The story about the Palace of King Mahapadana

Long ago, there was a King named Surici. He was the King of Milathi. He had two
princes, one named surici, other named MahaPadana. When Mahapadana became an
adult, he decided to go abroad to study. On the way to heading Takkasila, Mahapandana
met Bhramadatta who was the prince of Savasri.  They both stopped for a break in a
park, they made friends with each other. Prince Bhramadatta also was on his way to
Takkasila to study.

At Takkasila, Surici and Bhamadatta helped each other to study. Time flies, after a few
years, they finish the course, and they both decide to return to their country. Before
leaving, they had an engagement. According to that engagement, Surici would let his
dauther or son get married with the son or daughter of Bhamadatta.

When both Surici and Bhamadatta became the King of their countries, they got married.
Surici had got a prince, named Surici, too; Bhamadatta had got princes, named
Sumedha.  When prince Surici grew up as an adult, he went to Takkasila to study as his
father had done. When prince Surici finished the course, his father wanted to assign him
to be the new King of Malithi; his father thought: ‘’ my friend has got a daughter, I should
send people to Savarsi to ask his daughter to be the wife of my son. I will assign my son
to be the king of this country in the wedding of my son’’.

When delegation of King Surici arrived to Savasri, they gave gifts to the king and asked
King Bhamadatta for completing the engagement with King surici. Bhamadatta
thought:’’ I have got only one daughter, but may she will suffer after getting married.’’
And Bhamadatta asked his wife, the Queen of Savarsi: ‘what is the most suffering for a
woman, after she get married.’’ Queen answered: ‘’ the most suffering for a woman after
getting married is sharing husband with other women.’’ Bhamadatta said: ‘’ So I only
allow my daughter to get married with any prince who has to promise to have only my
wife as his wife.’’ Then he met the delegation of  Surici  and said: ‘’ I really promised to
allow my daughter to get married with son of King Surici, but I do not want to make my
daughter suffer, so I just allow my daughter to get married with prince Surici if he can
promise to get married with only my daughter.’’

When the delegation came back, they informed the requirements of king Bhamadatta to
king Surici. King Surici got angry: ‘’ My country is very large and strong, so my son,
future king of this country, should have many women as his wives. I do not agree with
that requirement.’’

Prince Surici just only heard about the beauty of princes Sumedha, but he seemed
attracted by his beauty. He asked his parents:’’ please, agree with requirement of king
Bhamadatta, I just only want to get married with sumedha.’’ King Surici and Queen
could not change the mind of prince Surici, so they sent a delegation again to Savarsi to
arrange for the wedding of prince Surici and princes Sumedha.

After getting married to Sumedha, the prince became the King of Milathi. He controlled
the country by virtue , he took good care of people all over. Many years passed, but
Sumedha could not be born for king Surici. So one day, people gathered in front of the
palace to complain about that. They recommended:’’ Sir, you should get married with
other women, so you may have a son to replace you to control the country in the
future.’’ King said: ‘’ but I promised to get married with only Sumedha, that is why I have
had her as my wife, I cannot give up my promise.’’

Knowing about that, Sumedha thought that:’ my husband wants to keep his promise.
That is why he does not want to get married with other women. I should help him.’ Then
she chose one thousand young girls from around the country; those girls became wives
of Surici. But for years after becoming wives of Surici, those girls also could not get
pregnant. They could not have any children for King Surici.

Again, Sumedha wanted to help her husband, she chose one thousand young girls
around the country. They were accepted to become wives of Surici; but for years they
also could not bear any children for King Surici. Sumedha continually chose out two
thousands girls to be wives of King Surici for the third and the fourth choosing. But they
all could not have any children for the King.

One day, people gathered in front of the palace of the King. They recommended that all
wives of the King Surici have to pray to the gods.  Surici thought that was a brilliant idea,
so King Surici ordered all his wives, but not Sumedha, to pray for a son.

All other wives of Surici tried to pray to the gods every day, they promised to kill cows,
pigs and so on to offer if they could get pregnant. But for long time of doing so, they still
could not get pregnant. One day, King Surici asked Sumedha to pray for a son, too.
Sumedha waited for the full- moon day, she decided to eat only vegetables and she
prayed to the gods for a son.

King of gods felt his chair shocked, he contemplated and knew that Sumedha was
praying for a son. By the power of meditation, he knew that  Sumedha was a virtuous
woman, so he decided to help her to have a son. King of gods went around, he saw a
young god, Nalakara. Nalakara was a farmer in the human realm, because of the virtue
of offering food to a Shravakas Buddha (a person who could achieve enlightenment by
practicing himself without teaching any Buddhas).

King of God asked Nalakara: ‘’ Venerable, you should reborn in the realm of human
being.’’

Nalakara asked: ‘’Human being realm is full of anger and suffering. And also human
beings have tried to practice to just be reborn in this realm. So why did you want me to
reborn in the human realm?’’

King of gods said:’’ Venerable, you will be reborn in the beautiful palace, and you can
enjoy every kind of enjoyment in that realm. Please agree to be reborn there.’ Nalakara
agreed.

The King of Gods after that went down to the human realm; he flew over the palace of
king Surici where all wives of Surici were praying for a son. He said :’’ I will give only
one of you a chance to have a son, so who wants to have a son? Thousands of hands
raised. Then the king of gods said : ‘’ I will give a chance to have a son for a person who
has got great virtue.

