8.3 The Story about the Elder Kuṇḍalakesī
Kuṇḍalakesittherīvatthu

“One may speak a hundred verses,” [29.227] this Dhamma teaching was given by the Teacher while he was in residence at Jetavana concerning Kuṇḍalakesī.

A rich merchant of Rājagaha, it seems, had an only daughter who was about sixteen years of age, and she was exceedingly beautiful and fair to see, and when women reach this age, they burn and long for men. Her mother and father lodged her on the topmost floor of a seven-storied palace in an apartment of royal splendor, and gave her only a single slave-woman to wait upon her. BG: Cf. the beginning of stories 2.3, 8.12, and 9.8.

Now one day a young man of station was caught in the act of robbery. They bound his hands behind his back and led him to the place of execution, scourging him with lashes at every crossroads. The merchant’s daughter heard the shouts of the crowd and said to herself: “What is that?” looked down from the top of the palace, and saw him. {2.218}

Straightaway she fell in love with him. So great, in fact, was her longing for him that she took to her bed and refused to eat. Her mother asked her: “What does this mean, my dear daughter?” – “If I can have that young man who was caught in the act of committing robbery and who was led through the streets, life will be worth living; if not, life is not worth living; I shall die here and now.” – “Do not act in this manner, my dear daughter; you shall have someone else for your husband, someone who is our equal in birth and family and wealth.” – “I will have no one else; if I cannot have this man I shall die.”

The mother, unable to pacify her daughter, told the father; but the father likewise was unable to pacify his daughter. “What is to be done?” he thought. He sent a thousand coins to the king’s officer who had captured the robber and who was accompanying him to the place of execution, saying: “Take this money and send the robber to me.” – “Very well!” said the king’s officer. He took the [29.228] money, released the robber, had another man put to death, and sent word to the king: “The robber has been executed, your majesty.”

The merchant gave his daughter in marriage to the robber. She resolved to win the favor of her husband; and from that time on, adorned with all her adornments, she prepared her husband’s meals with her own hand. After a few days the robber thought to himself: “When can I kill this woman, take her jewels and sell them, and so be able to take my meals in a certain tavern?”

Thinking: “This is the way!” he took to his bed and refused to eat. She came to him and asked: “Are you in pain?” – “Not at all, wife.” – “Then perhaps my mother and father are angry with you?” – “They are not angry with me, wife.” – “What is the matter, then?” – “Wife, that day when I was bound {2.219} and led through the streets, I saved my life by vowing an offering to the Devatā that lives on Robbers’ Cliff; likewise it was through his supernatural power that I gained you for my wife. I was wondering how I could fulfill my vow of an offering to the Devatā.” – “Husband, do not worry; I will see to the offering; tell me what is needed.” – “Rich rice-porridge, flavored with honey; and the five kinds of flowers, including the Takoli flower.” – “Very well, husband, I will make ready the offering.”

Having prepared the whole offering, she said to her husband: “Come, husband, let us go.” – “Very well, wife; let your kinsmen remain behind; put on your costly garments and adorn yourself with your precious jewels, and we will go gayly, laughing and disporting ourselves.” She did as she was told. When they reached the foot of the mountain, the robber said to her: “Wife, from this point on let us two go alone; we will send back the rest of the company in a conveyance; you take the vessel containing the offering and carry it yourself.” She did as she was told. The robber took her in his arms and climbed the mountain to the top of Robbers’ Cliff.

One side of this mountain men can climb; but the other side is a precipitous cliff, from the top of which robbers are flung, being dashed to pieces before they reach the bottom; therefore it is called “Robbers’ Cliff.”

Standing on the top of the mountain, she said: “Husband, present the offering.” Her husband made no reply. Again {2.220} she spoke: “Husband, why do you remain silent?” Then he said to her: “I have no use for the offering; I deceived you in bringing you here with an offering.” – “Then why did you bring me here, husband?” – “To kill you, seize your jewels, and escape.” Terrified with the fear of death, she said to him: [29.229] “Husband, both my jewels and my person belong to you; why do you speak thus?” Over and over again she pleaded with him: “Do not do this,” but his only reply was: “I will kill you.” – “After all, what will you gain by killing me? Take these jewels and spare my life; henceforth regard me as your mother, or else let me be your slave-woman and work for you.” So saying, she recited the following verse:

This golden bracelet, and many
pearls, also lapis lazuli,
take everything your honour,
and then call me your slave woman.

The robber, hearing this, said to her: “Despite what you say, were I to spare your life, you would go and tell your mother and father all. I will kill you. That is all. Lament not with vehement lamentation.” So saying, he recited the following verse:

Do not lament excessively,
quickly tie up your possessions,
there is no more living for you.
I will take all your possessions. {2.221}

She thought to herself: “Oh, what a wicked deed is this! However, wisdom was not made to be cooked and eaten, but rather to make men look before they leap. I shall find a way of dealing with him.” And she said to him: “Husband, when they caught you in the act of committing robbery and led you through the streets, I told my mother and father, and they spent a thousand coins in ransoming you, and they gave you a place in their house, and from that time on I have been your benefactress; today do me the favor of letting me worship you.” – “Very well, wife,” he said, granting her the favor of worshipping him, and then he took his stand near the edge of the cliff.

