Cullakāla’s wives regain their husband

[Full title: Depiction of scenes from the life of Buddha: Cullakāla’s wives regain their husband]

Story:-

The story is given in Dhammapada-atthakatha.

Once there lived three merchants named Cullakāla, Majjhimakala and Mahakāla in Setavya. Mahakāla and Cullakāla used to take wares to Śrāvastī for selling them. When halting between Śrāvastī and Jetavana they noticed the residents of Śrāvastī going with garlands to Buddha. Mahakāla asked Cullakāla to look after their carts and he went to listen to Buddha’s preaching. After the discourse he requested Buddha to admit him to the order. Inspite of the remonstances of Cullakāla, Mahakāla became a monk. Cullakāla also followed his suit.

Mahakāla was earnest in his ascetism and became an arhat. After this the Master came to Setavya. Cullakāla’s wives now rejoiced as they thought it was an opportunity to recover her husband. Mahakāla sent Cullakāla to supervise the arrangement of seats before the Master arrived.

But as soon as Cullakāla arrived his household began to arrange seats. When he corrected the arrangement his wives ignored it and mockingly asked him why he became a monk. They then surrounded him and tore his monk’s garment. They clothed him in white garment, placed a garland coil on his head and packed him off to fetch the Master. Mahakāla’s wives tried the same trick on Mahakāla but were unsuccessful^[1].

Depiction:-

The upper part of a coping carved in the Madras Government Museum represents Cullakāla surrounded and heckled by his wives. The scene above which is broken shows two men seated conversing. They may be Cullakāla and Mahakāla^[2] (Pl 25b). This is the earlier incident of the story of Cullakāla’s entry to the Buddhist order.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Sivaramamurti C, Op.cit, pp 198-200.

[2]:

I bid, pp 199-200, pl LIV, fig 1