Dhammapada 2.1.p2

2.1.p2

Tatrāyaṃ anupubbikathā – atīte allakapparaṭṭhe allakapparājā nāma, veṭhadīpakaraṭṭhe veṭhadīpakarājā nāmāti ime dve daharakālato paṭṭhāya sahāyakā hutvā ekācariyakule sippaṃ uggaṇhitvā attano attano pitūnaṃ accayena chattaṃ ussāpetvā āyāmena dasadasayojanike raṭṭhe rājāno ahesuṃ. Te kālena kālaṃ samāgantvā ekato tiṭṭhantā nisīdantā nipajjantā mahājanaṃ jāyamānañca jīyamānañca mīyamānañca disvā ‘‘paralokaṃ gacchantaṃ anugacchanto nāma natthi, antamaso attano sarīrampi nānugacchati, sabbaṃ pahāya gantabbaṃ, kiṃ no gharāvāsena, pabbajissāmā’’ti mantetvā rajjāni puttadārānaṃ niyyādetvā isipabbajjaṃ pabbajitvā himavantappadese vasantā mantayiṃsu – ‘‘mayaṃ rajjaṃ pahāya pabbajitā, na jīvituṃ asakkontā. Te mayaṃ ekaṭṭhāne vasantā apabbajitasadisāyeva homa, tasmā visuṃ vasissāma. Tvaṃ etasmiṃ pabbate vasa, ahaṃ imasmiṃ pabbate vasissāmi. Anvaḍḍhamāsaṃ pana uposathadivase ekato bhavissāmā’’ti. Atha kho nesaṃ etadahosi – ‘‘evampi no gaṇasaṅgaṇikāva bhavissati, tvaṃ pana tava pabbate aggiṃ jāleyyāsi, ahaṃ mama pabbate aggiṃ jālessāmi, tāya saññāya atthibhāvaṃ jānissāmā’’ti. Te tathā kariṃsu.

Once upon a time King Allakappa ruled over the kingdom of Allakappa and King Veṭhadīpaka ruled over the kingdom of Veṭhadīpaka. They had been intimate friends since their boyhood-days and had received their education in the house of the same teacher. On the death of their fathers they raised the royal parasol and became rulers of kingdoms, each of which was ten leagues in extent.

As they met from time to time, and stood and sat and lay down to sleep together, and watched the multitudes being born into the world and dying again, they came to the conclusion, "When a man goes to the world beyond he can take nothing with him: he must leave everything behind him when he goes thither; even his own body does not follow him; of what use to us is the life of the householder? Let us retire from the world."

Accordingly they resigned their kingdoms to son and wife, retired from the world, adopted the life of ascetics, and took up their residence in the Himālaya country. And they took counsel together, saying, "Although we have renounced our kingdoms and retired from the world, we shall encounter no difficulty in gaining a living; but if we reside together in the same place, our life will be quite unlike the life of ascetics; therefore let us live apart. You live on this mountain; I will live on that. Every fortnight, on fast-day, we will meet together." Then this thought occurred to them, "Under this arrange-

ment neither of us will be in regular communication with the other; but in order that each of us may know whether the other is living or not, you light a fire on your mountain, and I will light a fire on mine.” And this they did.