The Tale of King Culani and the Bodhisatta

Once upon a time, in a magnificent kingdom ruled by King Culani, a renowned and wise Bodhisatta arrived in the city, seeking refuge. King Culani, being a gracious and noble ruler, welcomed the Bodhisatta with open arms and treated him with the utmost respect. In fact, King Culani offered to provide him with a house to stay in, and even allowed the Bodhisatta to build a palace wherever he wished within the city.

The Bodhisatta, though humble, had a sharp mind and a hidden agenda. When King Culani promised that he could build his palace in any place within the kingdom, the Bodhisatta chose to build it in a location that would cause great distress to the wealthy citizens of the city. The Bodhisatta, though seeming kind, was clever enough to foresee that this would allow him to acquire vast amounts of wealth.

The First Deception:

The Bodhisatta, under the pretext of building his palace, instructed his men to go to the queen mother’s residence and pretend they would demolish it. The queen mother was furious upon hearing this and immediately sought to pay off the Bodhisatta to avoid the destruction of her home. She offered him a bribe of one hundred thousand coins, which the Bodhisatta accepted, agreeing to build his palace elsewhere.

This was just the beginning. The Bodhisatta then proceeded to visit other wealthy families in the city, repeating the same tactic. He threatened to demolish their homes unless they paid him large sums of money. In total, the Bodhisatta swindled ninety million coins from the rich citizens, further adding to his ever-growing wealth. Each time, the individuals, desperate to avoid conflict, paid him off.

Despite having accumulated a small fortune through his cunning, the Bodhisatta had not yet achieved his ultimate goal. He was still planning something far greater.

The Construction of the Palace:

Having secured a substantial amount of wealth through his scams, the Bodhisatta began his work on the palace. He explained to King Culani that building the palace within the city would upset the common people, as many would be displaced. Therefore, he suggested that the palace should be built along the river, where there would be fewer complaints. King Culani, always eager to please, agreed to this suggestion.

The king’s agreement came with an added benefit. By building the palace by the river, King Culani realized that it would be easier for him to mount a surprise attack against any enemy who approached the city. Thus, the palace’s location would serve a strategic military purpose as well.

But the Bodhisatta’s deceptions did not stop there. He also requested permission to allow the royal elephants to play in the river, knowing that their activities would stir up the water and cause further confusion among the city’s inhabitants. This, too, was approved by the unsuspecting King Culani.

For the next four months, the Bodhisatta oversaw the construction of a grand palace and a village for the workers. He also secretly ordered the building of two enormous, hidden tunnels. One tunnel was large enough to allow elephants to pass through it and stretched half a league from the river to the city. Sixty thousand workers were employed to dig the tunnel, and the excavated dirt was disposed of in the river, masking the true nature of the operation. The water, already murky due to the elephants’ play, helped conceal any evidence of the tunnel’s construction.

The Bodhisatta had planned every detail. Inside the tunnel, he arranged for hundreds of doors and lanterns to be installed, all of which could be controlled with a single lever. The walls and ceiling were covered in brick, stucco, and wood, painted with beautiful scenes of heaven. It was a marvel of engineering and design.

The second, smaller tunnel connected the first tunnel to the Bodhisatta’s house, giving him a secret route to King Culani’s palace. With these tunnels in place, the Bodhisatta had set the stage for the greatest part of his plan.

The Kidnapping of Princess Pancalacandi:

With everything in place, the Bodhisatta called upon King Vedeha, who had been eagerly waiting for the marriage of his daughter, Princess Pancalacandi, to King Culani. King Vedeha, unaware of the hidden threat, sent a message to King Culani requesting that Princess Pancalacandi be sent to him immediately.

King Culani, in turn, promised to send the princess the next morning. But the Bodhisatta, who harbored a personal grudge against King Vedeha for previously insulting him, saw an opportunity for revenge. That very night, he mobilized his men to kidnap Princess Pancalacandi, along with King Culani’s chief queen, his son, and his mother.

The Bodhisatta’s men snuck into the palace, quietly overpowering the guards. They then led the royal family through the secret tunnel, assuring them that they were taking them to a victory celebration, as ordered by King Culani. The family, awestruck by the beauty of the tunnel, had no reason to doubt the men and followed them without resistance.

Meanwhile, King Vedeha, unaware of the impending danger, awaited news of his bride’s arrival. The Bodhisatta’s plot was unfolding perfectly.

The Moment of Crisis:

As dawn broke, King Vedeha realized that his troops had been surrounded by King Culani’s army. His worst fears were realized — he was trapped. The Bodhisatta had lured him into a trap, and now, King Vedeha believed that he was doomed. But the Bodhisatta, keeping his true plans a secret, took advantage of the situation to teach King Vedeha a harsh lesson.

