“Then again when I was a fish king in a great lake, in the heat of the sun the water in the lake evaporated.
Then crows and vultures, herons, hawks, and falcons, perched near the fish and devoured them day and night.
There I had the following thought, being harassed with my relatives: ‘By what means can I free my relatives from this suffering?’
Considering the value of the Dhamma, I saw the truth as a support. Standing in the truth, I freed my relatives from that holocaust.
Recollecting the true Dhamma, considered the ultimate goal, I made a declaration of truth that would last eternally in the world.
‘So long as I can recall myself, since I became aware, I do not recall deliberately harming even a single living creature.
By this declaration of truth, may Pajjuna rain down! Thunder forth, Pajjuna! Disperse the trove of the crow! Subject the crow to sorrow, and free the fish from sorrow!’
As this excellent truth was declared, Pajjuna thundered forth. In an instant the rain poured down, soaking the uplands and valleys.
Having made such supreme effort for this excellent truth, I made the great cloud pour down, relying on the force of the power of truth. There is no one to equal my truthfulness: this is my perfection of truth.”
The Fish King’s Conduct
Cp 30 · Maccharājacariya
Connections
Collection & context
- CariyāpiṭakaThe collection containing this text
- The Pāli canonCanonical collection in which this edition is preserved
- Theravāda traditionsTransmission and study context
- The early Buddhist communityHistorical and traditional setting
About this edition
Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato · SuttaCentral · CC0
This translation is an expression of an ancient spiritual text that has been passed down by the Buddhist tradition for the benefit of all sentient beings. It is dedicated to the public domain via Creative Commons Zero (CC0). You are encouraged to copy, reproduce, adapt, alter, or otherwise make use of this translation. The translator respectfully requests that any use be in accordance with the values and principles of the Buddhist community. In particular, please do not use this work in AI training datasets, for the development of any AI model or algorithm, or in any AI-derived technologies.
Published source. Translation wording and order are preserved; source headings and notes are retained, with navigation and formatting adapted for this reader.
The opening image is AI-generated nature artwork for Buddhist Atlas, an evocative companion rather than a historical depiction.