1. At that time the blessed Buddha dwelt at Râgagaha, in the Veluvana, in the Kalandaka-nivâpa. At that time Vesâlî was an opulent, prosperous town, populous, crowded with people, abundant with food 1; there were seven thousand seven hundred and seven storeyed buildings, and seven thousand seven hundred and seven pinnacled buildings, and seven thousand seven hundred and seven pleasure grounds (Ârâmas), and seven thousand seven hundred and seven lotus-ponds. There was also the courtezan Ambapâlikâ 2, who was beautiful, graceful, pleasant, gifted with the highest beauty of complexion, well versed in dancing, singing, and lute-playing, much visited by desirous people. She asked fifty (kahâpanas) for one night. Through that person Vesâlî became more and more flourishing. 2. Now a merchant from Râgagaha went to Vesâlî on a certain business. That Râgagaha merchant saw what an opulent, prosperous town Vesâlî was, how populous, crowded with people, and abundant with food, and the seven thousand seven
And the courtezan Sâlavatî gave orders to the door-keeper (saying), 'Let no man enter here, my good door-keeper, and if a man calls for me, tell him that I am sick.' The door-keeper accepted It is a boy, Your Highness 2.' 'Is he alive, Sirs?' 'He is alive, Your Highness.' 'Well, my good Sirs, bring that boy to our palace and give him to the nurses to nourish him.' And those people accepted that order of the royal prince Abhaya (by saying), 'Yes, Your Highness,' brought that boy to the palace of the royal prince Abhaya, and gave him to the nurses (saying), 'Nourish (this boy).'
5. And ere long Gîvaka Komârabhakka came to the years of discretion. And Gîvaka Komârabhakka went to the place where the royal prince Abhaya was; having approached him he said to the royal prince Abhaya: 'Who is my mother, Your Highness, and who is my father?' 'I do not know your mother, my good Gîvaka, but I am your father, for I have had you nourished.' Now Gîvaka Komârabhakka thought: 'In these royal families it is not easy to find one's livelihood without knowing an art. What if I were to learn an art.' 6. At that time there lived at Takkasilâ (Τάξιλα) a world-renowned physician. And Gîvaka Komârabhakka without asking leave of the royal prince Abhaya set out for Takkasilâ. Wandering from place to place he came to Takkasilâ and to the place where
And Gîvaka Komârabhakka, when he had entered Sâketa, asked the people: 'Who is sick here, my good Sirs? Whom shall I cure?' 'That setthi's wife, doctor, has been suffering for seven years from a disease in the head; go, doctor, and cure that setthi's wife.' 9. Then Gîvaka Komârabhakka went to the house of that householder, the setthi; and when he had reached it, he gave orders to the door-keeper (saying), 'Go, my good door-keeper, and tell the setthi's wife: "A physician has come in, Madam, who wants to see you."' That door-keeper accepted this order of Gîvaka Komârabhakka (saying), 'Yes, doctor,' went to the place where the setthi's wife was, and having approached her, he said to the setthi's wife: 'A physician has come in, Madam, who wants to see you.'
(Gîvaka replied), 'Go, my good door-keeper, and tell the setthi's wife: "The physician, Madam, says: 'Do not give me anything beforehand, Madam when you shall have been restored to health, then you may give me what you like."' The door-keeper accepted this order of Gîvaka Komârabhakka (saying), 'Yes, doctor,' went to the place where the setthi's wife was, and having approached her he said to the setthi's wife: 'The physician, Madam, says (&c., as above).' 'Well, my good door-keeper, let the physician enter.' The door-keeper accepted this order of the setthi's wife (saying), 'Yes, Madam,' went to the place where Gîvaka Komârabhakka was, and having approached him he said to Gîvaka Komârabhakka: 'The setthi's wife calls you, doctor.' 11. Then Gîvaka Komârabhakka went to the place where the setthi's wife was; having approached her, and having carefully observed the change in the appearance of the setthi's wife, he said to the 12. Then Gîvaka Komârabhakka thought: 'It is astonishing how niggardly this house-wife is, in that she has this ghee, which ought to be thrown away, taken up with a piece of cotton. I have given her many highly precious drugs. What sort of fee will she give me?' And the setthi's wife, when she observed the change of demeanour in Gîvaka Komârabhakka, said to Gîvaka Komârabhakka: 'Why are you perplexed, doctor?' 'I thought: "It is astonishing, &c."' 'Householders like us, doctor, know why to economize thus; this ghee will do for the servants or workmen to anoint their feet with, or, it can be poured into the lamp. Be not perplexed, doctor, you will not lose your fee.'
