Dictionary of Pali Proper Names v1.c6.3114

v1.c6.3114

Veṭhadīpaka died and was born a mighty king of devas. Soon after, when visiting Allakappa, he learned that the latter’s asceticism was being disturbed by wild elephants. Veṭhadīpaka gave him a lute with which to charm them, and spells whereby he might influence them. The lute had three strings; at the plucking of the first, the elephants ran away at once, of the second they ran away but looked back at each step, but when the third was plucked, the leader of the herd came and offered the player his back on which to sit.