Once upon a time king Tamba reigned in Benares, and his queen named Sussondi was a woman of surpassing beauty. At that time the Bodhisatta came to life as a young Garuda. Now the Naga Island was then known as Seruma island, and the Bodhisatta lived on this island in the abode of the Garudas. And he went to Benares, disguised as a youth, and played dice with king Tamba.

Remarking his beauty they said to Sussondi, “Such and such a youth plays dice with our king.” She longed to see him, and one day she adorned herself and went to the dice-chamber. There taking her stand amongst the attendants, she fixed her gaze on the youth. He too gazed on the queen, and the pair fell in love with one another. The Garuda king by an act of supernatural power stirred up a black storm in the city. The people, through fear of the house falling, fled out of the palace. Taking the queen with him in the air, he went to Naga Island. But no one knew of the coming or going of Sussondi. The Garuda took his pleasure with her, and still came to play dice with the king. Now the king had a minister named Sagga, and not knowing where the queen had gone, the king addressed the minister and said, “Go now and explore every land and sea, and discover my queen.”

He searched everywhere and at last came to Bharukaccha. At that time merchants of Bharukaccha were setting sail for the Golden Land. He approached them and said, “I am a minister. If you remit my passage money, I will act as your minister. Take me with you.” They agreed to do so, and putting him on board the ship sailed off. They called him and asked him make music for them. He said, “I would make music, but if I do, the fish will be so excited that your vessel will be wrecked.”

They said, “If a mere mortal make music, there will be no excitement on the part of the fish. Play the music.” He started singing. The fish were maddened at the sound and splashed about. And a certain sea monster leaping up fell upon the ship and broke it in two. Sagga lying on a plank was carried along by the wind till he reached a banyan tree in the Naga Island, where the Garuda king lived. Now queen Sussondi, whenever the Garuda king went to play dice, she used to wander on the edge of the shore. She recognized the minister Sagga, and asked him how he got there. He told her the whole story. She comforted Sagga and embracing him in her arms, she carried him to her house and laid him on a couch. And when he was greatly revived, she made love to Sagga. Whenever the Garuda king returned, she hid her lover, and so soon as the king was gone, under the influence of passion she took her pleasure with him. At the end of a month, some merchants, who lived at Benares, landed at the foot of the banyan tree in this island, to get fire-wood and water. The minister went on board ship with them, and on reaching Benares, as soon as he saw the king, while he was playing dice, Sagga took his lute, and making music recited the first stanza:–

I scent the fragrance of the timer grove,

I hear the moaning of the weary sea:

Tamba, I am tormented with my love,

For fair Sussondi dwells afar from me.

On hearing this the Garuda king uttered the second stanza:–

How did you cross the stormy main?

And Seruma in safety gain?

How didst thou, Sagga, tell me, pray?

To fair Sussondi win thy way?

Then Sagga repeated three stanzas:–

With trading-folk from Bharukaccha land

My ship was wrecked by monsters of the sea ;

I on a plank did safely gain the strand,

When an anointed queen with gentle hand

Upbore me tenderly upon her knee,

As though to her a true son I might be.

She food and raiment brought, and as I lay.

With love-lorn eyes hung o’er my couch all day.

Know, Tamba, well; this word is sooth I say.

Hearing this, the Garuda, was filled with regrets and said: “Though I dwelt in the abode of the Garudas, I failed to guard her safely. What is this wicked woman to me?” So he brought her back and presented her to the king and departed. And he never returned.

The Master, his lesson ended, declared the Truths and identified the Birth: – At the conclusion of the Truths the worldly-minded Brother attained fruition of the First Path: – “At that time Ananda was the king of Benares, and I myself was the Garuda king.”