mission

The word bodhiyalaya means the abode of enlightenment. The word mahavijalaya means the abode of the great knowledge.

The Great Being was exhausted after seven days in the briny water. At the magic touch, he soon fell asleep. Then Mani Mekhala brought the Great Being to Mithila Nagara. She laid him down to sleep on his right side on a Propitious Stone slab in the Mango Grove. She delegated the duties of guarding the Great Being to local spirits in the Grove and she left for her own abode.

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Having listened to the Great Being’s convincing oration and to praise the Great Being, the goddess intoned the stanza:

Anyone who is so full of righteous patience will never founder in the vest ocean that has no bounds. With this manly perseverance, you will be able to go wherever you wish.

Among these words, the words evam gate mean: in this expanse of water that is immeasurable, i.e. in the ocean that is so deep and so vast. The word dhammavayamasampanno means: with righteous perseverance. The words kammuna navasidasi mean: you did not drown, thanks to your effort, i.e. your own manly perseverance. The word yattha te means: wherever your heart desires to go, there shall you go.

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After Mani Mekhala had spoken in this manner, the Great Being, in order to convince the goddess completely, intoned the next stanza, thus:

Hark, o Goddess! Anyone who knows for sure that his activities will not meet with success, can be deemed to be doomed; if that one desists from perseverance in that way, he will surely receive the consequence of his indolence. Hark, o Goddess! You do see clearly the results of actions, don’t you? All the others have drowned in the ocean; we alone, are still swimming and have seen you hovering near us. As for us, we are going to endeavour further to the utmost of our ability; we are going to strive like a man should to reach the shores of the ocean.

Among these words, the word accantam means: Whoever, knowing clearly that, in spite of all perseverance, cannot achieve success in his activities, will not really be able to complete his work; and thus, if he does not get rid of the fierce elephant and the elephant in the rut (meaning the dangerous situation that opposes him), he will not be able to survive. The words janna so yadi hapaye mean: if that one desists from perseverance in that situation, he will surely meet the consequence of his indolence. To the assertion that his efforts were fruitless, the Great Being answered thus. The words janna so yadi hapaye written in the Pali Text are not included in the Commentaries. The word adhippayaphalam means: some people aim at a goal, so they apply themselves to an accupation, such as agriculture and trade. The words tani ijjhanti va na va mean: the Great Being expresses his opinion that, when anyone practices perseverance physically or morally, with the aim that we want to go there, we want to learn this or that, these actions are sure to be crowned with success; it follows that the practice of pure perseverance is an absolute necessity. The words sanna anne taramaham mean: the others sank, i.e. drowned in the ocean, because they did not persevere, so they all became food for fish and turtles; but we alone are still swimming the waves. The words tanca passim santike mean: pray behold the result of perseverance; thus, we have never seen a god in physical sight. The words yathasati yathabalam mean: according to one’s intelligence and strength. The word kasam means: should do.

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At this point, the goddess addressed the Great Being with this stanza:
Any enterprise that is not achieved
Through perseverance. is fruitless; obstacles
Will occur. When any enterprise undertaken with such misdirected
effort results in Death showing his face, what is the use of such
enterprise and misdirected effort?

Among these words, the word aparaneyyam means: not yet achieved through perseverance. The words maccu yassabhinipphatam mean: to persevere in any wrong way resulting in Macchu, i.e. the Grim Reaper, i.e. Death, showing his face; what is the use of such action?

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Upon these remarks, the Great Being told Mani Mekhala: “What are you saying? We are persevering, so that though we may perish. We shall be free from any blame or critcism.” Having said that, he intoned this stanza:

Any individual who practices perseverance,
even in the face of death, will not be in any debt
to relatives or gods or father or mother.
Furthermore, any individual who does his duty like a man,
will enjoy Ultimate Peace in the future.

Among these words, the word anano means: Hark, o Goddess, any individual who practises perseverance, even in the face of death, will not be in debt, i.e. will neither be blamed nor criticized by any god of any level.

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Mani Mekhala desiring to hear a further discourse from the Great Being, intoned another stanza:
The coast of the unfathomable ocean
Is assuredly not visible to you. Your heroic
Efforts are thus of no avail; you will be dead
before you reach the shores.

Among these words, the words appatva va mean: will die before reaching the coast.

