Dhatarattha
1. Dhatarattha.- One of the CÄtummahÄrÄjikÄ, the ruler of the Eastern Quarter. His followers are the Gandhabbas. He has numerous sons called Indra (D.ii.207, 220, 257f; iii.197). He was present at the teaching of the MahÄsamaya Sutta and the Ä€tÄnÄtiya Sutta. The name of his daughter is SirÄ« (J.iii.257).
2. Dhatarattha.- A mythical king, mentioned in a list of kings — with VessÄmitta, Atthaka, YÄmataggi, Usinnara and Sivi — as having entered Sakka’s heaven by virtue of his righteousness and his waiting on pious men. J.vi.251.
3. Dhatarattha.- There were two kings of this name, contemporaries and vassals of Renu. One of these two was king of AngÄ with his capital in CampÄ, and the other of the KÄsÄ«s with his capital in Benares. D.ii.235f.
4. Dhatarattha.- A NÄga king. Thanks to the scheming of the tortoise CittacÅ«la, he married SamuddajÄ, daughter of the king of Benares. They had four sons: Sudassana, BhÅ«ridatta, Subhaga and KÄnÄrittha. His kingdom was beneath the YamunÄ. Dhatarattha is identified with Suddhodana. J.vi.162ff., 171.186, 200, 219. For details see the BhÅ«ridatta JÄtaka.
5. Dhatarattha.- The Bodhisatta born as king of the hamsas. He lived in CittakÅ«ta, at the head of ninety thousand hamsas. One day he was caught in a snare on the lake KhemÄ, set by the orders of King Bahuputtaka. Dhatarattha’s friend, Sumukha, refused to leave him while he was caught. The two friends melted the heart of the hunter when he came to take Dhatarattha, and later they were brought before the king. Dhatarattha taught the Doctrine to the king and to his queen, KhemÄ, who longed to hear a hamsa teach (J.iv.425ff; for details see the Hamsa JÄtaka). Dhatarattha is often referred toe as a king surrounded by a splendid following. e.g., DA.i.40; MA.ii.576; UdA.57, 412; PvA.171.
6. Dhatarattha.- The family of hamsas to which belonged Dhatarattha, king of the hamsas. The members of this family are called DhataratthÄ. They were golden-coloured and lived in CittakÅ«ta. The MahÄ-Sutasoma JÄtaka (J.v.345, 355, 357) contains a story of the complete destruction of these hamsas. They lived in KañcanaguhÄ, and during the four months of the rainy season would not leave their cave, in case their wings should be drenched with water and they fell into the sea. A spider, as big as a cartwheel, used to weave a thick web at the entrance to the cave, but the Dhatarattha geese sent one of their young ones, who had received two portions of food, to cut through the web. One season, however, the rains lasted for four months, and the hamsas became cannibals and thus lost their strength. When, at the end of the rains, they tried to break through the web, they failed, and the spider cut off their heads one by one and drank their blood. This was the end of the Dhatarattha hamsas. J.v.469f.
7. Dhatarattha.- A class of NÄgas (D.ii.259), descendants of the NÄga king Dhatarattha and of SamuddajÄ (J.vi.219), and possessed great power. They dwell in the Sattasidantara-samuda (SA.ii.254).
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