Tag Archives: The Bodhisatta And The Elephant Festival

165. The Bodhisatta And The Elephant Festival

Once upon a time, king Susima ruled Benares; and the Bodhisatta was came to the worls as the son of his chaplain. The father was Master of the Ceremonies in the king’s elephant festivals. He alone had right to all the trappings and appointments of the elephants which came into the place of festival. By this means he gained as much as ten millions at each festival. When he was sixteen years old, his father died.

At the time of our story the season for an elephant festival came round. And the Brahmins all flocked to the king, with these words. “O great king! The season for an elephant festival has come, and a festival should be made. But chaplain’s son is very young; he knows neither the three Vedas nor the lore of elephants. Shall we conduct the ceremony?” To this the king consented.