Chapter 45
man, why did you do that? You are doing a very improper thing indeed. You have kept me
in the dark about this girl who is my daughter in this circumstance. Bring her to my house
immediately.‛ The superintendent had to obey his master’s order. From then onwards,
SÈmÈvatÊ became the adopted daughter of Ghosaka who cherished her as his own daughter
and found for her five hundred companions, who were of her own age and from worthy
families.
SÈmÈvatÊ became Queen of King Udena
One day when King Udena of KosambÊ went round the city, he happened to see SÈmÈvatÊ
and her five hundred maid companions, romping (in the garden) and fell in love with her.
On inquiring her parentage, he was told that she was the daughter of Ghosaka the
householder. The King enquired whether she was married or not, and learning that she was
not married, he sent his royal messengers to Ghosaka to ask for the hand of SÈmÈvatÊ for
marriage to him. Ghosaka thought to himself: ‚SÈmÈvatÊ is our only daughter. We cannot
put her life at risk in the King’s court which is full of intriguing women.‛ So he bluntly
refused the King’s request. The King was furious and ordered that Ghosaka and his wife be
evicted from their house which was to be sealed off.
When SÈmÈvatÊ and her playmates returned and met her parents sitting miserably outside
the house, she asked them what had happened. On hearing the story, she said to them:
‚Dear parents, why did you not tell the King’s men that your daughter would go and live at
the palace on the condition that her five hundred maid-companions were allowed to remain
with her there? Now, dear parents, give your reply to the King as I suggest.‛ Her parents
said to her: ‚Very well, daughter, we did not know how you would take it (the King’s
proposal).‛
King Udena was greatly pleased to hear the message from Ghosaka. He said: ‚Let all the
maid-companions come and stay with SÈmÈvatÊ, even if they number a thousand!‛
Afterwards, on an auspicious day, at the auspicious hour when the planets were favourable,
SÈmÈvatÊ, together with her five hundred maid-companion, were conveyed to the palace of
King Udena. The King appointed all the five hundred maids as ladies-in-waiting to his wife
SÈmÈvatÊ when he made her Queen with ceremonial anointing, and put her in a golden
terraced mansion of her own, with full state of a Queen.
About this time, Ghosaka and his two householder friends, Kukkuta and PÈvÈrika of
KosambÊ, learning the news of the appearance of the Buddha and His residence at SÈvatthi,
went to Him. After listening to a discourse by the Buddha, they were established in Stream-
Entry Knowledge. Later, they returned to KosambÊ after making great offering to the
Buddha and His Sangha for fifteen days. They obtained the assurance from the Buddha that
He would visit KosambÊ when they would invite Him later. They built a monastery each
and on completion of which, they sent messages to the Buddha, inviting Him to visit
KosambÊ. Hence, the Buddha began His journey to KosambÊ but seeing the ripeness of past
merit in a brahmin couple by the name of MÈgaÓÉiya, He made a detour to
KammÈsadamma, a market town in the Province of Kuru, where He caused the
MÈgaÓÉiyas to comprehend the Ariya Truth and then proceeded to KosambÊ.
Travelling by stages, He reached KosambÊ and accepted the gift of three monasteries
which were donated by three (Ariya) householders. When He entered the town on an alms
collecting round, He and His procession of
bhikkhus
were reviled by a gang of drunken
men who were instigated by Queen MÈgaÓÉiya, who held a grudge against the Buddha. The
Venerable Œnanda suggested to the Buddha that they leave the town which appeared so
inhospitable. Instead, the Buddha gave a discourse to the Venerable Œnanda on the
importance of taming oneself, which was recorded in AttadaÓÔa vatthu in the Dhammapada
verses 320, 321 & 322. The Buddha stayed on for some time in KosambÊ in the three
monasteries in towns.
(For details of this episode, read Chapter 27.)
KhujjuttarÈ attained Stream-Entry