Once upon a time
Brahmadatta was the
ruling king of Benaras.
And a forester, named
Sura, who dwelt in the
kingdom of Kasi, went
to the Himalayas, in
search of articles for
merchandise.
There was a certain
tree there that sprang
up to the height of a
man with his arms
extended over his head,
and then divided into
three parts.
In the midst of its
three forks was a hole
as big as a wine jar, and
when it rained this hole
was filled with water.
Round about it grew
two myrobalan plants
and a pepper shrub; and
the ripe fruits from
these, when they were
cut down, fell into the
hole.
Not far from this tree
was some selfsown
paddy. The parrots
would pluck the heads
of rice and eat them,
perched on this tree.
And while they were
eating, the paddy and
the husked rice fell
there. So the water,
fermenting through the
sun’s heat, assumed a
blood-red color.
In the hot season
flocks of birds, being
thirsty, drank of it, and
becoming intoxicated
fell down at the foot of
the tree, and after
sleeping awhile flew
away.
The same thing
happened in the case of
wild dogs, monkeys and
other creatures.
The forester, on seeing
this, said, “If this were
poison they would die,
but after a short sleep
they go away as they
list; therefore it is no
poison.”
He himself drank of it,
and becoming
intoxicated he felt a
desire to eat flesh, and
then making a fire he
killed the partridges and
cocks that fell down at
the foot of the tree,
and roasted their flesh
on the fire, and
gesticulating with one
hand, and eating flesh
with the other, he
remained one or two
days in the same spot.
Not far from there lived
an ascetic, named
Varuna. The forester at
other times also used
to visit him, and the
though now struck him,
“I will drink this liquor
with the ascetic.”
So he filled a reed-pipe
with it, and taking it
together with some
roast meat he came to
his hut and said, “Holy
sir, taste this liquor,”
They both drank it and
ate the meat.
So from the fact of this
drink having been
discovered by Sura and
Varuna. They both
thought “This is the
way to manage it,” and
they filled their reed-
pipes, and taking it on a
carrying-pole they came
to a neighbouring village,
and sent a message to
the king that some
wine merchants had
come. The king sent for
them and they offered
him the drink. The king
drank it two or three
times and got
intoxicated. This lasted
him only one or two
days. Then he asked
them if there was any
more.
“Yes sir,” they said.
“Where?”
“In the Himalayas, sir.”
“Then bring it here.”
They went and fetched
it two or three times.
Then thinking, “We
can’t always be going
there,” they took note
of all the constituent
parts, and, beginning
with the bark of the
tree, they threw in all
the other ingredients,
and made the drink in
the city.
The men of the city
drank it and became idle
wretches, And the
place became like a
deserted city.
These wine merchants
fled from there and
came to Benaras, and
sent a message to the
king, to announce their
arrival.
The king sent for them
and paid them money,
and they made wine
there too. And that city
also perished in the
same way. Then they
went to Saketa, and
from Saketa they came
to Savatthi.
At that time there was
a king named
Sabbamitta in Savatthi.
He shewed favour to
these men and asked
them what they
wanted.
When they said, “We
want the chief
ingredients and ground
rice and five hundred
jars.”
He gave them
everything they asked
for. So they stored the
liquor in the five
hundred jars, and, to
guard them, they bound
cats, one to each jar.
And, when the liquor
fermented and began
to escape, the cats
drank the strong drink
that flowed from the
inside of the jars, and
getting intoxicated they
lay down to sleep; and
rats came and bit off
the cats’ ears, noses,
teeth and tails.
The king’s officers
came and told the king.
“The cats have died
from drinking the
liquor.”
The king said “Surely
these men must be
makers of poison,” and
he ordered them both
to be beheaded, and
they died, crying out,
“Give us strong drink,
give us mead.”
The king, after putting
the men to death, gave
orders that the jars
should be broken. But
the cats, when the
effect of the liquor
wore off, got up and
walked about and
played. When they saw
this, they told the king.
The king said, “If it
were poison, they
would have died; it
must be mead; we will
drink it.”
So he had the city
decorated, and set up a
pavilion in the palace
yard and taking his seat
in this splendid pavilion
on a royal throne with a
white umbrella raised
over it and surrounded
by his courtiers, he
began to drink.
Then Sakka, the king of
the gods, said, “Who
are there that in the
duty of service to
mother the like
diligently fulfill the three
kinds of right conduct?”
And, looking upon the
world, he saw the king
seated to drink strong
drink and he thought,
“If he shall drink strong
drink, all the India will
perish: I will see that he
shall not drink it.”
So placing a jar full of
liquour in the palm of his
hand, he went disguised
as a Brahmin, and stood
in the air, in the
presence of the king,
and cried, “Buy this jar,
buy this jar.”
King Sabbamitta, on
seeing him standing in
the air and speaking
after this manner,
said," From where this
Brahmin come?” “Who
are you?” he asked,
“what is there in your
hand? Is the jar full of
wine and will you sell it
to me?”
“Oh king” replied Sakka
“I have come to see
you.” What are you
going to drink?”
“Wine” replied king, “A
strong drink.”
Then Sakka said,
“Hearken then to me,”
and expounding the evil
qualities of strong drink,
he said "This jar nor oil
nor ghee, no honey or
molasses here, but
vices more than can be
told are stored within
its rounded sphere. Who
soever drinks will fall
into some hole or pit
impure, poor silly fool, or
headlong sink in
loathsome pooi and eat
what he would fain
abjure. So king, buy this
jar of mine which is full
to the brim of
strongest wine. The
Asuras made drunk
with wine fell from
eternal heaven. Nor
curds nor honey sweet
is here. But evermore
remembering. What’s
stored within this
rounded sphere. Buy,
buy my jar"
On hearing this the king
recognizing the misery
caused by drink, was so
pleased with Sakka
that he praised him.
On this Sakka revealed
his godhead and made
himself known.
Thus did Sakka
admonish him and then
returned to his abode in
heaven. The king,
abstaining from strong
drink, ordered the
drinking vessels to be
broken. And undertaking
to keep the precepts
and dispensing alms, he
became destined to
heaven.
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