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Then the Great Being opined: “To this morning, we have been swimming the ocean for seven days. All that time we have seen nary a soul as companion. Now, who is that speaking to me?” Looking up skywards, he saw Mani Mekhala. Thereupon, he intoned the second stanza:
Ô Goddess,we have reflected upon the
worldly behaviour and the merits of
perseverance.Thus,we conclude that,even
though we do not see the shores, we still have
to persist in our swimmingin the wide ocean.
Among these words, the words nisamma vatam lokassa mean: we have reflected upon, i.e. thought out, the duties, i.e. the behaviour of the world. The words vàyamassa ca mean: the Great Being exposes his view: we have reflected, i.e. we have seen the merits of perseverance. The word tasmà means: because we are reflecting, i.e. we well know that perseverance will never hurt anybody, i.e. will certainly result in Ultimate Happiness. Therfore, even though we do not see the coast, we must always strive, i.e. persevere. We reiterate: how can we ever disregard this quality?

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To test the Great Being, she intoned the first stanza:
Who’s that, even though the coast is
nowhere to be seen, is still swimming in
the midst of the ocean waves? What mighty
use do you see in striving to swim in this manner?
Among these words the word apassantiram means: not a glimpse of the coast. The word àhuhe means: acting with perseverance.

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At that time, the Four World Watchers had entrusted a goddess named Mani Mekhala to look after all virtuous creatures who did good deeds, such as taking good care of their mother, and who should not die at sea. Mani Mekhala had not inspected the seas for seven days. It was said that she was absorbed with celestial joys, so she forgot her inspection duties. Other academics say that the goddess went to the Celestials’ Society. Anyway, she recalled: “Today is the seventh day that I have not inspected the high seas. I wonder what the situation is.” Upon inspection, she saw the Great Being and she thought: “Should young Prince Mahajanaka perish in the ocean, I’ll never be allowed in the Celestials’Society anymore.” Having so pondered, she adorned herself and went to hover not far from the Great Being.

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About seven hundred merchants boarded the ship. The ship sailed seven hundred leagues in seven days. The ship rode the crest of a terrible wave; it could not maintain its balance; the planks gave way under the might of the waces; water urshed in at many places; the ship foundered in the middle of the ocean. All the passengers feared death; they cried and wailed, and invoked and exhorted the gods for help. But the Great Being did not cry nor wail, did not invoke nor exhort the gods for help. The prince knew that the ship would sink, so he missed sugar with butter and had his fill of this mixture. Then he soaked two pieces of plain cloth in oil and wound them tightly around his body. He stood up, holding onto the mainmast. He climbed up the mast as the ship was sinking. The others became food for fish and turtles; the water all around took the colour of blood. The Great Being stood up on the top of the mast. He aimed in the direction of Mithila and jumped forwards off the mast, exerting his great strength to clear a school of fixh and turtles, to a distance of one usabha (70 metres).
On that same day, King Polajanka died.
From that moment on, the Great Being was like a golden banana tree trunk in the waves which had the colour of ruby, swimming in the ocean by the might of his shoulders. He swam for seven days, but it seemed only one day.

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The prince told his mother: “Respected Mother, give me half of the assets. I’ll go to the land of Suvarnabhumi and bring back an enormous wealth, then I’ll win back the throne that belonged to my father.” Having told her that, he asked his mother for half of the treasure. He used it to purchase goods o be loaded aboard a ship on which he would sail, along with other merchants, for Suvarnabhumi. Then he went back to take leave of his mother. He said: “Respected Mother, I am going to the land of Suvarnabhumi.” The Queen warned him: “An ocean trip is not worth it. The benefit is scarce, the perils manifold. Don’t you go. You already have enough wealth to be able to regain the throne.” The prince told the Queen: “I have decided to go.” Thereupon he took leave of his mother by making a dexterambulation and went along to embark.
On that very day, there happened an illness the body of King Polajanka. He retired and could not get up again anymore.

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The prince learnt the Three Vedas and all the sciences within his sixteenth year. At the age of sixteen, he was a handsome figure to behold. He told himself: “We’ll get back the throne that was rightfully our father’s.” So he asked his mother: “Respected Mother, did you bring any valuables with you? I’ll trade to increase the value and get the throne of my father back.” The Queen answered: “Dear son, I did not come here empty handed. We have three kinds of valuables. We have rubies, pearls and diamonds. Any one of these kinds would be enough to get back the throne. My son, take all these and regain the throne. Don’t try to trade.”

