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Sunday Parable by Sunanda Mahendra

A certain man was sentenced to death by placing his back on a pointed shaft (ula tabima) in the open cemetery in the outskirts of the village. Without knowing this, the King of the province was passing by with a retinue of kingsmen. The man who was undergoing the punishment saw the retinue.

He shouted, 'Go and tell your king that I want to partake of his royal meal before I die'. He (the man on the pointed shaft) shouted not knowing that the king was passing by. It was customary on the part of a man who was condemned to death to request any thing he wanted before he is killed.

'Who is that man who wants to partake of a royal meal?' asked the King. 'He is a man sentenced to death placed on the pointed shaft', said the King's personal attendant. The King went on thinking of ways and means of sending the royal meal intended for this man who was undergoing a severe punishment.

'It is fair by a king to fulfil the last wish of a man sentenced to death. As such, I am prepared to send my meal to that man who is sentenced to death in the cemetery', said the King when he went to the palace. 'But the place is far away and full of evil eyed devils.

As such who will take the meal is a problem?', said the chief minister cum advisor (purohita) trying to discourage the King. 'But that is his last wish, so it should be fulfilled. I am going to give one thousand gold coins to any person who is willing to take the royal meal to that place', said the King requesting the purohita to send a royal proclamation through a town crier (ghosaka).

To the great surprise of the King, a poor woman presented herself to carry the royal meal. 'After all, you are a woman. Are you not afraid of devils?', asked the King 'No, your honour, I am not afraid of any so-called evil eyed devils, and I am going to disguise myself as a man wearing a pendant of five weapons (panchayudha)'

'Oh! I am so happy to hear this' said the King handing over the royal meal brought from the palace kitchen.

The offering

At this juncture, it should be reminded that this woman and her husband Kakavaliya were blessed by a noble venerable monk named Mahakassapa, the day before, for offering their only meagre morning meal of gruel which through a miracle instantly became an offer of a gruel meal sufficient for about five hundred monks residing and meditating in the temple.

'You are poor at this moment. But through the acquisition of merits you are destined to become a rich treasurer of this kingdom within seven days' said the Buddha when her husband Kakavaliya walked to the temple behind the great monk.

This verdict created an added wave of courage within her. She reflected upon the events of the day before this event. She had prepared a bowl of gruel for two but when offered to a great monk the gruel had become sufficient for many more.

On behalf of an offer of meals made to a noble monk, the husband and the wife had to starve, but with a blissful mind they resisted the inner urge of starvation thinking that 'Though we are poor at the moment we will overcome this poverty one day through this offer of our meal to a noble and pious monk.

The poor woman received the royal meal from the king and walked through the thick forest to the cemetery where the man was enduring this punishment. On her way, a certain devil stopped her. He said 'Can you convey a message of mine to a certain god (deva) who lives in a tall palm tree?'

'Yes I can', said the woman

'Tell him that my wife who is the sister of this deva is blessed with a baby daughter. Can you say it aloud three times?

'Yes I can', said the woman. 'As a gift for that duty you will be given a handsome present'

Message delivered

The woman on her way shouted the message of the devil three times and a deva in a tall palm tree responded 'Thank you for the message. You will be gifted with a treasure which is hidden at the foot of this palm tree. come over with your husband and take it. Then she came closer to the place where the man stood on a pointed shaft.

'Here I am with the royal meal you wanted. Accept it', said the woman who was disguised as a soldier. 'Feed me if you can', said the man who stood on the pointed shaft. Then without any fuss the woman fed the man.

The man, as if alleviated from the pains of his punishment went on enjoying the meal. Then he instinctively felt that this soldier is so kind and soft spoken that he wanted to talk more.

Without trying to speak further feeling that her identity will be revealed, the woman tried as much as possible to be silent 'Now that you have fed me well, see that you clean my face especially around my mouth', said the man who stood on the pointed shaft. While she went on cleaning him and allowing him to drink water the man felt a sense of smoothness in her touch which made him think that this is none other than a woman.

Duty fulfilled

The poor woman knew that it is time for her to leave the man without arousing his passions. But the man wanted to talk more. Then she pulled her sword and cut her long lock of hair and gagged his mouth disallowing him to talk.

Having done that she ran away to the palace. 'I have performed my duty, your honour', said the woman to the King. The King doubted the performance of the woman thinking that this is a lie. 'Have you got any evidence as proof?' asked the King.

Then she told him that she had to gag the man's mouth with her hair and anybody can go and see this if proof is needed. The King was later convinced of the fact that the woman had duly performed her duty.

Then she was rewarded with one thousand gold coins. But the woman said that she has performed another duty for which she has to collect another treasure at the foot of a palm tree. Then the King summoned the husband of the poor woman and listened to their success story.

The King and the couple walked to the foot of the palm tree where they found a treasure trove of gold coins 'These belong to the two of you', said the King. The poor man and the poor woman looked at each other's faces for a moment. 'But a surprising sudden accumulation of wealth is not at all good for the well-being of a person', said the poor man 'But it is your good merits of this life that brought this wealth. So it belongs to you.'

From today onwards I bestow the title of a noble treasurer (Maha Situpadaviya) to you', said the King proclaiming that the man named Kakavaliya and his wife are elevated to the post of Kakavaliya treasurer. This legend intermixed with reality and fantasy is found not only in folklore but also in such Sinhala classics as Saddharmaratnakaraya.

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