Dhammapada 4.3.p23

4.3.p23

Athekadivasaṃ vinicchaye kūṭaṭṭaparājitā manussā bandhulaṃ āgacchantaṃ disvā mahāviravaṃ viravantā vinicchayaamaccānaṃ kūṭaṭṭakaraṇaṃ tassa ārocesuṃ. So vinicchayaṃ gantvā taṃ aṭṭaṃ vicāretvā sāmikameva sāmikaṃ akāsi. Mahājano mahāsaddena sādhukāraṃ pavatteti. Rājā ‘‘kiṃ ida’’nti pucchitvā tamatthaṃ sutvā tussitvā sabbepi te amacce hāretvā bandhulasseva vinicchayaṃ niyyādesi. So tato paṭṭhāya sammā vinicchayi. Tato te porāṇakavinicchayikā amaccā kiñci lañjaṃ alabhantā appalābhā hutvā ‘‘bandhulo rajjaṃ patthetī’’ti rājakule paribhindiṃsu. Rājā tesaṃ kathaṃ saddahitvā cittaṃ niggahetuṃ nāsakkhi. ‘‘Imasmiṃ idheva ghātiyamāne garahā me uppajjissatī’’ti puna cintetvā payuttapurisehi paccantaṃ pahārāpetvā bandhulaṃ pakkosāpetvā, ‘‘paccanto kira kupito, tava puttehi saddhiṃ gantvā, core gaṇhāhī’’ti pahiṇitvā, ‘‘etthevassa dvattiṃsāya puttehi saddhiṃ sīsaṃ chinditvā āharathā’’ti tehi saddhiṃ aññepi samatthe mahāyodhe pesesi. Tasmiṃ paccantaṃ gacchanteyeva ‘‘senāpati kira āgacchatī’’ti payuttacorā palāyiṃsu. So taṃ padesaṃ āvāsāpetvā saṇṭhāpetvā nivatti.

The former judges, who suffered severe loss from the cutting off of their bribes, created dissensions among the members of the royal family, saying, "Bandhula aspires to the throne." The king believed their talk and was unable to control his feelings. "But," thought he, "if this man is killed right here, I shall be severely blamed." On second thought he suborned men to make an attack on his own frontier. Then he summoned Bandhula and sent him forth, saying, "I am informed that the frontier is in a state of insurrection. Take your sons with you and go and capture the brigands." And he sent with him a sufficient number of powerful warriors besides, saying to them, "Cut off the heads of Bandhula and his two and thirty sons and bring them to me." When Bandhula reached the frontier and the hired brigands heard that the commander-in-chief had come, they fled. Bandhula rendered the country habitable once more, restored peace, and then set out on his return. When he reached a place not far from the city, those warriors attacked him and cut off his head and the heads of his sons.