Dighanikaya 3.283

3.283

Dattikanti dinnakaṃ. Sammukhībhāvampi na dadātīti kasmā na dadāti? So kira sammukhā āvaṭṭaniṃ nāma vijjaṃ jānāti. Yadā rājā mahārahena alaṅkārena alaṅkato hoti, tadā rañño samīpe ṭhatvā tassa alaṅkārassa nāmaṃ gaṇhati. Tassa rājā nāme gahite na demīti vattuṃ na sakkoti. Datvā puna chaṇadivase alaṅkāraṃ āharathāti vatvā, natthi, deva, tumhehi brāhmaṇassa dinnoti vutto, ‘‘kasmā me dinno’’ti pucchi. Te amaccā ‘so brāhmaṇo sammukhā āvaṭṭanimāyaṃ jānāti. Tāya tumhe āvaṭṭetvā gahetvā gacchatī’ti āhaṃsu. Apare raññā saha tassa atisahāyabhāvaṃ asahantā āhaṃsu – ‘‘deva, etassa brāhmaṇassa sarīre saṅkhaphalitakuṭṭhaṃ nāma atthi. Tumhe etaṃ disvāva āliṅgatha parāmasatha, idañca kuṭṭhaṃ nāma kāyasaṃsaggavasena anugacchati, mā evaṃ karothā’’ti. Tato paṭṭhāya tassa rājā sammukhībhāvaṃ na deti.

“Gift” means what was given. “Does not even grant an audience”: why does he not grant one? He, it is said, knew a spell called the face-to-face turning spell. Whenever the king was adorned with precious ornaments, he would stand near the king and take the name of that ornament. Once its name had been uttered by him, the king was unable to say, “I will not give it.” Having given it, on a festival day he said, “Bring the ornament!” When he was told, “Sire, you gave it to the brahmin,” he asked, “Why did I give it?” The ministers said, “That brahmin knows the face-to-face turning delusion. Having turned you around with it, he takes it and leaves.” Others, unable to endure his close friendship with the king, said, “Sire, on this brahmin's body there is a white-leprosy called conch-shell disease. As soon as you see him you embrace and stroke him; and this leprosy spreads through bodily contact. Do not do so!” From then on, the king did not grant him an audience.