Bodhisatta Saves Lives: The Truth Behind the Hellish Cries

In a past life, the Bodhisatta was an ascetic who lived in the Himalayas. One night, the king heard strange cries coming from the depths of hell: “Du,” “Sa,” “Na,” and “Su.” Terrified, he consulted his brahmins, who interpreted the sounds as an ominous warning of impending disaster. They believed the only way to avert the danger was to perform the fourfold sacrifice, where four victims—one each from humans, bulls, horses, and elephants—would be killed.

The king ordered his chaplain to prepare a sacrificial pit and gather the animals. However, the chaplain’s most righteous student, who was also a devoted follower of the Vedas, refused to participate. He reminded his teacher that the Vedas condemned killing and that performing such a sacrifice would bring no happiness. But the chaplain, motivated by the promise of a generous reward, ignored his student’s protests and continued his preparations.

Seeing the tragedy unfolding, the Bodhisatta, who had divined the true cause of the cries, flew through the air to the royal park to intervene. There, he met the righteous student, who explained the situation. The Bodhisatta learned from the student that the king, though righteous, was being misled by his wicked chaplain. The student asked the Bodhisatta to intervene before the king made a grave mistake.

The Bodhisatta agreed to help and waited for the king to arrive. When the king arrived in the park, he saluted the Bodhisatta, who explained the true nature of the cries from hell. The sounds had been made by four princes who, before their deaths, had committed adultery with their neighbors’ wives. As punishment, they were condemned to endure thirty thousand years of torture in boiling liquid in iron cauldrons. At the edge of the cauldrons, they tried to cry out warnings, but because of their agony, they could only manage to utter one syllable each before sinking back into the cauldron. The first prince cried “Du,” which was meant to signify, “Due to our evil lives, we are suffering.” The others cried, “Sa,” meaning “Sad is our fate, suffering ceaselessly,” “Na,” meaning “Nay, we are doomed by fate for our wrongdoings,” and “Su,” meaning “Soon we will be reborn and live virtuously.”

Upon hearing this explanation, the king felt a great sense of relief and joy. Realizing there was no impending danger, he immediately canceled the sacrifice and set all the animals free.

In the Lifetime of the Buddha

Many years later, King Pasenadi, a devout and just ruler, heard the same four cries—”Du,” “Sa,” “Na,” and “Su”—and became deeply worried. His brahmins, interpreting the sounds as a sign of imminent danger, told the king that performing the fourfold sacrifice was the only way to avert the threat. Eager for the reward, the brahmins began preparing for the sacrificial ritual.

Queen Mallika, the king’s wise and discerning chief queen, noticed the brahmins’ excitement and asked the king about it. After hearing the story, she suggested that the king consult the Buddha before taking any action. The king agreed and went to the Buddha to seek guidance.

The Buddha explained the true nature of the cries from hell, revealing that they were the cries of four princes who had committed adultery and were now suffering in hell. The Buddha told the king that their cries were a warning, but not one of impending doom; rather, it was a warning about the consequences of their actions in life. The cries had no relation to any danger on earth, and the sacrifice was unnecessary.

Hearing the Buddha’s explanation, King Pasenadi canceled the sacrifice, saving countless lives. He then learned the full story from the Buddha, who explained that the cries had been a message from the past, warning of the consequences of evil deeds.

The righteous student chaplain in this story was an earlier birth of Sariputta, one of the Buddha’s most respected and wise disciples.

Moral: The story emphasizes the importance of wisdom and discernment in the face of fear and confusion. The king’s fear of an ominous sign was alleviated through the Buddha’s guidance, teaching that one should not act out of panic or ignorance. The story also highlights the idea of karmic consequences: the cries from hell were not a warning of future danger, but a reflection of the princes’ own past wrongdoings. Just as the Bodhisatta and the Buddha helped clear up misunderstandings in both lives, the story encourages clear thinking, wisdom, and compassion to resolve problems.