Once upon a time when Brahmadatta was reigning in Benares, the Bodhisatta was born in a poor family; when he grew up he made a living by working for wages with a rich man. One day he got four portions of sour gruel from a shop, thinking, “This will do for my breakfast,” and so went on to his farming-work. Seeing four pacceka-buddhas coming towards Benares to collect alms, he thought, “I have these four portions of gruel, what if I were to give them to these men who are coming to Benares for alms?” So he came up and said, “Sirs! I have these four portions of gruel in hand; I offer them to you; please accept them, and so I shall gain merit to my lasting good and welfare.”

Seeing that they accepted, he gave the four portions of gruel in four bowls and said, “Sirs! in consequence of these may I not be born in a poor family; may this be the cause of my attaining omniscience.” The pacceka buddhas ate and then went to the Nandamula cave. The Bodhisatta felt the joy of association with pacceka buddhas, and after they had departed from his sight and he had gone to his work, he remembered them always till his death; as the fruit of this, he was born to the chief queen of Benares. His name was called prince Brahmadatta. From the time of his being able to walk alone, he saw clearly by the power of recollecting all that he had done in former births, like the reflexion of his own face in a clear mirror, that he was now born as a prince because he had given four portions of gruel to the pacceka buddhas in the earlier birth. When he grew up he learned all the arts at Takkasila; on his return his father was pleased with the accomplishments he displayed, and appointed him viceroy; afterwards, on his father’s death, he was established in the kingdom. Then he married the exceedingly beautiful daughter of the Kosala king, and made her his chief queen. On the day of his parasol-festival they decorated the whole city as if it were a city of the gods. He went round the city in procession; then he sat on throne and saw all the people gathered. Then he remembered his former estate and thought, “All this is due to an alms-gift of four portions of gruel given to four pacceka buddhas; I have gained all this through them”; and so remembering the excellence of the pacceka buddhas he plainly declared:–

Service done to Buddhas high

Never, they say, is reckoned cheap;

Alms of gruel, saltless, dry,

Bring me this reward to reap.

Elephant and horse and kine,

Gold and corn and all the land,

Troops of girls with form divine;

Alms have brought them to my hand.

So the Bodhisatta in his joy and delight on the day of his parasol-ceremony sang the song of joy. From that time onward they were called the king’s favourite song; all the citizens sung this song.

After a long time had passed, the chief queen became anxious to know the meaning of the song, but she could not ask the Great Being. One day the king was pleased with some quality of hers and said, “Lady, I will give you a boon; accept a boon.” “I accept.” “What shall I give you, elephants, horses or the like?” “O king, through your grace I lack nothing, I have no need of such things; but if you wish to give me a boon, give it by telling me the meaning of your song.” “Lady, what need have you of that boon? Accept something else.” “O king, I have no need of anything else; it is that I will accept.” “Well, lady, I will tell it, but not as a secret to you alone; I will tell the tale to everybody in my kingdom.” She agreed. The king had all done as he said, and then sat on the throne. The queen too with all her ornaments set a golden chair of ceremony and sat in an appropriate place on one side, and looking with a side glance she said, “O king! Now tell the meaning of the song of joy you sang in your delight”;

The Great Being declaring the meaning of the song spoke:–

This the city, but the station different, in my previous birth;

Servant was I to another, hireling, but of honest worth.

Going from the town to labour four ascetics once I saw,

Passionless and calm in bearing, perfect in the moral law.

All my thoughts went to those Buddhas; as they sat beneath the tree,

With my hands I brought them gruel, offering of piety.

Such the virtuous deed of merit; lo! The fruit I reap to-day–

All the kingly state and riches, all the land beneath my sway.

When she heard the Great Being thus fully explaining the fruit of his action, the queen said joyfully, “Great king! if you discern so visibly the fruits of charitable giving, from this day forward take a portion of rice and do not eat yourself until you have given it to righteous priests and Brahmins.”

The Great Being, accepting what she said, spoke:–

Still I make that road my own

Walking in the path of right,

Where the good, fair queen, have gone;

Saints are pleasant to my sight.

After saying this, he looked at the queen’s beauty and said, “Fair lady! I have told fully my good deeds done in former time. Now tell by what deed did you attain this beauty?”

Then she told the virtuous deed done in her former birth, and spoke:–

I was once a handmaid’s slave

At Ambattha’s royal court,

To modesty my heart I gave,

To virtue and to good report.

In a begging Brother’s bowl

Once an alms of rice I put;

Charity had filled my soul;

Such the deed, and lo! The fruit.

She too, it is said, spoke with accurate knowledge and remembrance of past births.

So both fully declared their past deeds, and from that day they had six halls of charity built, at the four gates, in the centre of the city and at the palace-door, and stirring up all India they gave great gifts, kept the moral duties and the holy days, and at the end of their lives became destined for heaven.