15.3 The Story about the Defeat of the King of Kosala
Kosalarañño Parājayavatthu
Dhp 201
Burlingame: Defeat of the King of Kosala
The King of Kosala is defeated three times by his nephew Ajātasattu, the King of Magadha, and took to his bed in sorrow and despair; when the Buddha heard about it he gave this teaching.
Keywords: Wars, Kings
**
“The victor generates hatred,” this Dhamma teaching was given by the Teacher while he was in residence at Jetavana with reference to the defeat of the king of Kosala.
It seems that the king of Kosala fought against his nephew Ajātasattu near the village Kāsika and suffered defeat three times. As he returned from defeat the third time, he thought to himself: “Since I have not been able to subdue this milk-faced youth, what is the use of my living any longer?” So he refused to eat and took to his bed. The news of what he had done, spread throughout the city.
The bhikkhus reported the matter to the Teacher, saying: “Venerable Sir, report has it that the king, who thrice suffered defeat near the village Kāsika and has just now returned from defeat, has refused to eat and has taken to his bed, saying: ‘Since I have not been able to defeat this milk-faced youth, what is the use of my living any longer?’”
When the Teacher heard this report, he said: “Bhikkhus, by winning a victory, a man produces hatred; and he that is defeated is afflicted with suffering.” So saying, the Teacher pronounced the following verse:
201. Jayaṁ veraṁ pasavati, dukkhaṁ seti parājito,
upasanto sukhaṁ seti, hitvā jayaparājayaṁ.
The victor generates hatred,
the defeated finds suffering,
the one at peace lives happily,
without victory and defeat.
At the end of the teaching many reached the fruition of Stream-entry and so on.