Dhammapada 4.4.p2

4.4.p2

Tattha kira mālabhārī nāma devaputto accharāsahassaparivuto uyyānaṃ pāvisi. Pañcasatā devadhītaro rukkhaṃ āruyha pupphāni pātenti, pañcasatā patitāni pupphāni gahetvā devaputtaṃ alaṅkaronti. Tāsu ekā devadhītā rukkhasākhāyameva cutā, sarīraṃ dīpasikhā viya nibbāyi. Sā sāvatthiyaṃ ekasmiṃ kulagehe paṭisandhiṃ gahetvā jātakāle jātissarā hutvā ‘‘mālabhārīdevaputtassa bhariyāmhī’’ti anussarantī vuḍḍhimanvāya gandhamālādīhi pūjaṃ katvā sāmikassa santike abhinibbattiṃ patthesi. Sā soḷasavassakāle parakulaṃ gatāpi salākabhattapakkhikabhattavassāvāsikādīni datvā, ‘‘ayaṃ me sāmikassa santike nibbattanatthāya paccayo hotū’’ti vadati. Athassā bhikkhū ‘‘ayaṃ kumārikā uṭṭhāya samuṭṭhāya patimeva patthetīti patipūjikā’’ti nāmaṃ kariṃsu. Sāpi nibaddhaṃ āsanasālaṃ paṭijaggati, pānīyaṃ upaṭṭhapeti, āsanāni paññapeti. Aññepi manussā salākabhattādīni dātukāmā, ‘‘amma, imānipi bhikkhusaṅghassa paṭipādeyyāsī’’ti vatvā āharitvā denti. Sāpi etena niyāmena āgacchantī gacchantī ekapadavāre chapaññāsa kusaladhamme (dha. sa. 1; dha. sa. aṭṭha. 1 yevāpanakavaṇṇanā) paṭilabhati. Tassā kucchiyaṃ gabbho patiṭṭhahi. Sā dasamāsaccayena puttaṃ vijāyi. Tassa padasā gamanakāle aññampi aññampīti cattāro putte paṭilabhi.

The story goes that a god named Garland-wearer, Mālābhārī, entered the pleasure-garden in the World of the Thirty-three, accompanied by a thousand celestial nymphs. Five hundred of these nymphs climbed trees and threw down flowers; five hundred others gathered up the flowers that fell and decked the god therewith. One of these nymphs, even as she sat on the branch of a tree, passed from that state of existence, her body vanishing like the flame of a lamp, and received a new conception in Sāvatthi in a certain family of station. Born with a recollection of her former

states of existence, and remembering that she had been the wife of the god Garland-wearer, she made offerings of perfumes and garlands when she grew up, making the Earnest Wish to be reborn with her former husband.

When she was sixteen years of age, she married into another family. And even then, whenever she gave the monks Ticket-food or Fortnightly-food or food for the season of the rains, she would say, "May this offering assist me to obtain rebirth with my former husband." Said the monks, "This woman, ever busy and active, yearns only for her husband." Therefore they called her Husband-honorer, Patipūjikā. She cared regularly for the Hall of Assembly, supplied water for drinking, and provided seats for the monks. Whenever others desired to give Ticket-food or Fortnightly-food, they would bring it and give it to her, saying, "Dear lady, pray present these to the Congregation of Monks." Going to and fro in this manner, she obtained at one and the same time the Fifty-six Qualities of Goodness. She became pregnant and at the end of ten lunar months gave birth to a son; when her son was old enough to walk, she gave birth to another son, and then to another, until she had four sons.