Dhammapada 2.1.p8

2.1.p8

Athassa mātaraṃ āmantetvā, ‘‘bhadde, puttassa te sāsanaṃ vadehi, ettova gantvā rājā bhavissatī’’ti āha. Sā puttaṃ āmantetvā, ‘‘tāta, tvaṃ kosambiyaṃ pūrantapparañño putto, maṃ sagabbhaṃ hatthiliṅgasakuṇo ānesī’’ti vatvā senāpatiādīnaṃ nāmāni ācikkhitvā ‘‘asaddahantānaṃ imaṃ pitu pārupanakambalañceva pilandhanamuddikañca dasseyyāsī’’ti vatvā uyyojesi. Kumāro tāpasaṃ ‘‘idāni kiṃ karomī’’ti āha. ‘‘Rukkhassa heṭṭhimasākhāya nisīditvā imaṃ mantaṃ vatvā imaṃ tantiṃ pahara, jeṭṭhakahatthī te piṭṭhiṃ upanāpetvā upasaṅkamissati, tassa piṭṭhiyaṃ nisinnova raṭṭhaṃ gantvā rajjaṃ gaṇhāhī’’ti. So mātāpitaro vanditvā tathā katvā āgatassa hatthino piṭṭhiyaṃ nisīditvā kaṇṇe mantayi – ‘‘ahaṃ kosambiyaṃ pūrantapparañño putto, pettikaṃ me rajjaṃ gaṇhitvā dehi sāmī’’ti. So taṃ sutvā ‘‘anekāni hatthisahassāni sannipatantū’’ti hatthiravaṃ ravi, anekāni hatthisahassāni sannipatiṃsu. Puna ‘‘jiṇṇā hatthī paṭikkamantū’’ti hatthiravaṃ ravi, jiṇṇā hatthī paṭikkamiṃsu. Puna ‘‘atitaruṇā hatthī nivattantū’’ti hatthiravaṃ ravi, tepi nivattiṃsu. So anekehi yūthahatthisahasseheva parivuto paccantagāmaṃ patvā ‘‘ahaṃ rañño putto, sampattiṃ patthayamānā mayā saddhiṃ āgacchantū’’ti āha. ‘‘Tato paṭṭhāya manussānaṃ saṅgahaṃ karonto gantvā nagaraṃ parivāretvā ‘yuddhaṃ vā me detu, rajjaṃ vā’’’ti sāsanaṃ pesesi. Nāgarā āhaṃsu – ‘‘mayaṃ dvepi na dassāma. Amhākañhi devī garugabbhā hatthiliṅgasakuṇena nītā, tassā atthibhāvaṃ vā natthibhāvaṃ vā mayaṃ na jānāma. Yāva tassā pavattiṃ na suṇāma. Tāva neva yuddhaṃ dassāma, na rajja’’nti. Tadā kira taṃ paveṇirajjaṃ ahosi. Tato kumāro ‘‘ahaṃ tassā putto’’ti vatvā senāpatiādīnaṃ nāmāni kathetvā tathāpi asaddahantānaṃ kambalañca muddikañca dassesi. Te kambalañca muddikañca sañjānitvā nikkaṅkhā hutvā dvāraṃ vivaritvā taṃ rajje abhisiñciṃsu. Ayaṃ tāva utenassa uppatti.

Then the ascetic addressed the mother, saying, “My lady, give your son his message and he will go hence and become king.” So she addressed her son, saying, “You must say, ‘I am the son of King Parantapa of Kosambi; a monster bird carried me off.’ Then you must utter the names of the commander-in-chief and the other generals. If they still refuse to believe you, you must show them this blanket which was your father’s cloak and this signet-ring which he wore on his finger.” With these words she dismissed him.

The boy said to the ascetic, “Now what shall I do?” The ascetic replied, “Seat yourself on the lowest branch of the tree, utter this spell and strike this string, and the leader of the elephants will approach and offer you his back. Seat yourself on his back, go to your kingdom, and take the sovereignty.” The boy did reverence to his parents, and following the instructions of the ascetic, seated himself on the back of the elephant and whispered in his ear, “I am the son of King Parantapa of Kosambi. Get me and give me the sovereignty which I have inherited from my father." When the elephant heard that, he trumpeted, "Let many thousands of elephants assemble;" and many thousands of elephants assembled. Again a second time he trumpeted, "Let the old, weak elephants retire;" and the old, weak elephants retired. The third time he trumpeted, "Let those that are very young retire;" and they also retired.

So the boy went forth, surrounded by many thousands of warrior-elephants, and reaching a village on the frontier, proclaimed, "I am the son of the king; let those who desire worldly prosperity come with me." Levying forces as he proceeded, he invested the city and sent the following message to the citizens, "Give me battle or the kingdom." The citizens answered, "We will give neither. Our queen was carried off by a monster bird when she was great with child, and we know not whether she is alive or dead. So long as we hear no news of her, we will give neither battle nor the kingdom." (At that time, we are told, the kingdom was handed down from father to son.) Thereupon the boy said, "I am her son." So saying, he uttered the names of the commander-in-chief and the other generals, and when they still refused to believe him, showed the blanket and the ring. They recognized the blanket and the ring, opened the gates, and sprinkled him king.