In Buddhism

Theravada (major branch of Buddhism)

Source: Pali Kanon: Pali Proper Names

Brahmadatta, king of Benares, was much addicted to meat. One uposatha day the meat which had been prepared for him was eaten by dogs, and the cook, unable to buy any more, cut a piece from a human body recently dead and cooked it. Brahmadatta had been a Yakkha in a former birth and therefore enjoyed the dish. Having discovered what the meat was, he developed a taste for human flesh, and, in due course, came to having his subjects murdered in order to supply him with food. His crime was discovered and his guilt brought home by his commander in chief, Kalahatthi, but the king refused to give up his cannibalism and was driven out of the kingdom. Kalahatthi relates various stories to the king, showing the folly of his behaviour - e.g., the story of the fish Ananda, of Sujatas son, of the geese who lived in Cittakuta and of the Unnabhi spider.

The king dwelt in the forests with his cooks, eating all the travelers they were able to seize. The day arrived when he killed the cook himself and ate his flesh. Some time after he fell upon a brahmin traveling through the forest with a large retinue, and they gave chase to the king. As he ran an acacia splinter pierced his foot, causing him great pain. Seeing a banyan tree, he made a vow to bathe its trunk with the blood of one hundred and one princes if his foot were healed in seven days. The foot did heal within that time, and with the assistance of a Yakkha, who had been his friend in a previous birth, he managed to capture one hundred kings whom he hung on the tree by means of cords passed through their hands.

The deity of the tree was alarmed and, on the advice of Sakka, appeared before the man eater (who is called in the context Porisada) and demanded that he should bring Sutasoma, Prince of Kuru, to complete the number of his victims. Sutasoma had been the man eaters friend and private tutor (pitthacariya) at Takkasila. Anxious to appease the deity, the man eater went to Sutasomas park and there waited for him hidden in the pond, when Sutasoma came to take his ceremonial bath on the festival day of Phussa. On the way to the park, Sutasoma met a brahmin, Nanda, who offered, for four thousand pieces, to teach him four verses learnt from Kassapa Buddha. Sutasoma promised to learn them on his return from the park, but there he was caught by the Porisada. Promising to return to the Porisada, Sutasoma obtained leave to keep his appointment with Nanda. This promise fulfilled, Sutasoma returned to the Porisada and went with him to the banyan tree. There he told the Porisada of the verses he had learnt from Nanda, reciting them to him, and discoursing on the virtues of Truth. The Porisada was greatly pleased and offered Sutasoma four boons. Sutasoma chose as his first boon that the Porisada should live for one hundred years; as his second that the captive kings should be released; as his third,

context information

Theravāda is a major branch of Buddhism having the the Pali canon (tipitaka) as their canonical literature, which includes the vinaya-pitaka (monastic rules), the sutta-pitaka (Buddhist sermons) and the abhidhamma-pitaka (philosophy and psychology).

See also (Relevant definitions)

Partial matches: Jataka.

Full-text: Sutasoma Jataka, Sutasoma, Kammasapada, Kammasadamma, Kharaputta Jataka.

Relevant text

Search found 2 books and stories containing Mahasutasoma Jataka, Mahāsutasoma-jātaka; (plurals include: Mahasutasoma Jatakas, jātakas). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:

Maha Prajnaparamita Sastra (by Gelongma Karma Migme Chödrön)

Mahāsutasoma-jātaka (story of Sutasoma and Kalmāṣapāda) < [Part 4 - The Bodhisattva in the Abhidharma system]

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The Jataka tales [English], Volume 1-6 (by Robert Chalmers)

Jataka 513: Jayaddisa-jātaka < [Volume 5]

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