Once upon a time when Brahmadatta was king of Benares, the Bodhisatta was conceived by his Queen. On his birth, they called him as Prince Brahmadatta.

In course of time, he grew up, and at sixteen years went to Takkasila for his education; where he mastered all branches of learning, and on his father’s death he became king. He ruled with uprightness and all rectitude, administering justice with no regard had to his own will or whim. And as he ruled thus justly, his ministers on their part were also just; thus, while all things were justly done, none brought a suit into court. The courts were deserted.

Then the Bodhisatta thought to himself, “Because of my just government not one suitor comes to try issue in court; the courts of law are deserted. Now I must search whether I have any fault in me; which if I find, I will rectify it, and live a good life here after.”

From that time he tried continually to find some one who would tell him of a fault; but everybody spoke good of him and none pointed out the fault. He thought, “Perhaps! they are all so much afraid of me that they say no ill of me but only good.” He entrusted all government to his ministers, and mounted in his carriage. All the country he traversed, even to the frontier; but not a faultfinder could he found; all he could hear was only his own praises. So he returned back and coming towards Benares.

Now, At the very same time Mallika, the king of Kosala, had done the very same thing. He too was a just king, and he had been searching for his faults; but amongst those about him there was none who had any fault to find; and hearing nothing but praise, he had been making enquiry throughout all the country, and on the way back he arrived at that same spot.

That road to that spot was narrow and only one carrige can go and there was no room for another carriage to pass another.

“Get your carriage out of the way!” said king Mallika’s driver to the driver of the king of Benares.

Brahmadatta’s driver said, “No! No! Driver; get out of the way. Do you know the great monarch Brahmadatta, lord of the kingdom of Benares is sitting in the carriage?”

The other replied, “Not so, driver! the great king Mallika, lord of the realm of Kosala is in this carriage! It is for you to make way, and to give place to the carriage of our king!”

The driver of the king of Benares thought that if my king older than the Kosala king, then the younger should give way to the elder. And he made enquiry of the other driver how old his king was; but he learnt that both were of the same age.

Then he enquired the extent of this king’s power, wealth, and glory, and all points touching his caste and clan and his family; discovering that both of them are equal he decided that place might be given to the better man; so he requested that the other driver should describe his master’s virtues. The man replied by the first verse of poetry following, in which he set forth his monarch’s faults as though they were so many virtues:-

“Rough to the rough, king Mallika the mild with mildness sways,

Masters the good by goodness, and the bad with badness pays.

Give place, give place, O driver! Such are this monarch’s ways!”

“Oh,” said the man of the king of Benares, “is that all you have to say about your king’s virtues?” “Yes,” said the other. “If these are his virtues, what must his vices be!” “Vices be it, then,” said he, “if you will; but let us hear what your king’s virtues may be like!” “Listen then,” rejoined the first, and repeated the second verse:-

“He conquers wrath by mildness, the bad with goodness sways,

By gifts the miser vanquishes and lies with truth repays.

Give place, give place, O driver! Such are this monarch’s ways!”

At these words both king Mallika and his driver descended from their carriage, and loosed the horses, and moved it out of the way, to give place to the king of Benares.

Then the king of Benares gave good advices to king Mallika, and after which he returned to Benares. He gave alms and did good all his life, till at the last he went to swell the hosts of heaven.

And king Mallika took the lesson to heart; and after traversing the length and breadth of the land and lighting upon none who had any fault to find, returned to his own city; where he gave alms all his life and did good, till at the end he too went to swell the hosts of heaven.