Once upon a time when Brahmadatta was reigning in Benares, the Bodhisatta become a god in the heaven of the Thirty-three. Now at this time there was a great festival at Benares. A crowd of Nagas and Garuda birds and terrestrial deities came and watched the festival. And four divine beings from the heaven of the Thirty-three, wearing a wreath made of heavenly kakkaru flowers, came to see the festival.

And the city for the space of twelve leagues was filled with the fragrance of these flowers. Men moved about, wondering by whom these flowers were worn. The gods said, “They are watching us,” and flying up from the royal court, by an act of supernatural power they stood poised in the air. The multitude gathered together, and the king with his vassal princes came and asked from what world of the gods they had come.

“We come from the heaven of the Thirty-three.”

“For what purpose are you come?”

“To see the festival.”

“What are these flower?”

“They are called the heavenly kakkaru flower.”

“Sirs,” they said, “in the word of the gods you may have other flowers to wear. Give these to us.”
The gods answered, “These divine flowers are fit for those possessed of great power: for the base, foolish, faithless, and sinful beings in this world of men they are not fitted. But whosoever amongst men are endued with such and such virtues, for them they are suitable.” And with these words the chief amongst these divine beings said:–

He that from thievish act refrains,

His tongue from lying word restrains,

And reaching dizzy heights of fame

Still keeps his head–this flower may claim.

On hearing this the family priest thought, “I do not own one of these qualities, but by telling a lie I will get these flowers to wear, and thus the people will credit me with these virtues.” Then he said, “I am endued with these qualities,” and he had the flowers brought to him and he put them on. The second god replied:–

He that should honest wealth pursue

And riches gained by fraud eschew,

In pleasure gross excess would shun,

This heavenly flower has duly won.

Said the priest, “I am endued with these virtues,” and had the flowers brought to him and put them on, and then begged of the third god, who uttered the third stanza :–

He that from purpose fixed ne’er swerves

And his unchanging faith preserves,

Choice food alone scorns alone scorns to devour,

May justly claim this heavenly flower.

Said the priest, “I am endued with these virtues,” and had the flowers brought to him and he put them on, and then begged of the fourth god, who spoke the fourth stanza:–

He that good men will never attack

When present, nor behind their back,

And all he says, fulfills in deed,

This flower may claim as his due meed.
The priest said, “I an endued with these virtues,” and he had the flowers brought to him and put them on. So these divine beings gave the four wreaths of flowers to the priest and returned to the world of gods. As soon as they were gone, the priest was seized with a violent pain in the head, as if it were being pounded by a sharp spike, or crushes by an instrument of iron. Maddened with the pain he rolled up and down, and cried out with a loud voice. When men asked, “What means this?” he said, “I claimed these virtues when I had them not, and spoke falsely and so begged these flowers of the gods; take them from off my head.” They would have removed them, but could not, for they were fastened as it were with an iron band. Then they raised him up and led him home. And as he lay there crying aloud, seven days passed. The king spoke to his councilors and said, “This wicked brahmin will die. What are we to do?” “My lord,” they answered, “let us again celebrate a festival. The sons of the gods will come back.”

And the king held a festival, and the sons of the gods returned and filled all the city with the perfume of the flower, and took their stand in the same place in the royal court. The people gathered together, and bringing that wicked brahmin they laid him down before the gods on his belly. He prayed the gods, saying, “My lords, spare my life.” They said, “These flowers are not meant for a wicked and evil man. You thought in your heart to deceive us. You have received the reward of your false words.”

After thus rebuking him in the presence of the people, they removed the wreath of flowers from his head and having admonished the people, they returned to their own place of abode.

The Master, having ended his lesson, identified the Birth: “At that time Devadatta was the brahmin, of the divine beings Kassapa was one, Moggallana was another, Sariputta a third, and I myself was the chief one of all.”