The Life Stories of the Nuns – 2142 

 

 

escorted to the rich man’s house. The substituted prisoner was taken out of the 
city by the south gate and executed in lieu of Sattuka. 

When the rich man secretly received Sattuka from the mayor’s men, he decided 
to make his daughter happy by pampering the criminal. He had Sattuka bathed 
in scented water, dressed up finely, and sent to his daughter’s mansion. Bhaddā 
was very happy for having obtained her prize. She made herself as lovely as 
possible with much adornment and attended on Sattuka fondly. 

Sattuka’s Wicked Plan 

Sattuka’s evilness was such that he coveted Bhaddā’s personal adornments. He 
thought out a wicked plan and after two or three days, he said to Bhaddā: “I 
have to say something to you.” – “Say it, my dear,” said Bhaddā, anticipating 
some good words. 

“You might think that you saved my life,” Sattuka said. “As a matter of fact, I 
owe my life to the guardian spirit of Mount Corapapāta. I promised him an 
offering, if I came out of my captivity alive. Now I am bound by my word to 
make the spirit an offering. Make the necessary preparations.” 

Bhaddā, being innocent and loving, readily agreed to comply with the wish of 
her husband. She prepared offerings, adorned herself fully, and rode in a 
carriage with Sattuka. At the foot of Mount Corapapāta, she alighted from the 
carriage and made ready to go up the mountain, accompanied by her attendants. 
Sattuka, concealing his evil motive, persuaded Bhaddā to go up to the mountain 
alone because she must have no friend by her side. She carried the offering on 
her head and went up to the mountain with Sattuka. 

Once they were alone together on the ascent to the mountain, Sattuka’s tone 
suddenly changed in his conversation with Bhaddā. His oily tongue now gave 
way to harsh usage. Bhaddā was intelligent enough to fathom the evil motive of 
her robber-husband. When they got to the top of the mountain, Sattuka 
commanded in his natural harshness: “Now Bhaddā, take off all your personal 
ornaments and wrap them up in your upper garment.” Bhaddā, pretending not to 
know the evil motive of Sattuka, sweetly replied: “What wrong have I done 
against you, my lord?” – “Foolish girl, do you think I came here to make 
offerings to the mountain spirit? Fie! I dare open the heart of the mountain 
spirit. I have brought you here alone to rob you of your ornaments.”