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As the prince was suckling at his mother’s breast, he held her nipple firmly and said: “Respected Mother, do tell me about Father. If you don’t, I’ll chew off your nipple.” The Queen could not deceive her son anymore, so she said: “You are the son of King Aritthamahajanaka of Mithila. You father was slain by Prince Polajanaka. To safehuard you, Mother came to this city. The Brahmin took me in and looked after me as his younger sister.” From that moment on, even when anybody would call him ‘the widow’s offspring’, the prince would not get angry anymore.

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So one day, the young prince asked his mother: “Respected Mother, who would my father be?” The Queen withheld the truth: “The Brahmin is your father.” The next day, the prince beat the children again and when they again said: “The widow’s offspring beat us”, he said: “Is the Brahmin not my father?” The children retorted with a question: “What sort of relative of yours is the Brahmin?” The prince opined: “These children say: ‘What sort of relative of yours is the Brahmin?’ Our mother surely does not tell the truth to us. She does not open her heart to us. Nevertheless, we’ll go and press her for the real fact.”

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The Brahmin looked after her in his own house. Not long thereafter, the Queen gave birth to a son with a resplendent golden complexion. The Queen gave him the name of Mahajanakakumara after his royal grandfather. As a child, the prince played with other children. Any child who would disturb or annoy him, the prince would grab him firmly and beat him soundly. He was physically quite strong and of a rather strict disposition resulting from a subconscious inborn pride of being of pure royal blood. The children were both hurt and scared, so they cried loudly. When asked: “Who beat you?” they would answer: “The widow’s offspring.” The prince thought: “The children always say that we are the widow’s offspring. Well, it doesn’t matter; we’ll just go and ask our mother."

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The Brahmin ordered them to bring a covered vehicle and have the Queen sit in it. He told his disciples: “You go and tell the Brahmani that this woman is my younger sister. And tell the Brahmani to take all the best care of her.” Having said that, he sent the Queen on her way home. There the Brahmani had the Queen take a good hot bath and prepared a bed for her to sleep in. When the Brahmin came back home from his bath, he gave an ofder to invite the Queen for a meal, using these words: “Go and invite our sister to come.” And he ate with her.

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The Queen acknowledged his request; she cried loudly, threw herself down and held both the Brahmis’s feet. The two moaned and wailed. When the disciples heard the moaning sounds of the Brahmin, they rushed into the rest-house, asking : “Master, what happened to you?” The Brahmin said : “My dear disciples said: “Now that you have found each other, you don’t have to worry anymore.”

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The Brahmin asked: “Sister, what township do you hail from?” The Queen answered: “Respected one, I am King Aritthajanaka’s queen, from the city of Mithila.” The Brahmin asked: “For what purpose are you here?” The Queen answered: “When King Aritthajanaka was killed by Prince Polajanaka, I saw danger, so K fled to save my yet unborn seed.” The Brahmin asked: “In this city, do you have any relative?” The Queen answered: “None, sir.” The Brahmin said: “In that case, don’t you worry. I am Ukicchabrahmana Mahasala, a guru leading the way to scores of disciples. I am installing you in the position of my rightful sister. I’ll safeguard you and take gook care of you. Pray, repeat after me these words: ‘You are my elder brother.’ Then touch both my feet with your hands and begin to moan and wail.”

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At that moment a Brahmin guru living in the city of Kalachampaka, who was a master of philosophy, accompanied by about five hundred disciples passed by, on their way to bathe. The guru looked from afar and saw the Queen, a figure of exquisite grace and absolute beauty, sitting there at the rest-house. By the might of the Great Being in the royal womb, as soon as the Brahmin saw the Queen, he was enraptured by the thought that this was his younger sister. He ordered his disciples to stay outside and entered the rest-house alone.

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So Indra drove the wagon off, arriving, after a distance of approximately thirty leagues (145 kilometres), at a big river. There he woke the Queen and told her: “My dear, do alight from the wagon to bathe in the river. Dress yourself with the set of clothes that hangs overhead, there. Then partake of the food that is in the wagon.” The Queen did what she was told to do, then went to sleep once again. Eventually, they arrived at the city of Kalachampaka in the evening. At the sight of gates, the towers and the city’s ramparts, the Queen asked in wonderment: “Venerable One, what would this city’ s name be?” Indra answered: “This is the city of Kalachampaka, my dear.” The Queen retorted: “Is the Revered One joking? Kalachampaka is at least sixty leagues away from our city,
Isn’t it so?” Indra said: “It is, indeed, dear. But I know the direct route.” Then Sakka Devaraja told the Queen to step down from the wagon near the Southern Gate. He said: “My house is further away ,but, my dear, you must enter this city.” Having said this, he appeared to move onwards, disappearing towards his abode. As for the Queen, she stayed at a rest-house.

