Cullapaduma Jātaka (No.193)

The Bodhisatta was once born as Paduma, son of the chief queen of the Benares king. He had six brothers. The king, becoming suspicious of his sons, ordered them to leave the kingdom. They went away with their wives, and coming to a region where no food was to be had, they killed their wives one by one and ate their flesh.

The Bodhisatta managed to save his wife by foregoing a share of the meal each day, and fled with her. During the flight the Bodhisatta gave his wife some of his blood to drink, she being so thirsty. Later they lived in a hut on the bank of the Ganges. One day the Bodhisatta rescued from the river a thief with his limbs cut off who was drifting down stream in a boat. At first the Bodhisatta's wife would not even look at the man, but soon she conceived a passion for him and threw her husband down a precipice. The Bodhisatta fell on a fig-tree, and after some time climbed down with the help of an iguana. He went to Benares and established his claim to his father's kingdom. His erstwhile wife, wandering from place to place with the cripple on her shoulders, gained great reputation as a devoted wife. One day she came to Benares. There the king recognised her and revealed her treachery (J.ii.115-21).

The story was told in reference to a backsliding monk. The details are given in the Ummadantī Jātaka.

Devadatta was the thief, Ciñcā the treacherous woman, and Ananda the iguana.

Dictionary of Pali Proper Names, G P Malalasekera (1899-1973), which is available as printed version from