14.3 The Story about the Nāga King Erakapatta
Erakapattanāgarājavatthu

“It is rare to be born human,” this Dhamma teaching was given by the Teacher while he was in residence under the seven Acacia trees near Bārāṇasī with reference to Erakapatta, the Nāga King.

We are told that in the dispensation of the Buddha Kassapa, Erakapatta was a young bhikkhu. One day he embarked in a boat on [30.57] the Ganges {3.231} and set out on a voyage. Passing a jungle of Eraka trees, he grasped a leaf. Although the boat was moving rapidly, he did not let go, and the result was that the leaf was entirely broken off. “A mere trifle!” he thought. Although for twenty thousand years he performed meditations in the forest without confessing his fault, yet, when he came to die, he felt as though an Eraka leaf had seized him by the neck. Desiring to confess his fault, but seeing no other bhikkhu, he was filled with remorse and cried out: “My virtue is impaired!” Thus he died.

Having passed out of that state of existence, he was reborn as a Nāga king, the measure of his body being that of a dug-out canoe. At the moment of rebirth he surveyed his person, and was filled with remorse as he thought to himself: “After performing meditation for so long a time, I have been reborn in a state without good roots, AJ: ahetukapaṭisandhi. in a feeding-place for frogs.”

After a time a daughter was born to him. Thereupon, lying on the surface of the water in the middle of the Ganges, he raised his great hood, placed his daughter therein, and caused her to dance and sing. This was the thought in his mind: “In this way, in case a Buddha arises in the world, I shall come to know of it. In case anyone sings a reply to my song, I will give him my daughter and the power and wealth of a Nāga king to boot.” So every fortnight, on Observance Day, he placed his daughter in his hood. And his daughter, poised there, danced, and sang this song:

What type of ruler is the king?
What king is it ruled by passion?
How may he become passionless?
Who is called a foolish person? {3.232}

All over Jambudīpa men said to themselves: “Let us win the Nāga maiden.” Accordingly, to the best of their ability, they made up replies and sang them, but the daughter of the Nāga king rejected them all. Every fortnight she danced and sang within her father’s hood. Thus passed an interval between two Buddhas.

After the Teacher had appeared in the world, as he surveyed the world at dawn one morning, he perceived that among others the Nāga king Erakapatta and the Brahmin youth Uttara had entered the net of his knowledge. Thereupon he considered within himself: “What now will come to pass?” And straightaway he became aware of the following: “Today is the day when the Nāga king Erakapatta will place his daughter within his hood and make her dance. This Brahmin youth Uttara will learn a song which I will [30.58] teach him, will become a Stream-enterer, and keeping the song in mind, will approach the king of the Nāgas. When the king of the Nāgas hears that song, he will know that the Buddha has appeared in the world, and he will then come to me. When he has come to me, I will pronounce a verse in the midst of a great multitude, and at the conclusion of the verse 84,000 living beings will attain comprehension of the Dhamma.”

Now there were seven Acacia trees not far from Bārāṇasī, and the Teacher straightaway went and took his seat under one of those trees. The inhabitants of Jambudīpa took a response to the song and assembled. Not far off, the Teacher saw the Brahmin youth Uttara walking, and said to him: “Uttara!” – “What is it, venerable Sir?” – “Just come here.” When Uttara had come back, worshipped the Teacher, and taken his seat, the Teacher said to him: “Where are you going?” – “I am going to the place where the daughter of the Nāga king Erakapatta sings her song.” – “But do you know a reply to the song?” – “Yes, venerable Sir; I know a reply to her song.” – “Just recite it to me.” Uttara recited to the Teacher a reply to the song, which he had made up. Thereupon the Teacher said: “That is no reply. I will give you a reply. {3.233} Will you take it and go to her with it?” – “Yes, venerable Sir, I will.” Then said the Teacher to him: “Uttara, when the maiden sings her song, you are to sing the following song in reply:

He who rules over the six doors is king.
When attached the king is ruled by passion.
Being unattached he is passionless.
Attached he is called a foolish person.

The Teacher having given him this reply, said to him: “Uttara, when you have sung this song, she will sing the following reply to your song:

By what is a fool swept away?
How does a wise man drive away?
How is there release from the yokes?
Speak to me, answer my question.

Then you are to sing the following reply:

By the deluge is a fool swept away.
By effort does a wise man drive away.
Being unfettered from all of the yokes
he is said to be released from the yokes. {3.234}

Uttara memorized this reply, and as he did so, he attained the fruition of Stream-entry. Having become a Stream-enterer, he took [30.59] that verse and set out. “Ho!” cried he: “I have brought with me a reply to her song; make way for me.” The crowd was so dense that as he walked, he hit the knees of the crowd with his feet.

The daughter of the king of the Nāgas stood within the hood of her father, and standing there, danced and sang the song: “What type of ruler is the king?” Uttara sang the reply: “He who rules over the six doors is king.” The maiden in turn sang: “What king is it ruled by passion?” Then Uttara sang the following verse in reply: “When attached the king is ruled by passion.”

When the king of the Nāgas heard those words, he knew that the Buddha had appeared in the world. And he said to himself: “I have not heard a song like that during the whole of an interval between two Buddhas.” – “A Buddha has indeed appeared in the world!” he thought. And his heart was filled with joy. With his tail he lashed the surface of the water, whereupon great waves arose, washing away both banks, and on this side and on that, for a distance of 640 metres, men were plunged into the water. The king of the Nāgas then raised his hood, placed those men therein, and set them on dry land. Then he approached Uttara and asked him: “Master, where is the Teacher?” – “He is sitting under a certain tree, great king.” – “Come, master, let us go,” said the king of the Nāgas, and set out with Uttara. A great multitude joined Uttara and followed him.

The king of the Nāgas went to where the Teacher was, and after making his way in among the six-colored rays of light, worshipped the Teacher and stood on one side weeping. Then said the Teacher to him: “What does this mean, great king?” – “Venerable Sir, I was once the disciple of a Buddha like you, {3.235} and for twenty thousand years performed meditations. But the meditations of twenty thousand years were not sufficient to secure my salvation. Just because I broke off a tiny Eraka leaf, I was reborn in a state without good roots, in the condition of one who must go about on his belly. During a whole interval between two Buddhas I attained neither human estate, nor the privilege of hearing the Dhamma, nor the privilege of seeing a Buddha like you.” Hearing his words, the Teacher replied: “Great king, human estate is indeed difficult to attain; it is likewise difficult to gain the privilege of listening to the Dhamma; so also is the rise of a Buddha difficult. For this latter is brought about with toil and trouble.”

So saying, he taught the Dhamma, pronouncing the following verse:

182. Kiccho manussapaṭilābho, kicchaṁ maccāna’ jīvitaṁ,
kicchaṁ Saddhammasavanaṁ, kiccho Buddhānam-uppādo.

It is rare to be born human,
rare is the life of the mortals,
it is rare to hear True Dhamma,
rare the arising of Buddhas. [30.60]

At the end of the teaching 84,000 living beings had comprehension of the Dhamma.

The king of the Nāgas would have attained the fruition of Stream-entry on that day, had it not been for his animal nature. {3.236} He recovered the power of going about in human form only after attaining freedom from weariness in the five conditions in which Nāgas which have received the bodies of Nāgas are weary: namely, those called attainment of rebirth, shedding of skin, sinking into untroubled slumber, mating with those of their own kind, and what is called falling away.

last updated: August 2024