Once on a time when Brahmadatta was reigning in Benares, the Bodhisatta was born as the son of his chief queen. When he grew up, he became king on his father’s death and gave abundant alms. He had a park-keeper named Sumangala. A certain paccekabuddha left the Nandamula cave on a pilgrimage for alms, and coming to Benares stayed in the park. Next day he went into the town to beg. The king saw him with favour, invited into the palace and gave him with various delicate food, both hard and soft, and received his thanks: being pleased that the paccekabuddha should stay in his park, he exacted a promise and sent him back; after his morning meal he went there in person, arranged the places for his habitation by night and day, gave him the park-keeper Sumangal as attendant, and went back to the town.

After that the paccekabudha had meals constantly in the palace and lived there a long time; Sumangala respectfully attended on him. One day he went away, saying to Sumangala, “I am going to the next village for a few days, but will come back; inform the king.” Sumangala informed the king. After a few days stay in that village the paccekabuddha came back to the park in the evening after sunset. Sumangala, not knowing of his arrival, had gone to his own house. The paccekabuddha put away his bowl and roe, and after a little walk sat down on a stone-slab. That day some guests had come to the park-keeper’s house. To get them soup and curry he had gone with a bow to kill a tame deer in the park; he was there looking for a deer when he saw the paccekabuddha and thinking he was a great deer, he aimed an arrow and shot him. The paccekabuddha uncovered his head and said, “Sumangala.” Greatly moved Sumangala said, “Sir, I knew not of your coming and shot you, thinking you were a deer; forgive me.” “Very well, but what will you do now? Come, pull out the arrow.” He made obeisance and pulled it out. The paccekabuddha felt great pain and passed into nirvana then and there, the park-keeper thought the king would not pardon him if he knew; he took his wife and children and fled. By supernatural power the whole city heard that the paccekanbuddha had entered nirvana, and all were greatly excited. Next day some men entered the park, saw the body and told the king that the park-keeper had fled after killing the paccekabuddha. The king went there and paid honour to the body; then with all ceremony he took the relics, built a shrine, and doing honour to it went on ruling his kingdom righteously. After a year, Sumangala determined to find out what the king thought; he came and asked a minister whom he saw to find out what the king thought of him. The minister praised Sumangala before the king; but he was as if he heard not. The minister said no more, but told Sumangala that the king was not pleased with him. After another year he came, and again in the third year he brought his wife and children. The minister knew the king was appeased, setting Sumangala at the palace-door told the king of his coming. The king sent for him, and after greeting said, “Sumangala, why did you kill that paccekabuddha, through whom I was gaining merit?” “O king, I did not mean to kill him, but it was in this way that I did the deed,” and he told the story. The king sent him back and reappointed him as park-keeper again. Then the minister asked, “O king, why did you make no answer when you heard Sumangala’s praises twice, and on the third hearing why did you send for him and forgive him?” the king said, “Dear sir, it is wrong for a king to do anything hastily in his anger; therefore I was silent at first and the third time when I knew was appeased I sent for Sumangala.”

His whole court were pleased and declared his merits in the words, “Such excellence in moral practices and qualities is worthy of your majesty.”