They replied, “The king gave us a medicine to drink.”
“Why did you drink it without waking me? As this is so, tell me in what medicine-holder it was brought.”
“It was contained in a kuśa box.”
“Where is that?”
“Here it is.”
The queen washed the kuśa box and drank the water, whereupon she also became pregnant.
After eight or nine months had passed by, all the wives gave birth to sons. The son to whom the chief wife gave birth possessed the eighteen signs of uncomeliness, a face like that of a lion, and an extremely strong body. His birth-feast was celebrated in great style, and the name of Kuśa was conferred upon him. When the king looked upon his other sons he rejoiced, but Kuśa’s ugliness excited his wrath.
It came to pass that the subordinate kings said, “Honoured sirs, as King Mahāśakuni oppresses us all so greatly, let us go up and deprive him of his power.”
So they came with a fourfold host and laid siege to his capital. As King Mahāśakuni could not venture to fight with them, he ordered all the gates to be closed and the walls to be occupied. Kuśa went to his mother and said, “Mother, why are all the gates shut?”
“As your father cannot venture to fight with the subordinate kings, he has shut the gates and remains within.”