Dictionary of Pali Proper Names v1.c12.2656

v1.c12.2656

Kurudhamma Jātaka (No. 276).—The Bodhisatta was once born as the son of Dhanañjaya, king of the Kurūs, and, after his father's death, reigned in Indapatta. He observed the Kurudhamma—that is to say, the pañcasīla—as did the queen-mother, his queen-consort, the viceroy, the chaplain, the king's driver, his charioteer, the treasurer, the keeper of the royal granaries, the palace porter and the courtesan of the city. The country thus became very prosperous and its people happy. In the kingdom of Kaliṅga there was a drought and consequent scarcity of food. The king, acting on the advice of his ministers, sent brahmins to beg from the Bodhisatta the loan of his state elephant, Añjanavasabha, who was reported to bring rain. The elephant was lent willingly but no rain fell. It was thereupon decided that the prosperity of the Kurus was due to the Kurudhamma observed by the king and the others, and messengers were despatched to find out which these Kurudhammas were. From the king down to the courtesan, all had rigorously kept them, but each had unwittingly done something which he or she considered a violation of the dhamma. The messengers, therefore, had to visit each one and take down a list of the dhamma. The incidents related by each to the messengers, explaining wherein they had transgressed the dhammas, only served to emphasise how scrupulously they had conducted themselves.