Dhammapada 2.2.p3

2.2.p3

Athassa ekadivasaṃ rājā bimbisāro saddamassosi. So pana sabbaravaññū ahosi. Tasmā ‘‘mahādhanassa purisassesa saddo’’ti āha. Athassa santike ṭhitā ekā paricārikā ‘‘rājā yaṃ vā taṃ vā na kathessati, idaṃ mayā ñātuṃ vaṭṭatī’’ti cintetvā – ‘‘gaccha, tāta, etaṃ jānāhī’’ti ekaṃ purisaṃ pahiṇi. So vegena gantvā taṃ disvā āgantvā, ‘‘eko bhatakānaṃ bhatikārako kapaṇamanusso eso’’ti ārocesi. Rājā tassa vacanaṃ sutvā tuṇhī hutvā dutiyadivasepi tatiyadivasepi taṃ tassa saddaṃ sutvā tatheva āha. Sāpi paricārikā tatheva cintetvā punappunaṃ pesetvā, ‘‘kapaṇamanusso eso’’ti vutte cintesi – ‘‘rājā ‘kapaṇamanusso eso’ti vacanaṃ sutvāpi na saddahati, punappunaṃ ‘mahādhanassa purisassesa saddo’ti vadati, bhavitabbamettha kāraṇena, yathāsabhāvato etaṃ ñātuṃ vaṭṭatī’’ti. Sā rājānaṃ āha, ‘‘deva, ahaṃ sahassaṃ labhamānā dhītaraṃ ādāya gantvā etaṃ dhanaṃ rājakulaṃ pavesessāmī’’ti. Rājā tassā sahassaṃ dāpesi.

Now one day King Bimbisāra, who could recognize anyone by the sound of his voice, heard his voice and straightway said, “That is the voice of some rich man.” A certain female servant who stood near thought to herself, “No matter what the king says, this is something I ought to investigate.” Therefore she sent out a man, saying to him, “Just go and find out who this is.” The messenger straightway went and looked at the man, and on his return made the following report, “That is a poor man who is a servant of servants.” When the king heard his report, he said nothing; but on the second day and on the third day, hearing his voice, said precisely the same thing.

Every time the king made this remark the same thought occurred to that female servant, and again and again she sent a man to investigate. Every time she heard the report, “That is a poor man,” she thought to herself, “Every time the king hears the report, ‘That is a poor man,’ he refuses to believe it, and keeps repeating, ‘That is the voice of some rich man.’ There must be a reason for this, and it is my duty to find out the real facts.” Accordingly she said to the king, “Your majesty, give me a thousand pieces of money, and I will take my daughter and go to this man and bring this treasure to the royal palace.”

The king caused a thousand pieces of money to be given to her. She took the money, caused her daughter to put on a soiled dress, and departed with her from the royal palace. Pretending that she was making a journey, she went to the servants’ quarters, and entering a certain house, said to the mistress, “Woman, we are making a journey and should like to rest here for a day or two before we go on.” “Woman, there are many persons living in this house, and it is out of the question for you to remain here. But Kumbhaghosaka’s house is empty; go there.” So she went there and said to Kumbhaghosaka, “Master, we are making a journey and should like to remain here a day or two.” He refused her request, although she repeated it again and again. Finally she said, “Master, we will remain here to-day, just for one day, and early in the morning will continue our journey.” So saying, she refused to depart.