The Bodhisatta mocked King Vedeha, calling him greedy and foolish for marrying Princess Pancalacandi despite his earlier warnings. He told the king that he was a fool for treating him with such disdain, and that he deserved the predicament he was in. As King Vedeha and his advisors begged for mercy, the Bodhisatta cruelly told them it was too late to change anything.

Just when the king and his ministers had resolved to commit suicide rather than face capture and certain death, the Bodhisatta revealed that he had saved the royal family and that they were hidden in safety, far from the palace. He opened the secret tunnel to show King Vedeha and the others that the royal family had been taken, and they were all unharmed. The princess, the queen, and the king’s mother were all found safe, thanks to the Bodhisatta’s foresight and cunning.

The Bodhisatta then led King Vedeha and the others to the river, where they boarded a ship, beginning the long journey back to their homeland. The Bodhisatta, vowing to ensure everyone’s safety, remained behind to oversee the soldiers and workers. He buried a sword in the sand near the tunnel’s entrance and returned to his house, where he prepared for the king’s arrival.

The Final Confrontation:

As King Culani’s troops gathered to attack the Bodhisatta, the Bodhisatta stepped out onto the terrace of his house, fully aware of the king’s intentions. King Culani, furious that his rival had escaped, charged toward him on horseback, intending to strike him down.

But the Bodhisatta, unafraid, mocked King Culani. He told the king that his effort to find him had been in vain, for King Vedeha was already safe and on his way home. King Culani, enraged by the loss, ordered his soldiers to kill the Bodhisatta.

The Bodhisatta, however, spoke with such confidence that he convinced the king to hesitate. He revealed that he had taken King Culani’s family through the secret tunnels, and if anything were to happen to him, King Vedeha would do the same to Culani’s family. The king, still doubtful, sent men to check the palace, and soon it was confirmed that his family was gone.

With this revelation, King Culani’s anger turned to fear. He was no longer certain that killing the Bodhisatta would lead to any victory. To calm his rage, the Bodhisatta praised the beauty and grace of Queen Nanda, King Culani’s wife, and assured the king that if he and his men were allowed to leave unharmed, his family would be returned without injury.

King Culani, reassured that his family had not been harmed, allowed the Bodhisatta to leave safely. The Bodhisatta then led him through the secret tunnel, where the king marveled at the incredible engineering and construction. When they reached the end of the tunnel, the Bodhisatta used a lever to lock everyone except him and King Culani in complete darkness.

The Bodhisatta, drawing a sword he had hidden in the sand, confronted King Culani. “Who rules all the kingdoms of India?” he asked. The terrified king responded, “It’s yours, spare me!” At that moment, the Bodhisatta lowered his sword, showing mercy. He explained that he had only made the threat to demonstrate his wisdom, and that he had no interest in ruling the kingdom.

King Culani, now deeply respectful of the Bodhisatta’s wisdom, agreed to spare his life. The two men sat and spoke, forging a genuine friendship, and the Bodhisatta’s actions were now seen in a new light.

The Festival and the Future:

After the events unfolded, King Culani, grateful for the Bodhisatta’s mercy, hosted a seven-day festival in the city to honor him. As a token of his appreciation, the king bestowed upon the Bodhisatta eighty villages, one hundred wives, and vast amounts of gold.

Later, in King Vedeha’s kingdom, a similar celebration was held to mark the Bodhisatta’s return. The two kings, once adversaries, now shared a deep respect and friendship that would endure throughout their reigns.

Years passed, and when King Vedeha died, the Bodhisatta consecrated his son as the new ruler. The Bodhisatta, ever loyal, moved to serve King Culani, and was once again greeted with honor. Yet Queen Nanda never fully forgave the Bodhisatta for his earlier kidnapping of her family, and she secretly plotted against him. Despite her suspicions, the Bodhisatta’s wisdom always kept him one step ahead.

The Final Test of Virtue:

In time, the Bodhisatta was tested once again, this time by an ascetic named Bheri, who sought to challenge his moral character. The queen’s spies misinterpreted their interactions, leading to suspicions of a plot against the king. However, when the truth came to light, King Culani reaffirmed his trust in the Bodhisatta, recognizing his loyalty and integrity.

One final test came when Bheri asked King Culani the famous “Water Demon Question.” The king answered wisely, proving that he would never sacrifice the Bodhisatta, for the Bodhisatta had committed no sins. This final act of wisdom solidified the Bodhisatta’s place in history as a model of virtue, wisdom, and leadership.

Moral of the Story:

The tale of the Bodhisatta teaches us that true wisdom and virtue do not lie in power, wealth, or dominance, but in the ability to serve others with integrity, compassion, and insight. The Bodhisatta’s cleverness, compassion, and moral clarity earned him the trust of both kings and commoners alike, demonstrating that the most enduring leadership is based not on fear or manipulation, but on justice, wisdom, and selfless service to others.