THE ANUD¢PAN¢
This Devila the Hermit was the
purohita
(foremost adviser) of King SÊhahanu, King of
Kapilavatthu and father of King SuddhodÈna. Because of his dark complexion, the brahmin
hermit was also called Asita. He was the King's instructor and counsellor who served King
SÊhahanu by giving him advice so as to enable him to carry all undertakings through, be
they political, administrative or otherwise that confronted him.
During the reign of King SÊhahanu, he was tutor and guardian to Prince SuddhodÈna who
was simply, a crown prince and unconsecrated as yet. Devila taught him various royal
manners and palace customs and educated him in statecraft and trained him in all skills.
When Prince SuddhodÈna ascended the throne and was consecrated after King SÊhahanu,
it was also the former royal teacher who again became advisor to King SuddhodÈna.
After his ascension to the throne and his consecration, King SuddhodÈna did not show
profound respect to his teacher as he had done when is was a young prince. During court
meetings, he merely raised his joined hands in adoration, according to the tradition of
consecrated Sakyan kings.
As he no longer received the King's special reverence as before, his birth as a brahmin
and his pride as a teacher generated displeasure and dissatisfaction. Unhappy and disgusted
with his obligations to attend the palace, he sought the King's permission to become an
ascetic.
Knowing his teacher's firm decision, SuddhodÈna requested: ‚You may become an
ascetic. But after becoming an ascetic, please do not go far away. Kindly stay ever in my
garden for my convenience in seeing you.‛ After giving his consent, saying: ‚Very well, let
it be so,‛ and having made himself an ascetic and receiving the King's favourable
treatment, he stayed in the royal garden. Repeatedly engaging himself in meditation on
kasiÓa
device for mental concentration, he gained the five mundane psychic powers. After
his acquisition of these powers, he usually had his meal each day at King SuddhodÈna’s
palace, and visited the Himalaya, Catu-MahÈrÈjÈ abode, TÈvatiÑsa abode, and other places,
where he spent his daytime.
All this is about KÈladevila the Hermit otherwise named Asita.
Ref: A Brief History of The Royal Lineage of The Bodhisatta
In connection with the Bodhisatta's investigation into his family (
kula
olokana
), a history
of Sakyan kings should be noted in brief as follows. Such a note means recognition of the
attribute of the Bodhisatta's high birth (
jÈtimahatta-guÓa
).
In the first intermediate (
antara
) period of incalculably long aeon of evolution
(
vivaÔÔatthÈyÊ asa~khyeyya-kappa
), the first king of the people, in the beginning of the
world, was our Bodhisatta. He was originally named Manu.
The Bodhisatta Manu was more handsome, more pleasant to look at, more respectable,
glorious and virtuous than other inhabitants of the world of the earliest age.
In that primeval age, people were of very pure morality at first. Later on, there appeared
people who committed crimes, such as theft, etc. In order to be able to live free from these
dangers and in peace, other earliest men of the world discussed among themselves and
decided unanimously to elect someone who would govern them justly.
They also agreed that Bodhisatta Manu was the best to govern, for he was endowed with
all the required qualifications. Then they approached him and made a request that he be
their righteous ruler.
As Manu fulfilled his administrative duties, the people who were under his administration
honoured him by paying their taxes, a kind of fee for his ruling performance, which
amounted to one tenth of their crops.
The Acquisition of Three Epithets
The people unanimously recognized the Bodhisatta, showing no objection at all, as
one who would govern them with righteousness, for which honour in the form of
taxes was due. Therefore, he acquired the epithet MahÈsammata.