One of those women said:’’ If you want to offer this wish to a virtuous person, you
should give it to Queen Sumedha, she is the most virtuous person here. King of gods
flew over and got down in front of Sumedha's room of Sumedha. Some servants
announce to Sumedha that a god wants to offer her the wish of having a son. Sumedha
walk out of her room, she payed respect to King of gods and then said:’ Venerable,
please give me a son.’’

King of gods:’’ let me know which virtue have you done?’’

Sumedha read verses to praise for her virtue

1. I am Queen of this country

Wife of King Surici

Since the first time of being the Queen

I keep strictly the behaving of a wife

2. I do not have any bad thought about my husband

Even by thought, speech or action

3. Please give me a son

If what I said is not true

Vow that my head will be broken into seven pieces

4. When my parents were alive

They used to teach me the way of virtue people

I usually follow teaching of my children

5. I took good care of my parents

Until I got married wit Surici

 

6. if what I said is untrue

Vow that my head will be broken into seven pieces

King of gods listens to Sumedha to quoted verses to praise her virtue, then he said :

Queen Sumadha

You are virtue and moral indeed

All what you praised about you are true

I have no doubt about those

I will give you a son

King Vihade is going to born

Will be your son

Sumedha paid respect to the King of god after hearing the promise of god, she was
extremely happy. King of god continued to quote a verse:

By power of Sak-ka ( power of eyes, it helps gods or meditators can know what
happened in the past and what will happen in the future)

I knew the wish of a woman

Who has great virtue indeed

Who always does correctly

Her duty to her parents, her husband and her parent-in-law

Keep doing Virtue Queen

After dying you can reborn in the god realm

I am sure about that

Enjoy doing virtue everyday

After quoting verse, King of god flew over the sky and disappeared

 
The next day, God Nalakara entered the womb of Sumedha. Sumedha could know about
that by a dream. When she got up, she told the King about her dream. The King ordered
people to prepare everything for a pregnant woman.

Ten months later, a prince was born; he was named Maha-padana. People of two
countries brought many things to the palace to offer Maha-pandana. And then people in
two countries wanted to offer money to buy milk for prince Maha-padana. Each of them
put one golden coin in the ground in front of the palace of King Surici. Before long,
golden coins grew up and became a coin-mountain. King Surici refused to receive those
coins, but people insisted that the prince could use those coins in the future.

Gradually Maha-pandana grew up, he started studying everything. When he was sixteen
years old, he knew and was perfect in many educated fields that were popular at that
time. King Surici talked to Sumedha:’ I’m gonna be old, I should arrange to ordain Maha-
pandan to be the future King of this country. I wanna build a new palace for him.’’ Then
King Surici invited famous oracles to ask for the location of the new palace.

When builders were building a new palace for Maha-pandana; the chair of the king of
god shook. The King of god used the power of meditation and he knew that people were
building new palace for Maha-pandana. He decided to help people to build new palace
for Maha-pandana, he went to meet Vissakamma, God of constructors, and said to
Visssakamma:’’ Ven. Vissakamma, can you help to build for prince Maha-pandana a
palace that one mile length and width, 25 miles height, and the palace should make of
jewelry.’’

Vissakamma disguised himself as a builder, then he went to the place where people
were building a new palace for Maha-pandana. He said to everyone there:’’ You all
should go to have breakfast first.’’ When everyone went away, Vissakamma used his
power to make a beautiful palace which was seven floor height and as the same
requirement of King of God.

After that, three big ceremonies were organized for the prince Maha-pandana. The first
was the ceremony for the new palace. Second was for ordination Naha-pandana as the
new King. The third was the wedding of Maha-pandana. Those three ceremonies had
taken seven years, but it did not end. One day, people complained to surici: ‘’We spent
seven year celebrating only for ceremonies. When will the ceremony finish? King Surici
said:’’ for seven years, Maha-pandana hasn’t smiled, so the ceremony can be stopped
when the prince Mahapandana smile.’’

People invited many comedians to perform for prince Maha-pandana, but he did not
smile. At that time there were two famous comedians Bhandu kanna and Pandu kanna
also were invited to the palace. Bhandu kanna was a magic-comedian, he used his magic
to make a mango-tree of Vessavana ( Vessavana was the god to control one large region
in heaven). Vessanava ordered his servant to catch Bhandu kanna and cut him into
many pieces. After that Bhandy kanna revived and continued to dance. But his
performance also could not make Maha-pandana smile.

Pandu kanna made a large strong fire and then he and his co-work colleagues danced
into that fire. When the fire was off; Pandu kanna and all his colleagues were burned to
ashes. After a few minutes, they revived again from the ashes and continued to dance.
But that performance also could not make the prince Maha-pandana smile.

Then the King of God asked a god who was a dancer of heaven to go down to make
Maha-pandana smile. That god appeared in the sky, he danced with half of his body.
Maha-pandana really smiled after watching God's dance.

After that, Maha-pandana controlled his country by morality. After that life, he was
reborn in heaven for several lives, and he was born as Ven Bhaddaji. Ananda was
Vissakamma in that life and The Budddha was king of god.