Once upon a time, in the kingdom of Kalinga, and in the city of Dantapura, reigned a king named Kalinga. He had two sons, named Maha-Kalinga and Culla-Kalinga, kalinga the Greater and the Less. Now fortune-tellers had foretold that the eldest son would reign after his father’s death; but that the youngest would live as an ascetic, and live by alms, yet his son would be an universal monarch.

Time passed by, and on his father’s death the eldest son became king, the youngest viceroy. The youngest, ever thinking that a son born of him was to be an universal monarch, grew arrogant on that account. This the king could not brook, so sent a messenger to arrest Kalinga. The man came and said, “Prince showed the courtier charged with this mission his own signet ring, a fine rug, and his sword: these three. Then he said, “By these tokens you shall know my son, and make him king.” With these words, he sped away into the forest. There he built him a hut in a pleasant place, and lived as an ascetic upon the bank of a river.

Now in the kingdom of Madda, and in the city of Sagala, a daughter was born to the King of Madda. Of the girl, as of the prince, fortunetellers foretold that she should live as an ascetic, but her son was to be an universal monarch. The Kings of India, hearing this rumour, came together with one accord, and surrounded the city. The king thought to himself, “Now, if I give my daughter to one, all the other kings will be enraged. I will try to save her.” so with wife and daughter he fled disguised away into the forest; and after building him a hut some distance up the river, above the hut of Prince Kalinga, he lived there as an ascetic, eating what he could pick up.

The parents, wishing to save their daughter, left her behind in the hut, and went out to gather wild fruits. While they were gone she gathered flowers of all kinds, and made them into a flower-wreath. Now on the bank of the Ganges there is a mango tree with beautiful flowers, which forms a kind of natural ladder. Upon this she climbed, and playing managed to drop the wreath of flowers into the water.

One day, as Prince Kalinga was coming out of the river after a bath, this flower-wreath caught in his hair.

He looked at it, and said, “Some woman made this, and no full-grown woman but a tender young girl. I must make search for her.” so deeply in love he travelled up the Ganges, until he heard her singing in a sweet voice, as she sat in the mango tree. He approached the foot of the tree, and seeing her, said, “What are you, fair lady?” “I am human, Sir,” she replied. He said, “Come down, then.”

“Sir, I cannot; I am of the warrior caste. “So am I also, lady: come down!” “No, no, Sir, that I cannot do. Saying will not make a warrior; if you are so, tell me the secrets of that mystery.” Then they repeated to each other these guild secrets. And the princess came down, and they had connection one with the other.

When her parents returned she told them about this son of the King of Kalinga, and how he came into the forest, in all detail. They consented to give her to him. While they lived together in happy union, the princess conceived, and after ten months gave birth a son with the signs of good luck and virtue; and they named him Kalinga. He grew up, and learnt all arts and accomplishments from his father and grandfather.

At length his father knew from conjunctions of the stars that his brother was dead. So he called his son, and said, “My son, you must not spend your life in the forest. Your father’s brother, Kalinga the Greater, is dead; you must go to Dantapura, and receive your hereditary kingdom.” Then he gave him the things he had brought away with him, signet, rug, and sword, saying, “My son, in the city of Dantappura, in such a street, lives a courtier who is my very good servant. Go to his house and enter his bedchamber, and show him these three things and tell him you are my son. He will place you upon the throne.”

The lad bade farewell to his parents and grandparents; and by power of his own virtue he passed through the air, and descending into the house of that courtier entered his bedchamber. “Who are you?” asked the other. “The son of Kalinga the Less,” said he, disclosing the three tokens. The courtier told it to the palace, and all those of the court decorated the city and spread the umbrella of royalty over his head. Then the chaplain, who was named Kalinga-bharadvaja, taught him the ten ceremonies which an universal monarch has to perform, and he fulfilled those duties. Then on the fifteenth day, the fast-day, came to him from Cakkadaha the precious Wheel of Empire, from the uposatha stock the precious Elephant, from the royal Valaha breed the precious Horse, from Vepulla the precious Jewel; and the precious wife, retinue, and prince made their appearance. Then he achieved sovereignty in the whole terrestrial sphere.

One day, surrounded by a company which covered six-and-thirty leagues, and mounted upon an elephant all white, tall as a peak of Mount Kelasa, in great pomp and splendor he went to visit his parents. But beyond the circuit around the great bo-tree, the throne of victory of all the Buddhas, which has become the very navel of the earth, beyond this the elephant was unable to pass; again and again the king urged him on, but pass he could not.

Hereupon the king’s chaplain, who was traveling with the king, thought to himself, “In the air is no hindrance; why cannot the king make his elephant go on? I will go, and see.” Then descending from the air, he beheld the throne of victory of all Buddhas, the navel of the earth, that circuit around the great bo-tree. At that time, it is said, for the space of a royal karisa was never a blade of grass, not so big as a hare’s whisker; it seemed as it were a smooth-spread sand bright like a silver plate; but on all sides were grass, creepers, mighty trees like the lords of the forest, as though standing in reverent wise all about with their faces turned towards the throne of the bo-tree. When the brahmin beheld this spot this spot of earth, “This,” thought he, “is the place where all the Buddhas have crushed all the desires of the flesh; and beyond this none can pass, no not if he were Sakka himself.” Then approaching the king, he told him the quality of the bo-tree circuit, and bade him descend.

Pierced and pierced again by the king, this elephant could not endure the pain, and so died; but the king knew not he was dead, and sat there still on his back. Then Kalingabharadvaja said, “O great king! Your elephant is dead; pass on to another.”

By the virtue and magical power of the king, another beast of the Uposatha breed appeared and offered his back. The king sat on his back. At that moment the dead elephant fell upon the earth.

Thereupon the king came down from the air, and beholding the precinct of the bo-tree, and the miracle that was done and praised the chaplain.

Now the brahmin would not accept this praise; but standing in his own humble place, he extolled the Buddhas, and praised them.

To explain this matter, the Master repeated these stanzas:

“But the brahmin straight denied it, and thus spake unto the king:

‘I know sooth of marks and tokens: but the Buddhas, every thing.

“‘Though all-knowing and all-seeing, yet in marks they have no skill:

They know all, but know by insight: I a man of books am still.’”

The king, hearing the virtues of the Buddhas, was delighted in heart; and he caused all the dwellers in the world to bring fragrant wreaths in plenty, and for seven days he made them do worship at the circuit of the Great Bo-tree.

By way of explanation, the Master recited a couple of stanzas:

“Thus worshipt he the great bo-tree with much melodious sound

Of music, and with fragrant wreaths; a wall he set around,

“and after that the king went on his way–

“Brought flowers in sixty thousand carts an offering to be;

Thus king Kalinga worshipped the Circuit of the Tree.”

Having in this manner done worship to the Great Bo-tree, he visited his parents, and took them back with him again to Dantapura; where he gave alms and did good deeds, until he was born again in the Heaven of the Thirty-Three.