Once upon a time, when king Brahmadatta reigned over Benares, the Bodhisatta was born as his son. They named him as Prince Paduma, the Lotus Prince. After him came six younger brothers. One after another these seven came of age and married and settled down, living as the king’s companions.

One day the king saw these seven brothers with their followers. He conceived the suspicion that they meant to kill him, and seize his kingdom. So he sent for them, and told: “My sons! you may not live in this town. So go elsewhere, and when I die you shall return and take the kingdom which belongs to our family.”

They agreed to their father’s words; and went home weeping and wailing. They cried, “It does not matter where we go!” Taking their wives with them, they left the city, and traveled along the road. By and bye they came to a forest, where they could get no food or drink. And being unable to bear the pangs of hunger, they determined to save their lives at the women’s cost. They seized the youngest brother’s wife, and slew her; they cut up her body into thirteen parts, and ate it. But the Bodhisatta and his wife set aside one portion, and ate the other between them.

Thus they did six days, and slew and ate six of the women; and each day the Bodhisatta set one portion aside, so that he had six portions saved. On the seventh day the others came to kill Bodhisatta’s wife; but instead he gave them the six portions which he had kept. He said, “Eat these. Tomorrow I will manage.” They ate the flesh; and when the time came that they fell asleep, the Bodhisatta and his wife ran away.

When they had gone a little space, the woman said, “Husband, I can not go further.” So the Bodhisatta took her upon his shoulders, and at sunrise he came out of the wood. When the sun was risen, she said, “Husband! I am thirsty!”

“There is no water, dear wife!” said he.

But she begged him again and again; he struck his right knee with his sword, and said, “There is no Water; sit down and drink the blood from my knee.” And so she did.

By and bye they came to the mighty Ganges. They drank, they bathed, they ate fruits, and rested in a pleasant spot. And there by a bend of the river they made a hermit’s hut and lived in it.

Now it happened that a robber in the regions of Upper Ganges had been guilty of high treason. His hands and feet, and his nose and ears had been cut off, and he was laid in a canoe, and left to drift down the great river. To this place he floated, groaning aloud with pain. The Bodhisatta heard his piteous wailing.

The Bodhisatta said, “While I live, no poor creature shall perish before me!” and went to the river bank and saved the man. He brought him to the hut, and with astringent lotions and ointments he dressed his wounds.

But his wife was spitting disgust at the fellow. Now when the man’s wounds were healed, the Bodhisatta made him live with him along with his wife. He brought fruits from the forest to feed both him and the woman. And as they lived together, the woman fell in love with the fellow, and committed sin. Then she desired to kill the Bodhisatta, and said to him, “Husband! When we are coming out the wood, I made an offering to the holy spirit. Now this spirit haunts me and I desire to pay my offering!”

The Bodhisatta said not knowing her guile, “Very good!” He prepared an offering, and delivering to her the vessel of offering, both climbed the hill top. Then his wife said to him, “Husband! you are my god! Then in your honour first of all I will offer wild flowers, and walk reverently round you, keeping you on the right, and salute you and after that I will make my offering to the mountain spirit.” So saying, she placed him facing a edge, and pretended that she was saluting him, in reverent fashion. Thus getting behind him, she pushed him from the mountain. Then she cried in her joy, “I have seen the back of my enemy!” and she came down from the mountain, and went into the presence of her lover.

Now the Bodhisatta tumbled down the cliff; but he caught hold of fig tree where there were no thorns. Yet he could not get down the hill; so there he sat among the branches, eating the figs. It happened that a huge Iguana used to climb the hill from the foot of it, and would eat the fruit of this fig tree. That day he saw the Bodhisatta and ran away. On the next day, he came and ate some fruit on one side of it. Again and again he came, and developed friendship with the Bodhisatta.

“How did you get to this place?” he asked; and the Bodhisatta told him how.

The Iguana said, “Well, don’t be afraid! and taking him on his own back, he descended the hill and brought him out of the forest. There the Iguana left the Bodhisatta upon the high road, and showed him what way he should go, and himself returned to the forest.

The Bodhisatta went to a village, and lived there till he heard the news of his father’s death. Upon this he made his way to Benares. There he inherited the kingdom which belonged to his family, and took the name of king Lotus; the ten rules of righteousness for kings he did not transgress, and he ruled uprightly. He built six Halls of Bounty, one at each of the four gates, one in the midst of the city, and one before the palace; and every day he distributed in gifts six hundred thousand pieces of money.

Now the wicked wife took her lover upon her shoulders, and came out of the forest; and she went a begging among the people, and collected rice and gruel to support him. If she was asked why she was married to him, she would reply, “His mother was sister to my father; he is my cousin; to him they gave me. Even if he were doomed to death I would take my own husband upon my shoulders, and care for him, and beg food for his living!”

All the people praised, “What a devoted wife!” And then onwards they gave her more food than ever. Some of them also offered advice, saying, “Do not live in this way. King Lotus is lord of Benares; he has set his bounty everywhere. Put your husband in this basket, and go there.” So saying, they persuaded her, and gave her a basket of osiers.

The wicked woman placed her lover in the basket, and taking it up she went to Benares, and lived on what she got at the Halls of Bounty. The Bodhisatta used to ride on royal elephant and usually go to the alms hall; after giving alms to eight or ten people, he would return home. Then the wicked woman placed her lover in the basket, and taking it up, she stood where the king was used to pass. The king saw her. He asked, “Who is this?”. “A devoted wife,” was the answer. He sent for her, and recognized who she was. He made the man to be put down from the basket. Then he asked her, “What is this man to you?” “He is the son of my father’s sister, given me by my family, my own husband,” she answered.

Without knowing the story, all the gatherings praised, “Ah, what a devoted wife!”

“What is the scoundrel your cousin? Did your family give him to you?” asked the king; “your husband, is he?”

She did not recognize the king; and said boldly, “Yes, my lord!”

The Bodhisatta told, “And is this the king of Benares’ son? Are you not the wife of prince Lotus, the daughter of such and such a king, your name so and so? Did not you drink the blood from my knee? Did you not fall in love with this rascal, and throw me down a cliff? Ah, you thought that I was dead, and here you are with death written upon your own forehead and here am I, alive!” Then he turned to his courtiers. “Do you remember what I told you, when you questioned me? My six younger brothers killed their six wives and ate them; but I kept my wife unhurt, and brought her to Ganges’ bank, where I lived in a hermit’s hut; I hauled a condemned criminal out of the river, and supported him; this woman fell in love with him, and threw me down a cliff, but I saved my life by showing kindness. This is no other than the wicked woman who threw me off the cliff; this, and no other, is the condemned wretch!” And then he uttered his judgement to kill them.

But although the Bodhisatta could not swallow his anger, and ordained this punishment for them, he did not do accordingly; but he smothered his wrath, and had the basket fixed upon her head so fast that she could not take it off; the villain he had placed in the same, and they were driven out of his kingdom.