On hearing what the Teacher said, he called out angrily, “Then I will go about in this way!” and throwing off his robe, he stood in the midst of the people there with only a cloth round his loins!
Then the Teacher, giving him support in temptation, said, “But, brother, you had formerly a sense of shame, and lived for twelve years a conscientious life when you were a water-sprite. How then, now, having entered the so honourable Order of the Buddhas, can you stand there throwing off your robes in the presence of all the brethren, and lost to all sense of shame?”
And when he heard the Teacher’s saying, he recovered his sense of propriety, and robed himself again, and bowing to the Teacher stood respectfully aside.
But the monks asked the Teacher to explain how that was. Then the Teacher made manifest the matter which had been hidden by change of birth.
Long ago Brahma-datta was king in Benares, in the country of Kāsi. And the Bodisat of that time assumed re-existence in the womb of his chief queen; and on the day on which they chose a name for him, they gave him the name of Prince Mahiŋsāsa. And when he could run to and fro, and get about by himself, another son was born, whom they called the Moon Prince.
When he could run to and fro, and get about by himself, the mother of the Bodisat died. The king appointed another lady to the dignity of chief queen. She became very near and dear to the king, and in due course she brought forth a son, and they called his name the Sun Prince.
When the king saw his son, he said in his joy, “My love! I promise to give you, for the boy, whatever you ask!”
But the queen kept the promise in reserve, to be used at some time when she should want it. And when her son was grown up, she said to the king, “Your majesty, when my son was born, granted me a boon. Now give me the kingdom for my son!”
The king said, “My two sons are glorious as flames of fire! I can’t give the kingdom to your child alone!” And he refused her.