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The King of the Gods inquired: “Is there anyone here going to Kalachampaka?” The Queen said: “I am going, Venerable One.” Sakka Devaraja said: “Then, just step on the wagon, my dear.” The Queen stepped out and said: “I am heavy with child; I cannot ride a wagon. I prefer walking behind you, Ô Venerable One. But, if you please, put this basket on the wagon for me.” Sakka Devaraja retorted: “What are you saying! There is no driver more skilled than I. Don’t be afeared, step right up, dearie.” By the might of the yet unborn child, as the Queen was going to step up on the wagon, the earth bulged up to the rear of the vehicle affording her an effortless access to the bed inside. She knew then that this was a god. The Queen lay down and drifted into a peaceful sleep, for that was a magic bed.

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The Being that rested in the royal womb was not an ordinary being but was one destined for enlightenment. The power of the Great Being caused an abnormal heat in the abode of Sakka Kevaraja, King of the Gods (Indra). The Great God investigated the phenomenon and opined: “The Being in the royal womb has a great destiny; we must go and see.” So he conjured a covered wagon with a bed inside and transformed himself into an old man. He drove the wagon to the rest-house where the Queen was and stopped at the entrance.

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In the battle that ensued, Prince Polajanaka’ s soldiers made mince meat of Aritthajanaka’ s and killed him. When the people learnt about the King’s demise, there was a great turmoil all through the city. As soon as the Queen knew that her royal consort was no more, she hurried to collect different valuables, such as gold, in a basket which she covered with old rags and put some rice on top. She donned old tainted clothes to disguise herself and, putting the basket on her head, she left the city immediately. Although it was broad daylight, nobody recognized her. The Queen went through the Northern Gate. She did not know where to proceed next because she had never been out anywhere. So she went to a rest-house and inquired if there was anyone heading for the city of Kalachampaka, which she only had heard about.

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Prince Polajanaka sent a sort of ultimatum to his brother: “In the past I never entertained any kind of enmity towards you but I intend to kindle hostility at this very moment. Are you going to cede the throne to me or are we to battle it out?” King Aritthajanaka acknowledged the message and decide to battle. So he called his Queen and said: “Dearest, to vanquish or to be vanquished is not predictable. If I am to meet deadly danger, then take good care of our unborn seed.” After these words, he led the army out of the royal city.

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Prince Polajanaka was able to expand his influence over the whole frontier territory and assembled a large military might. He reflected: “Of old, I entertained no ill will towards my brother. But now the situation has changed so I’ll act accordingly.” He called up the militia and, surrounded by a host of populace, set off for the city of Mithila. There he established an encampment outside the limit of the metropolis. When the soldiers of Mithila City learnt that Prince Polajanaka had arrived, they came in great numver, to the prince’s headquarters, bringing with them a quantity of military equipment and transport such as elephants. Civilians from the city also came to join.

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Then one close courtier kept repeating to the King: “Your August Majesty, the Viceroy is plotting against the throne.” The often recurring venomous words took their toll on the King’s affection for his brother. As a result, Viceroy Polajanaka was put in chains and under guard in a mansion near the Royal Palace. Polajanaka swore upon the truth: “If I truly plotted against my brother, let these chains enfix my hands and feed forever and the door stay closed and locked. If I am imnocent of High Treason, let these chains fall from my hands and feet and the door be opened.” On that instant, the chains dropped down in pieces and the door was flung open wide. Thereupon, Prince Polajanaka went to a frontier town to recoup. The people recognized him and took good care of him. Now King Arithajanaka was unable to have him arrested.

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Once upon an uncomputable time past, there was a king bearing the name of Mahajanaka who reigned in the city of Mithila in the land of Videha. King Mahajanaka had two sons named respectively Aritthajanaka and Polajanaka. The elder son was invested by the King as Viceroy, and the younger one, Chief Minister. In the course of time, the King passed away to Heaven. Prince Arithajanaka acceded to the throne and invested his brother as Viceroy.

The Story of MAHAJANAKA

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