She walked around him three times, keeping him on her right hand, and worshipped him in the four places. Then she said to him: “Husband, this is the last time I shall see you. Henceforth you will see me no more, neither shall I see you any more.” And she embraced him both before and behind. Then, remaining behind him, as he stood off his guard near the edge of the cliff, she put one hand to his shoulder and the other to the small of his back, and flung him over the cliff. Thus was the robber hurled into the abyss of the mountain, and dashed to pieces when he reached the bottom. The Devatā that dwelt on the top of Robbers’ Cliff observed the actions of the two, and applauding the woman, uttered the following verse:

It’s not under all conditions
that a man has wisdom,
a woman also has wisdom,
through intelligence here and there. {2.222} [29.230]

Having thrown the robber over the cliff, the woman thought to herself: “If I go home, they will ask me: ‘Where is your husband?’ and if, in answer to their question, I say: ‘I have killed him,’ they will pierce me with the knives of their tongues, saying: ‘We ransomed the scoundrel with a thousand coins and now you have killed him.’ If, on the other hand, I say: ‘He sought to kill me for my jewels,’ they will not believe me. I’m done with home!” She cast off her jewels, went into the forest, and after wandering about for a time came to a certain hermitage of female wanderers. She reverently bowed and said: “Sister, please give me the going forth.” So they gave her the going forth.

After she had gone forth, she asked: “Sister, what is the goal of your spiritual life?” – “Sister, the development of absorption through the employment of the ten meditation devices, or else the memorizing of a thousand views; this is the highest aim of our spiritual life.” – “Absorption I shall not be able to develop. Venerable sister; but I will master the thousand views.” When she had mastered the thousand views, they said to her: “You have acquired proficiency; now go throughout the length and breadth of Jambudīpa and look for someone able to match question and answer with you.”

So, placing a branch of rose-apple in her hands, {2.223} they dismissed her with these words: “Go, sister; if any one who is a lay disciple is able to match question and answer with you, become his attendant; if it is one gone forth, go forth under him.” Adopting the name of the Rose-Apple Wanderer, she left the hermitage and went about from place to place asking questions of everyone she saw. No one was able to match question and answer with her; in fact, such a reputation did she acquire that whenever men heard the announcement: “Here comes the Rose-Apple Wanderer,” they would run away.

Before entering a town or village for alms, she would scrape a pile of sand together before the village gate and there plant her rose-apple branch. Then she would issue her challenge: “Let him that is able to question me trample this rose-apple branch under his feet.” So saying, she would enter the village. No one dared to pass beyond that spot. When one branch withered, she would procure a fresh one. [29.231]

Traveling about in this way, she arrived at Sāvatthī, planted the branch before the city gate, issued her challenge in the usual way, and went in to seek alms. A number of young boys gathered about the branch and waited to see what would happen. Just then the Elder Sāriputta, who had made his round and eaten his breakfast and was on his way out of the city, saw those boys standing about the branch and asked them: “What does this mean?” The boys explained matters to the elder. The elder said: “Go ahead, boys, trample that branch under your feet.” – “We are afraid to, venerable Sir.” {2.224} – “I will answer the question; you go ahead and trample the branch under your feet.” The elder’s words supplied the boys with the necessary courage. Forthwith they trampled the branch under their feet, shouting and kicking up the dust.

When the wanderer returned, she rebuked them and said: “I don’t intend to bandy question and answer with you; how did you come to trample the branch under your feet?” – “Our noble elder told us to.” – “Venerable Sir, did you tell them to trample my branch under their feet?” – “Yes, sister.” – “Well then, question me.” – “Very well, I will do so.”

As the shades of evening drew on, she went to the elder’s residence to put her questions. The entire city was stirred up. The people said to each other: “Let us go and hear the talk of the two learned persons.” Accompanying the wanderer from the city to the elder’s residence, they bowed to the elder and seated themselves respectfully on one side.

The wanderer said to the elder: “Venerable Sir, I wish to ask you a question.” – “Ask it, sister.” So she asked him about the thousand views. Every question the wanderer asked, the elder answered correctly. Then he said to her: “You have asked only these few questions; are there any others?” – “These are all, venerable Sir.” – “You have asked many questions; I will ask you just one; will you answer me?” – “Ask your question, venerable Sir.” {2.225} Then the elder asked her the following question: “What is one?” BG: That is to say: “What is the answer to Question One of the Novice’s Questions?” See Khuddakapāṭha, 4.1. She said to herself: “This is a question I should be able to answer,” but not knowing the answer, she enquired of the elder: “What is it, venerable Sir?” – “That is the Buddha’s question, sister.” – “Tell me also the answer, venerable Sir.” – “If you become one like me, I will tell you the [29.232] answer.” – “Very well, give me the going forth.” The elder sent word to the bhikkhunīs and had go forth. After going forth, she took her higher ordination, took the name Kuṇḍalakesī, and after a few days became an Arahat together with the analytic knowledges.

In the Dhamma Hall the bhikkhus began a discussion of the incident. “Kuṇḍalakesī heard little of the Dhamma and yet she succeeded in going forth; moreover, she came here after fighting a fierce battle with a robber and defeating him.”

The Teacher came in and asked them: “Bhikkhus, what is it that you are sitting here discussing now?” They told him: “Bhikkhus, measure not the Dhamma I have taught as being little or much. There is no superior merit in a hundred sentences that are meaningless; but one sentence of the Dhamma is better. He that defeats all other robbers wins no victory at all, but he who defeats the robbers that are his own pollutants, his is victory indeed.” Then he joined the connection, and teaching the Dhamma, pronounced the following verses:

102. Yo ce gāthāsataṁ bhāse anatthapadasaṁhitā,
ekaṁ Dhammapadaṁ seyyo, yaṁ sutvā upasammati.

One may speak a hundred verses
consisting of quite useless words,
better is one verse of Dhamma,
hearing which one is brought to peace. {2.226}

103. Yo sahassaṁ sahassena saṅgāme mānuse jine,
ekañ-ca jeyya attānaṁ, sa ve saṅgāmajuttamo.

One may conquer a thousand men
a thousand times in a battle,
but having conquered one’s own self,
one would be supreme in battle. {2.227}

At the end of the teaching many reached the fruition of Stream-entry and so on.

last updated: August 2024