Verses on Dhamma 6.5.p12

6.5.p12

Sakko mahāduggatassa saññaṃ adāsi. So pattaṃ gahetvā satthāraṃ anugacchi. Sakko nivattitvā mahāduggatassa gehadvāre ṭhito ākāsaṃ olokesi. Tāvadeva ākāsato sattaratanavassaṃ vassitvā tassa gehe sabbabhājanāni pūretvā sakalaṃ gehaṃ pūresi. Tassa gehe okāso nāhosi. Tassa bhariyā dārake hatthesu gahetvā nīharitvā bahi aṭṭhāsi. So satthāraṃ anugantvā nivatto dārake bahi disvā ‘‘kiṃ ida’’nti pucchi. ‘‘Sāmi, sakalaṃ no gehaṃ sattahi ratanehi puṇṇaṃ, pavisituṃ okāso natthī’’ti. So ‘‘ajjeva me dānena vipāko dinno’’ti cintetvā rañño santikaṃ gantvā vanditvā, ‘‘kasmā āgatosī’’ti vutte āha –‘‘deva, gehaṃ me sattahi ratanehi puṇṇaṃ, taṃ dhanaṃ gaṇhathā’’ti. Rājā ‘‘aho buddhānaṃ dinnadānaṃ, ajjeva matthakaṃ patta’’nti cintetvā taṃ āha – ‘‘kiṃ te laddhuṃ vaṭṭatī’’ti? ‘‘Dhanaharaṇatthāya sakaṭasahassaṃ, devā’’ti. Rājā sakaṭasahassaṃ pesetvā dhanaṃ āharāpetvā rājaṅgaṇe okirāpesi. Tālappamāṇo rāsi ahosi. Rājā nagare sannipātāpetvā ‘‘imasmiṃ nagare atthi kassaci ettakaṃ dhana’’nti pucchi. ‘‘Natthi, devā’’ti. ‘‘Evaṃ mahādhanassa kiṃ kātuṃ vaṭṭatī’’ti? ‘‘Seṭṭhiṭṭhānaṃ dātuṃ vaṭṭati, devā’’ti. Rājā tassa mahāsakkāraṃ katvā seṭṭhiṭṭhānaṃ dāpesi.

Sakka turned back, stopped at the door of Mahāduggata’s house, and looked up at the sky. Thereupon there came down from the sky a rain of the seven kinds of jewels. The jewels filled all the vessels in his house and the very house itself. When there was no room left in the house, they took the children in their arms, carried them outside, and stood there. When Mahāduggata returned from accompanying the Teacher and saw the children standing outside the house, he asked, “What does this mean?” “Our whole house is filled with the seven kinds of jewels, insomuch that there is no room to go in.” Mahāduggata thought to himself, “To-day have I received the reward of the alms I have given.” Thereupon he went to the king, made obeisance to him, and when the king asked him why he had come, said, “Your majesty, my house is filled with the seven kinds of jewels; accept this wealth.” The king thought, “This very day have the alms given to the Buddhas reached their consummation.” And he said to the man, “What must you have to remove the jewels?” “Your majesty, it will require a thousand carts to remove all of this wealth.” The king sent out a thousand carts and had the wealth removed and dumped in the palace court. It made a heap as high as a palm-tree.

The king assembled the citizens and asked them, “Is there any one in this city who possesses so much wealth as this?” “There is not, your majesty.” “What ought to be done for a man possessed of so much wealth as this?” “He should be given the post of treasurer, your majesty.” The king bestowed high honor upon him and gave him the post of treasurer. Then he pointed out the site of a house occupied by a former treasurer, and said to him, “Have the bushes that are growing there removed, build a house, and reside in it.”