Once upon a time, king Bharu was reigning over the kingdom of Bharu. At the same time the Bodhisatta was Teacher of a troop of monks. He was an ascetic who had acquired the Five Supernatural Faculties and the Eight Attainments; and he lived in the region of Himalayas.

He came down from Himalayas to buy salt and seasoning, followed by five hundred ascetics; and they came by stages to the city of Bharu. He went begging through the city; and then coming forth from it, he sat down by the northern gate, at the root of a banyan tree all covered with twigs and branches. There he made a meal, ate and slept there.

Now, there came another Teacher with another five hundred, who went seeking alms about the city, and then came out and sat beneath just another banyan tree by the south gate, and ate, and slept there. And the two bands abode there so long as they would, and then returned again to Himalayas.

When they had gone, the tree by the south gate withered away. Next time, the group earlier stayed at South Gate came and occupied the space under the baniyan tree at the North Gate. The other group earlier stayed at North Gate came and they saw a group of hermits occupying their place. They cried, “This is not your tree, it is ours!” and they began to quarrel about the tree. The quarrel waxed great and they all went to the king’s palace.

The king ordered that they who had first dwelt there should hold it. Then the others gave a chariot fit for a king as a present for the king and requested that they must have the possession of the baniyan tree. He took their gift, and ordered that both should dwell under the tree; and so they were there all together.

Then the other hermits fetched the jeweled wheels of the same chariot, and offered them to the king, praying him, “O mighty king, make us to possess the tree alone!” And the king did so.

Then the ascetics repented. They thought, “We have renounced the lust of the flesh, and the world, but entered into a quarel for the shade of tree and offered bribes! It is shameful.” And they went away to Himalayas.

And all the spirits that lived in the realm of Bharu with one mind were angry with the king, and they ordered the sea to swallow Bharu. It did so. And so for the sake of the king of Bharu alone, all the inhabitants of the kingdom perished thus.