King of Kuru’s Virtue: The Rain Brings Prosperity to Kalinga

Once, in a kingdom nestled amidst the fertile plains and mountains of ancient India, there lived a king who ruled with justice, compassion, and wisdom. His name was the Bodhisatta, and he was known far and wide as a model of virtue. The kingdom of Kuru flourished under his reign. The king kept the ten royal virtues and the five precepts with utmost sincerity. His subjects, both rich and poor, knew peace and prosperity, and the people loved him dearly. His kingdom was blessed with bountiful harvests, and the rain never failed to nourish the land.

But far to the south, in the kingdom of Kalinga, a terrible drought had gripped the land. The people of Kalinga suffered in famine and fear. The king of Kalinga, desperate to end the suffering of his people, made vows to the gods, observed holy days, gave alms, and even lay on a grass pallet for seven days in hopes of bringing rain. Yet, despite all his efforts, the drought continued unabated, and the land remained dry and barren.

The Request for the Auspicious Elephant

In his frustration, the King of Kalinga sought counsel from his advisors. One of them suggested that the king borrow the auspicious elephant of the King of Kuru, for it was said that wherever this elephant went, rain would follow. Without hesitation, the King of Kalinga sent eight brahmins to Kuru to request the elephant.

The Bodhisatta, ever generous, welcomed the brahmins and, without a second thought, gave them not only the elephant but all its fine ornaments and its skilled mahout. The brahmins returned to Kalinga, full of hope, but still, the rain did not come.

Seeking the Secret to the King’s Prosperity

Undeterred, the advisors of Kalinga considered another possibility. They wondered if it was the King of Kuru’s adherence to the five precepts that brought prosperity to his land. They sent the brahmins back to Kuru to return the elephant and ask the Bodhisatta to explain his virtuous way of life.

When the brahmins arrived, they thanked the Bodhisatta for his generosity but explained that the elephant had not brought rain. They asked the Bodhisatta to share his knowledge of the five precepts, believing that if they followed them, the King of Kalinga might be blessed as well.

The Bodhisatta, however, grew somber. “I fear I am not the one to teach,” he said. “I have doubts about my own adherence to the five precepts.” He confessed that there may have been a time when he had unintentionally broken the precept against killing. During a royal festival, he had shot arrows in the four directions as an offering to the gods, and one of the arrows might have struck a fish in a nearby lake.

The brahmins, however, reassured him. “Without intent, there is no sin,” they said, encouraging him to explain the precepts.

Thus, the Bodhisatta shared the five precepts:

1. Do not kill.
2. Do not steal.
3. Do not lust.
4. Do not lie.
5. Do not get intoxicated.

But even as he spoke, the Bodhisatta hesitated, unsure if he was the right person to guide them. “Speak with my mother,” he said, “She keeps the five precepts without fail.” And so, the brahmins went to see the queen, the Bodhisatta’s mother, hoping she could offer the wisdom they sought.

The Queen’s Doubts and the Stories of the Kingdom

The Bodhisatta’s mother was known throughout the land for her virtue, but when the brahmins approached her, she too was filled with doubt. She was unsure if she had followed the precepts perfectly, and her mind was troubled by small mistakes. Throughout the day, the brahmins moved from one person to the next, seeking advice from all who were known for their piety. Each person had a story of small doubts or minor transgressions, yet all had strived with great effort to follow the five precepts.

Here are some of the stories they heard:

• The Queen’s Gift: The queen had received two precious gifts—fine sandalwood perfume and a golden neckband, each worth a hundred thousand coins. She decided to pass them on to her daughters-in-law but later worried she had chosen wrongly and should have swapped the gifts.
• The Royal Viceroy’s Guilt: The royal viceroy had once looked at a beautiful woman during a royal procession with a fleeting thought of desire. He quickly regretted it, never acting on the impulse, but felt guilt over the momentary lapse.
• The Royal Chaplain’s Desire: The royal chaplain had once seen a beautiful chariot gifted to the king and wished secretly that it might be given to him. When the king offered him the chariot, the chaplain refused out of guilt for having desired it.
• The Royal Driver’s Dilemma: The royal driver had once helped a farmer measure his field, but as he did, he encountered a crab hole. Not wanting to hurt the crab or waste the land, he chose to place the measuring stick near the hole but feared he might have unknowingly harmed the creature.
• The Charioteer’s Mistake: The king’s charioteer had once urged the horses to go faster to escape a coming storm, unintentionally causing the horses to associate that spot with danger. From then on, whenever they passed that place, the horses would rush back to the palace in fear, tiring themselves unnecessarily.
• The Granary Master’s Stress: The royal granary master, while measuring a farmer’s rice, had to quickly sweep some loose grains into a pile when it began to rain. He could not remember whether he had placed the grains in the measured or unmeasured pile, which caused him great stress.
• The Gatekeeper’s Regret: The city gatekeeper had once insulted a poor man and a younger woman for arriving just before the gates closed, accusing them of sneaking out for a tryst. When the man explained that he was collecting firewood with his sister, the gatekeeper felt deep remorse for his hasty judgment.
• The Prostitute’s Virtue: A high-class prostitute had once received a thousand coins from a man who promised to visit her. After three years, he had not returned, and she had not taken any other customers. When she finally went to court, the judge declared that her obligation was cleared, and she could go back to work. However, when she was offered money by a new suitor, she recognized the man from three years ago and, filled with guilt, rejected the offer. The man revealed himself as Indra, the king of the gods, and praised her for her virtue, rewarding her with seven precious jewels.

The Rain and the End of the Drought

After collecting the stories of the kingdom’s most virtuous, the brahmins returned to Kalinga and presented their findings to the king. They explained how the people of Kuru, despite their minor doubts and self-reflection, faithfully followed the five precepts. The King of Kalinga, moved by the accounts, decided to follow the five precepts himself.

With the king’s observance of the precepts, rain soon began to fall upon the kingdom of Kalinga. The land flourished once more, and the people no longer lived in fear and poverty.

In the Lifetime of the Buddha

Years later, the Buddha recounted this tale to his disciples when one of them, after throwing a stone at a passing goose and killing it, expressed remorse over the trivial act. The Buddha used the story of the King of Kuru and his kingdom to teach his disciples that small lapses in virtue, when not intentional, should not cause undue guilt or remorse. He reminded them of the virtue of following the five precepts with diligence but also with understanding, free from excessive self-judgment.

In this life, the Bodhisatta’s mother and queen were the Buddha’s birth mother and wife, while the other pious figures from Kuru were incarnations of some of the Buddha’s chief disciples: Nanda, Maha Kassapa, Maha Kaccana, Anuruddha, Sariputta, Moggallana, Punna, and Uppalavanna.

The Lesson

This Jataka teaches that true virtue lies not in perfection, but in sincere effort and self-reflection. It also emphasizes the power of the five precepts to bring harmony, peace, and prosperity, not only to the individual but to the community as a whole. Even small acts of regret, when handled with mindfulness and wisdom, contribute to the cultivation of moral integrity.