The Queen’s Deceit: A Jataka Story of Trust and Integrity

Once upon a time, in a distant land, the Bodhisatta, in one of his past lives, served as the wise chaplain to a noble king. By the palace walls, under the shade of a rose apple tree, lived a repulsive man with a twisted appearance. He was a source of scorn to many, but fate had a different plan in store for him. One day, the beautiful queen, while gazing out from her window, caught sight of this loathsome figure. To the shock of all, she became infatuated with him, and soon, she secretly began an affair with him.

Every night, after the king fell into a deep slumber, the queen would stealthily climb out of her window, using a cloth rope to scale the palace wall. She would meet her lover in the shadows, and after their tryst, she would return to her chamber, freshen up with perfume, and lie beside the king as if nothing had happened.

One day, after a grand procession around the city, the king noticed the strange man by the rose apple tree. Curious, he asked his chaplain, the Bodhisatta, if any woman would ever be with such a man. The loathsome man, overhearing the conversation, arrogantly boasted to the tree, as if it were his confidante, that it knew his secret. The Bodhisatta, keenly observing, pieced together the truth of the queen’s infidelity. He shared his suspicions with the king, who, though skeptical, decided to test them.

That very night, the king pretended to fall asleep, but in truth, he kept a close watch on the queen. As expected, she crept out and met her lover. The man, irritated by her lateness, slapped her, causing one of her precious lion-head earrings to fall. The king, hidden in the shadows, saw the earring and quietly returned to his bed.

The next morning, the king summoned the queen and demanded she appear before him wearing all the jewelry he had given her. The queen arrived with only one earring, explaining the other was at the goldsmith’s. To expose her lie, the king summoned the goldsmith, and when he arrived, the missing earring was thrown at her feet. In a fit of rage, the king ordered her execution. However, the Bodhisatta, ever the wise counselor, interceded, urging the king to spare her life, for she was merely acting in accordance with the nature of women. He promised to prove it.

The king, still troubled, agreed to the Bodhisatta’s plan. Together, they disguised themselves and ventured into the countryside. Along their journey, they encountered a wedding procession. The Bodhisatta, with a knowing smile, told the king that he could easily seduce the bride, for all women were driven by the same desires. To prove this, the Bodhisatta set up a screen around the king, and when the bride’s carriage passed, he quickly concocted a story about a woman in labor needing help. The bride’s father, eager to ensure good fortune for the wedding, sent his daughter into the screen.

The moment the bride saw the king, she fell in love with him, and without hesitation, gave herself to him. The next day, she proudly announced to everyone that she had given birth to a son. The king, seeing this firsthand, was convinced of the Bodhisatta’s words—that women were inherently deceitful and driven by their desires.

Upon returning to the palace, the king spared the queen’s life, but banished her from the royal court. He also sent the loathsome man away, cutting off the rose apple branch that had once allowed him to sneak into the palace. He replaced his queen with another and restored order to his kingdom.

Moral:
Trust and integrity are the foundation of any relationship. Deceit, though it may seem harmless at first, inevitably leads to the downfall of those who engage in it.