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Saccatapāvī

A white robed nun (setasamaṇī) who lived in a hut in a cemetery near Bārāṇasī and abstained from four out of every five meals. She was held in high esteem. On a certain festival day, some goldsmiths were seated in a tent making merry. One of them, becoming sick through drink, vomited, saying: “Praise be to Saccatapāvī.” One of the others called him a fool, saying that all women were alike, and accepted a wager of one thousand that he would seduce Saccatapāvī. The next day he disguised himself as an ascetic and stood near her hut, worshipping the sun. Saccatapāvī saw him and worshipped him, but he neither looked at her nor spoke. On the fourth day he greeted her, and on the sixth day, as she stood near him, they talked of the penances they practiced, and the ascetic professed that his were far more severe than hers. However, he confessed that he had found no spiritual calm; neither had she and they agreed that it would be better to return to and enjoy the lay life. He brought her to the city and having lain with her and made her drunk, he handed her over to his friends.

This story was related by Kuṇāla (q.v.), who said that he was the goldsmith of the story. J.iv.424, 427 f.