The story of King Bimbisāra

^Kd.8.1.14 Now at that time King Seniya Bimbisāra of Magadha came to suffer from a fistula; his outer garments were stained with blood. The queens, seeing this, made fun of him, saying: “Now the king is in his courses, the king is having a period, soon the king will give birth.” On account of this the king became ashamed. Then King Seniya Bimbisāra of Magadha spoke thus to Abhaya, the king’s son:

“Good Abhaya, I have such a disease that my outer garments are stained with blood. The queens, seeing this, make fun of me, saying, ‘… the king will give birth’. Please, good Abhaya, do find a doctor such as could attend me.”

“Sire, there is this Jīvaka of ours, a young doctor of high repute, he will attend your majesty.”

“Very well, good Abhaya, ^Vin.1.273 command the doctor, Jīvaka, so that he shall attend me.”

^{Kd.8.1.15 BD.4.386} Then Abhaya, the king’s son, commanded Jīvaka Komārabhacca, saying: “Go, good Jīvaka, attend the king.”

“Very well, sire,” and Jīvaka Komārabhaccahaving answered Abhaya, the king’s son, in assent, taking medicine under his nail, approached King Seniya Bimbisāra of Magadha; having approached, he spoke thus to King Seniya Bimbisāra of Magadha:

“Sire, let me see the disease.”

Then Jīvaka Komārabhacca removed King Seniya Bimbisāra of Magadha’s fistula with just the one ointment. Then King Seniya Bimbisāra of Magadha, being well, having had five hundred women adorned with all kinds of ornaments, having made them take (these) off, having had them made into a pile, spoke thus to Jīvaka Komārabhacca: “Let all these ornaments of the five hundred women be yours, good Jīvaka.”

“No, sire, may your majesty remember my office.”

“Well then, good Jīvaka, may you tend me and the women^[1] and the Order of monks with the awakened one at its head.”

“Very well, sire,” Jīvaka Komārabhacca answered King Seniya Bimbisāra of Magadha in assent.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

itthāgāra.