KitavÄsa
King of Benares. A son was born to him who was named Duá¹á¹hakumÄra, and who, according to the fortune-tellers, would die for lack of water. In order to falsify the prophecy, the king guarded his son closely, made numerous tanks near the city, and saw that vessels of water were placed wherever possible. One day, while returning from the park, the prince saw a Pacceka Buddha, and being angry that obeisance should be paid to the Buddha instead of to himself, he took the Buddha’s bowl and dashed it on the ground. The prince’s body burst into flames, but all the water around having dried up, they could not be quenched and he was swallowed up in hell. When KitavÄsa heard of this he was greatly grieved, but on reflection he realised that his grief sprang from affection, and thenceforth resolved to fix his love on nothing.
KitavÄsa is identified with Chaá¹á¹apÄni of the Dhammaddhaja JÄtaka, Chaá¹á¹apÄni himself being a former birth of SÄriputta (J.ii.194ff).
The story of KitavÄsa’s son bears close resemblance to that of Kitava’s son (see Kuṇá¸inagariya Thera). Perhaps Kitava and KitavÄsa are identical.
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