Once upon a time a king named Bharata reigned at Roruva in the kingdom of Sovira. He practiced the ten royal virtues, won the people by the four elements of popularity, stood to the multitude like father and mother and gave great gifts to the poor, the wayfarers, the beggars, the suitors and the like. His chief queen Samuddavijaya was wise and full of knowledge. One day he looked round his alms-hall and asked the queen, “My alms are devoured by worthless greedy people. I don’t like this. I should like to give alms to the virtuous paccekabuddhas who deserve the best of gifts. They live in the Hiamalaya region. who will bring them here on my invitation and whom shall I send on this task?”

The queen said, “O king, de not worry.Showing our virtue and truthfulness, by sending flowers we will invite the pacceka buddhas, and when they come we will give them gifts with all things requisite.” The king agreed. He made proclamation by drum that all the townspeople should undertake to keep the precepts; he himself with his household undertook all the duties for the holy days and gave great gifts in charity. He had a gold box brought, full of jasmine flowers, came down from his palace and stood in the royal courtyard. There prostrating himself on the ground with the five contacts, he saluted towards the eastern quarter and threw seven handfuls of flowers, with the words, “I salute the saints in the eastern quarter. if there is any merit in us, show compassion on us and receive our alms.” As there are no pacceka buddhas in the eastern quarter, they did not come next day. On the second day he paid respects to the south quarter but none came from there. On the third day he paid respects to the west quarter but none came. On the fourth day he paid respects to the north quarter, and after paying respects he threw seven handfuls of flowers with the words, “May the pacceka buddhas who live in the north district of Himalaya receive our alms.” The flowers went and fell on five hundred pacceka buddhas in the Nandamula cave. On reflection they understood that the king had invited them; so they called seven of their saints and said, “Sirs, the king invites you; show him favour.” These pacceka buddhas came through the air and landed at the king’s gate. Seeing them the king saluted them with delight, made them come up into the palace, showed them great honour and gave them gifts. After the meal he asked them for next day and so on until the fifth day, feeding them for six days. on the seventh day he made ready a gift with all the requisites, arranged beds and chairs inlaid with gold, and set before the seven pacceka buddhas sets of three robes and all other things used by holy men. The king and queen formally offered these things to them after their meal, and stood in respectful salutation. To express their thanks the Elder of the assembly spoke:

Whatever a man can save from flames that burn his dwelling down,

Not what is left to be consumed, will still remain his own.

The world’s on fire, decay and death are there the flame to feed;

Save what you can by charity, a gift is saved indeed.

Thus expressing thanks the Elder admonished the king to be diligent in virtue. then he flew up in the air, straight through the peaked roof of the palace and landed in the Nandamula cave. Along with him all the requisites that had been given him flew up and landed in the cave. The king and queen felt joy. After his departure, the other six also expressed thanks:

He who gives to righteous men,

Strong in holy energy,

Crosses Yama’s flood, and then

Gains a dwelling in the sky.

Like to war is charity.

Hosts may flee before a few.

Give a little piously.

Bliss hereafter is your due.

Prudent givers please the Lord,

Worthily they spend their toil.

Rich the fruit their gifts afford,

Like a seed in fertile soil.

They who never rudely speak,

Wrong to living things abjure.

Men may call them timid, weak.

For it is fear that keeps them pure.

Lower duties win for man, reborn on earth, a princely fate,

Middle duties win them heaven, highest win the Purest State.

Charity is blessed indeed,

Yet the law gains higher meed.

Ages old and late attest,

Thus the wise have reached their Rest.

So they went with the gifts given to them.

The seventh pacceka buddha in his thanks praised the eternal nirvana to the king, and admonishing him carefully went to his abode as has been said. The king and queen gave gifts all their lives and passed fully through the path to heaven.