Once upon a time when Brahmadatta was reigning in Benares, the Bodhisatta was born in a Brahmin family worth eighty crores. When he grew up he learned the arts at Takkasila. After his parents’ death he reviewed all their treasures, got rid of all his wealth by way of charity, forsook desires, went to the Himalaya and became an ascetic and entered on mystic meditation.

After a time he came to the haunts of men for salt and vinegar, and reaching Benares lived in a garden. At that time the king of Benares when seated on his royal bed at midnight heard eight sounds:– first, a crane made a noise in a garden near the palace; second, a female crow made a noise from the gateway of the elephant-house; third, an insect settled on the peak of the palace made a noise; fourth, a tame cuckoo in the palace made a noise; fifth, a tame deer in the same place; sixth, a tame monkey there; seventh, a gnome living in the palace; eighth, immediately after the last, a pacceka buddha, passing along the roof of the king’s habitation to the garden uttered a sound of ecstatic feeling.

The king was terrified on hearing these eight sounds, and next day consulted the Brahmins. The Brahmins said, “Great king! there is danger for you; we have to offer sacrifice;” they came in joy and delight and began the work of sacrifice. Now a young pupil of the oldest sacrificial Brahmin was wise and learned; he said to his master, “Master, do not cause such a harsh and cruel slaughter of so many creatures.” “Pupil, what do you know about it? Even if nothing else happens, we shall get much fish and flesh to eat.” “Master, do not, for the belly’s sake, an action which will cause rebirth in hell.” Hearing this, the other Brahmins were angry with the pupil for endangering their gains. The pupil left the city looking for some pious ascetic able to prevent the king from sacrificing. He entered the royal garden and seeing the Bodhisatta, he said, “Have you no compassion on creatures? The king has ordered a sacrifice which will bring death on many creatures; can you stop this?” “Young Brahmin, I do not know the king of this land, nor he me.” “Sir, do you know what will be the consequence of those sounds the king heard?” “If the king comes here to question me, I will tell him.” The young Brahmin went swiftly to the king said, “Great king, a certain ascetic knows the issue of those sounds you heard; he is sitting on the royal seat in your garden, and says he will tell you if you ask him; you should do so.” The king went swiftly, and asked, “Is it true that you know the issue of the sounds I have heard?” “Yes, great king.” “Then please tell me.”

“Great king, there is no danger connected with those sounds: there is a certain crane in your old garden; it was without food, and half dead with hunger made the first sound. Have the garden cleaned and fill the tank with water.” The king told a minister to have this done. “Great king, there is a female crow who lives in the doorway of your elephant house; she made the second sound, grieving for her son: you need have no fear from it,”

Then he asked the king for the name of the chief groom in the elephant-house. “His name, sir, is Bandhura.” “Has he only one eye, O king?” “Yes, sir.” “Great king, a certain crow has built her nest over the doorway of your elephant-house; there she laid her eggs, there her young in due time were hatched; every time the groom enters or leaves the stable on his elephant, he strikes with his hook at the crow and her nestlings, and destroys the nest; the crow in this distress wishes to tear his eye. Send for Bandhura and prevent him from destroying the nest.” The king sent for him, rebuked and removed him, and gave the elephant to another.

“On the peak of your palace-roof, there is a wood-insect; it had eaten all the fig-wood there and could not eat the harder wood; lacking food and unable to get away, it made the third sound in lamentation; you heed have no fear from it.” The king sent a servant and by some means had the weevil set free.

“In your habitation, is there a certain tame cuckoo?” “There is, sir.” “That cuckoo was pining for the forest when it remembered its former life, ‘How can I leave this cage, and go to my dear forest?’ and so made the fourth sound; you need have no fear from it.” So saying, he added, “The cuckoo is pining, great king, set her free.” The king did so.

“Is there a tame deer in your habitation?” “There is, sir.” “He was chief of the herd; remembering his hind and pining for love of her he made the fifth sound; you need have no fear from it.” The Bodhisatta made this deer to be set free. He asked, “Is here a tame monkey in your habitation?” “There is, sir.” “He was chief of a herd in the Himalaya, and he was fond of the society of female monkeys; he was brought here by a hunter named Bharata; pining and longing for his old haunts he made the sixth sound. you need have no fear form it. Set it free. ”

The Bodhisatta asked, “Is there a gnome living in your habitation?” “There is, sir.” “He is thinking of what he did with his sylph and in the pain of desire made the seventh sound. One day he had climbed the peak of a high mountain with her; they plucked and decked themselves with many flowers if choice hue and scent, and never noticed that the sun was setting; darkness fell as they were descending. The sylph said, ‘Husband, it is dark, come down carefully without stumbling,’ and taking him by the hand, she led him down, It was in memory of her words that he made the sound; you need have no fear from it. Set him free.”

The Bodhisatta asked, “There was an eighth sound, one of ecstasy. A certain pacceka buddha in the Nandamula cave knowing that the conditions of life were now at an end for him came to the abode of man, thinking, ‘I will enter into Nirvana in the king of Benares’ park; his servants will bury me, and hold sacred festival and venerate my relics and so attain heaven;’ he was coming by his supernatural power and just as he reached your palace-roof, he threw off the burden of life and sung in ecstasy the song that lights up the entrance into the city of Nirvana. He reached your park and passed into Nirvana at the foot of a sal-tree in full flower; come, great king, and perform his funeral rites.”

So the Great Being took the king to the place where the pacceka buddha entered into Nirvana and showed him the body. Seeing the body, the king with a great army paid honour with perfumes and flowers and the like. By the Bodhisatta’s advice he stopped the sacrifice, gave all the creatures their lives, made proclamation by drum through the city that there should be no slaughter, caused sacred festival to be held for seven days, had the pacceka buddha’s body burnt with great honour on a pyre heaped with perfumes and made a stupa where four high roads meet. The Bodhisatta preached righteousness to the king and exhorted him to diligence; then he went to the Himalayas and there did works in the Perfect States, and without a break in his meditations became destined for the Brahma Heaven.