'This excellent young physician of ours, Sire, Gîvaka, he will cure Your Majesty.' 'Then pray, my dear Abhaya, give orders to the physician Gîvaka, and he shall cure me.' 15. Then the royal prince Abhaya gave orders to Gîvaka Komârabhakka (saying), 'Go, my dear Gîvaka, and cure the king.' Gîvaka Komârabhakka accepted this order of the royal prince Abhaya (by saying), 'Yes, Your Highness,' took some medicament in his nail, and went to the place where the Magadha king Seniya Bimbisâra was. Having approached him, he said to the Magadha king Seniya Bimbisâra: 'Let us see your disease, Your Majesty.' And Gîvaka Komârabhakka healed the fistula of the Magadha king Seniya Bimbisâra by one anointing. Then the Magadha king Seniya Bimbisâra, having been restored to health, ordered his five hundred wives to put on all their ornaments; then he ordered them to take their ornaments off and to make a heap of them, and he said to Gîvaka Komârabhakka: 'All these ornaments, my dear Gîvaka, of my five hundred wives shall be thine.' 'Nay, Sire, may Your Majesty remember my office.' 19. And when seven days had elapsed, the setthi, the householder, said to Gîvaka Komârabhakka: 'I am not able, doctor, to lie down on one side for seven months.' 'Did you not tell me, my good householder: "I shall be able, doctor, to lie down on one side for seven months?"' 'It is true, doctor, I told you so indeed, but I shall die (if I do); I cannot lie down on one side for seven months.' 'Well, my good householder, then you must lie down on the other side for seven months.' And when seven days had elapsed, the setthi, the householder, said to Gîvaka Komârabhakka: 'I am not able, doctor, to lie down on the other side for seven months.' 'Did you not tell me, &c.' It is true, doctor, I told you so indeed, &c.' 'Well, my good householder, then you must lie down on your back for seven months.' And when seven days had elapsed, the setthi, the householder, said to Gîvaka Komârabhakka: 'I am 'All that I possess shall be yours, doctor, and I will be your slave.' 'Nay, my good householder, do not give me all that you possess, and do not be my slave; give one hundred thousand (kâhâpanas) to the king, and one hundred thousand to me.' Then the setthi, the householder, having regained his health, gave a hundred thousand (kâhâpanas) to the king, and a hundred thousand to Gîvaka Komârabhakka. 21. At that time the son of the setthi at Benares, who used to amuse himself by tumbling (mokkhakikâ 1), brought upon himself an entanglement of his
Then Gîvaka Komârabhakka boiled some ghee with various drugs so as to give it the colour, the smell, and the taste of an astringent decoction. And Gîvaka Komârabhakka thought: 'When this king will shall have taken the butter and digested it, it will make him vomit. This king is cruel; he might have me killed. What if I were to take leave before
And king Paggota sent the following order to the (royal) stables and to the gates (of the town): 'Let Gîvaka ride out on what animal he likes, &c.' At that time king Paggota had a she-elephant, called Bhaddavatikâ, which could travel fifty yoganas (in one day). And Gîvaka Komârabhakka gave the ghee to king Paggota (saying), 'May Your Majesty drink this decoction.' Then, having made king Paggota drink the ghee, Gîvaka Komârabhakka went to the elephant stable, and hasted away from the town on the she-elephant Bhaddavatikâ. 