Dhammapada 2.3.p21

2.3.p21

Tadā senāpati rañño kappakaṃ āha – ‘‘kadā rañño massuṃ karissasī’’ti? ‘‘Sve vā parasuve vā’’ti. So tassa sahassaṃ datvā ‘‘kiccaṃ me atthī’’ti vatvā, ‘‘kiṃ, sāmī’’ti vutte ‘‘rañño massukammaṃ karonto viya hutvā khuraṃ ativiya pahaṃsitvā galanāḷiṃ chinda, tvaṃ senāpati bhavissasi, ahaṃ rājā’’ti. So ‘‘sādhū’’ti sampaṭicchitvā rañño massukammakaraṇadivase gandhodakena massuṃ temetvā khuraṃ pahaṃsitvā nalāṭante gahetvā, ‘‘khuro thokaṃ kuṇṭhadhāro, ekappahāreneva galanāḷiṃ chindituṃ vaṭṭatī’’ti puna ekamantaṃ ṭhatvā khuraṃ pahaṃsi. Tasmiṃ khaṇe rājā attano mantaṃ saritvā sajjhāyaṃ karonto ‘‘ghaṭṭesi ghaṭṭesi, kiṃ kāraṇā ghaṭṭesi? Ahampi taṃ jānāmi jānāmī’’ti āha. Nhāpitassa nalāṭato sedā mucciṃsu. So ‘‘jānāti mama kāraṇaṃ rājā’’ti bhīto khuraṃ bhūmiyaṃ khipitvā pādamūle urena nipajji. Rājāno nāma chekā honti, tena taṃ evamāha – ‘‘are, duṭṭha, nhāpita, ‘na maṃ rājā jānātī’ti saññaṃ karosī’’ti. ‘‘Abhayaṃ me dehi, devā’’ti. ‘‘Hotu, mā bhāyi, kathehī’’ti. Senāpati me, deva, sahassaṃ datvā, ‘‘rañño massuṃ karonto viya galanāḷiṃ chinda, ahaṃ rājā hutvā taṃ senāpatiṃ karissāmī’’ti āhāti. Rājā taṃ sutvā ‘‘ācariyaṃ me nissāya jīvitaṃ laddha’’nti cintetvā senāpatiṃ pakkosāpetvā, ‘‘ambho, senāpati, kiṃ nāma tayā mama santikā na laddhaṃ, idāni taṃ daṭṭhuṃ na sakkomi, mama raṭṭhā nikkhamāhī’’ti taṃ raṭṭhā pabbājetvā ācariyaṃ pakkosāpetvā, ‘‘ācariya, taṃ nissāya mayā jīvitaṃ laddha’’nti vatvā mahantaṃ sakkāraṃ karitvā tassa senāpatiṭṭhānaṃ adāsi. ‘‘So tadā cūḷapanthako ahosi, satthā disāpāmokkho ācariyo’’ti.

Just at this time the commander-in-chief of the army said to the king’s barber, “When do you expect to shave the king’s beard?” “To-morrow or the day after.” The commander-in-chief of the army gave the king’s barber a thousand pieces of money and said to him, “I have something for you to do.” “What is it, master?” “Go through the form of shaving the king’s beard, but grind your razor very sharp and cut his windpipe. Then you shall be commander-in-chief of the army and I shall be king.” “Very well,” said the barber, agreeing to the bargain.

When the day came for the barber to shave the king’s beard, he moistened the king’s beard with scented water, sharpened his razor, and applied it to the king’s cheek. Discovering that the razor was slightly dull, and realizing that he must cut the king’s windpipe with a single stroke, he stepped aside and began to sharpen his razor again. At that moment the king remembered his charm and began to repeat it, saying, “You’re rubbing! you’re rubbing! Why are you rubbing? I know too! I know!” Beads of sweat stood out on the forehead of the barber. “The king knows all about this business,” thought he. He flung his razor to the ground in terror and prostrated himself on his breast before the feet of the king. Now kings know a thing or two; and the king of Benāres immediately said to the barber, “Scoundrel of a barber, you thought to yourself, ‘The king doesn’t know about this.’” “Spare my life, your majesty.” “Very well; fear not. Tell me about it.” “Your majesty, the commander-in-chief of the army gave me a thousand pieces of money, saying to me, ‘Go through the form of shaving the king’s beard, but cut his windpipe. Then I shall be king and you shall be commander-in-chief of the army.’”

The king thought to himself, “It is due to my teacher that my life was spared.” He sent for the commander-in-chief of the army and said to him, “Well, commander-in-chief, what is there that you have not received from me? Henceforth I can endure to look upon you no longer. Depart from my kingdom.” With these words he banished him from the kingdom. Then he sent for the young man who had been his teacher and said to him, “Teacher, it is due to you that my life was spared.” And when he had so said, he bestowed high honor upon him and made him commander-in-chief of his army. End of Story of the Past.

“At that time,” said the Teacher, “the young man was Little Wayman, and the world-renowned teacher was the Teacher himself.” Therefore when the Teacher had finished this Story of the Past, he said, “Monks, thus in a previous state of existence also Little Wayman was a dullard, and at that time also I became his refuge and established him in the possession of the wealth of this world.” Again one day the monks began a discussion, “The Teacher indeed became a refuge to Little Wayman.” Thereupon the Teacher related the Story of the Past found in the Culla-Seṭṭhi Jātaka.