ABSTRACT

Once, a king of small independent kingdom in the Indian Subcontinent experienced the birth of a son and heir. A seer prophesized to the king that his child was destined for greatness. However, the nature of the greatness was unclear. The child might become a great monarch or a truly enlightened religious sage. The king had no desire to raise a monk so he immersed the child in every conceivable pleasure. The child grew into manhood surrounded by comfort and beauty. He married and had a son of his own.