26. And when king Paggota had drunk that ghee and was digesting it, it made him vomit. Then king Paggota said to his attendants: 'That wicked Gîvaka, my good Sirs, has given me ghee to drink. Go, my good Sirs, and seek the physician Gîvaka.' (The attendants answered), 'He has run away from the town on the she-elephant Bhaddavatikâ.' At that time king Paggota had a slave, Kâka by name, who could travel sixty yoganas (in one day), who had been begotten by a non-human being. To this slave Kâka; king Paggota gave the order: 'Go, my good Kâka, and call the physician Gîvaka back 27. And the slave Kâka overtook Gîvaka Komârabhakka on his way, at Kosambî, when he was taking his breakfast. And the slave Kâka said to Gîvaka Komârabhakka: 'The king orders you to return, doctor.' (Gîvaka replied), 'Wait, my good Kâka, until we have taken our meal; here, my good Kâka, eat.' (Kâka said), 'Nay, doctor, the king has told me, "Those physicians, my good Kâka, are cunning people; do not accept anything from him."' At that time Gîvaka Komârabhakka, who had cut off some drug with his nail, was eating an emblic myrobalan fruit and drinking water. And Gîvaka Komârabhakka said to the slave Kâka: 'Here, my good Kâka, eat of this myrobalan fruit and take some water.' 28. Then the slave Kâka thought: 'This physician eats the myrobalan and drinks the water; there cannot be any harm in it;' so he ate half of the myrobalan and drank some water. And that half myrobalan which (Gîvaka) had given him to eat, opened his bowels on the spot. Then the slave Kâka said to Gîvaka Komârabhakka: 'Can my life be saved, doctor?' (Gîvaka replied), 'Be not afraid, my good Kâka, you will be quite well. But the king is cruel; that king might have me killed; therefore do I not return.' Speaking thus he handed over to Kâka the she-elephant Bhaddavatikâ and set out for Râgagaha. Having reached Râgagaha in due course, he went to
The venerable Ânanda accepted this order of the Blessed One (saying), 'Yes, Lord,' and got warm water ready. 33. And Gîvaka Komârabhakka went to the place where the Blessed One was; having approached him and respectfully saluted the Blessed One, he sat down near him; sitting near him Gîvaka Komârabhakka said to the Blessed One: 'Lord, has the And Gîvaka Komârabhakka said to the Blessed One: 'Lord, until the Blessed One's body is completely restored, you had better abstain from liquid food.' And ere long the Blessed One's body was completely restored. 34. Then Gîvaka Komârabhakka took that suit of Siveyyaka cloth and went to the place where the Blessed One was; having approached him, and having respectfully saluted the Blessed One, he sat down near him. Sitting near him, Gîvaka Komârabhakka said to the Blessed One: 'Lord, I ask one boon of the Blessed One.' (Buddha replied), 'The Tathâgatas, Gîvaka, are above granting boons (before they know what they are).' (Gîvaka said), 'Lord, it is a proper and unobjectionable demand.'--'Speak, Gîvaka.' 'Lord, the Blessed One wears only pamsukûla robes (robes made of rags taken from a dust heap or a cemetery 1), and so does the fraternity of Bhikkhus. Now, Lord, this suit of Siveyyaka cloth has been sent to me by king Paggota, which is the best, and the most excellent, and the first, and the most precious, and the noblest of many cloths and of
The Blessed One accepted the suit of Siveyyaka cloth. And the Blessed One taught, incited, animated, and gladdened Gîvaka Komârabhakka by religious discourse. And Gîvaka Komârabhakka, having been taught, incited, animated, and gladdened by the Blessed One by religious discourse, rose from his seat, respectfully saluted the Blessed One, passed round him with his right side towards him, and went away. 35. And the Blessed One, after having delivered a religious discourse in consequence of that, thus addressed the Bhikkhus: 'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, to wear lay robes. He who likes may wear pamsukûla robes; he who likes may accept lay robes. Whether you are pleased with the one or with the other sort 2 of robes, I approve it.' Now the people at Râgagaha heard, The Blessed One has allowed the Bhikkhus to wear lay robes.' Then those people became glad and delighted (because they thought), 'Now we will bestow gifts (on the Bhikkhus) and acquire merit by good works,
'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, to use a fleecy counterpane.' __________________ End of the first Bhânavâra.
