“Then again when I was the true-born son of the king of Kāsi, Mūgapakkha was my name, they called me Temiya.

None of the sixteen thousand court women had given birth to a male. After many days and nights I was born, the only one.

To my father I was a dear son born with difficulty, a light-bringer of impeccable lineage. Holding a white parasol over my bed, my father provided for me.

Sleeping on the fine bed, then having awoken, I saw the pale umbrella, by which I had gone to hell.

At the sight of the umbrella a terrible dread arose in me. I reached the decision, ‘How can I be free of this?’

A former blood-relation of mine, a goddess wishing to help, saw my suffering and enjoined me to three states.

‘Don’t show intelligence, be as a fool to all creatures, let all folk scorn you, thus you will achieve your goal.’

When she had spoken, I said the following. ‘I shall do your bidding, just as you say, goddess. You want what’s best for me, mom, you desire my welfare, goddess.’