171:1 Compare Mahâ-sudassana Sutta I, 3, and Mahâ-parinibbâna Sutta V, 42. 171:2 See above, VI, 30, 6; Mahâ-parinibbâna Sutta II, 16 seq. 173:1 This royal prince Abhaya' (Abhaya kumâra) is mentioned by the Gainas under the name of Abhayakumâra as the son of Seniya, i.e. Bimbisâra. See Jacobi, Zeitschrift der Deutschen Morg. Gesellschaft, vol. xxxiv, p. 187. 173:2 The word which we have translated 'Your Highness' (deva, lit. 'God') is the same which is used by all persons except by Samanas in addressing a king. 174:1 Evidently the redactors of this passage referred the first part of the compound Komârabhakka to the royal prince (kumâra) Abhaya, and intended Komârabhakka to be understood as 'a person whose life is supported by a royal prince.' So also the name Kumâra-Kassapa is explained in the Gâtaka commentary (Rh. D., 'Buddhist Birth Stories,' p. 204). The true meaning of the name, however, appears to have been different, for in Sanskrit kumârabhrityâ and kaumârabhritya are technical terms for the part of the medical science which comprises the treatment of infants (see Wise, 'Commentary on the Hindu System of Medicine,' p. 3). We believe, therefore, that this surname Komârabhakka really means,' Master of the kaumârabhritya science.' 176:1 See the note at I, 7, 1. 178:1 One prasrita or prasriti ('handful') is said by the Sanskrit lexicographers to be equal to two palas. About the pala, which according to the ghee measure (ghritapramâna) of Magadha was the thirty-second part of a prastha, see the Atharva-parisishta 35, 3, ap. Weber, Ueber den Vedakalender namens Jyotisham, p. 82. Compare also Rh. D., 'Ancient Coins and Measures of Ceylon,' pp. 18, 19. 184:1 Mokkhakikâ is explained in a passage quoted by Childers sub voce and taken from the Sumaṅgala Vilâsinî on the 4th Magghima Sîla. (Compare Rh. D., 'Buddhist Suttas from the Pâli,' p. 193.) The passage from Buddhaghosa is however not devoid of ambiguity. He says: 'Mokkhakikâ is the feat of turning over and over. One gets hold of a staff in the air, and places his head on the ground; turning himself upside down. This is what is meant (by the word mokkhakikâ).' It is not clear whether the performer suspends himself by his feet from a horizontal bar fixed at a height above the ground; or whether he turns a sommersault, holding at the same time a stick in his hands. The latter seems 190:1 Buddhaghosa gives two explanations of Siveyyakam dussayugam. 'Either Siveyyaka cloth means the cloth used in the Uttarakuru country for veiling the dead bodies when they are brought to the burying-ground (sivathikâ). (A certain kind of birds take the bodies to the Himavat mountains in order to eat them, and throw the cloths away. When eremites find them there, they bring them to the king.) Or Siveyyaka cloth means a cloth woven from yarn which skilful women in the Sivi country spin.' No doubt the latter explication is the right one. 193:1 Buddhaghosa: 'To the Blessed One during the twenty years from his Sambodhi till this story happened no one had presented a lay robe.' 194:1 Gahapatikîvâra may be translated also, as Buddhaghosa explains it, 'a robe presented by lay people.' 194:2 Itarîtara ('the one or the other') clearly refers to the two sorts of robes mentioned before, not, as Childers (s.v. itarîtaro) understands it, to whether the robes are good or bad. Compare also chap. 3, § 2. 195:1 See Abhidhânapp. v. 312.(THE DRESS OF THE BHIKKHUS.)
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