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8. STHULABHADRA
The city of Pätaliputra where Nanda ruled had a long history. In the distant past the city was called Ksitipratisthita. When this city fell into ruin, there rose in its place another city called Canakapura. After this there came up Rsabhapura, then Rājagrha followed by Campā. When the king's minister at Pătaliputra died, the king asked one of the sons of the minister, Sriyaka by name to accept the father's post. Sriyaka suggested that his elder brother Sthūlabhadra should be offered the post and when asked where the elder brother was, Sri yaka disclosed that he had been living in a courtesan's house for the last twelve years.
Sthūlabhadra however would not readiiy agree when asked by the king. He said he needed some time to think over the matter but finally he told the king that he would not like such a lucrative and tempting position through which his way to hell was paved. He plucked out his hair in five hand fuls, tore away his excellent garments and smeared himself with dust and declared his intention to go away into a religious order. "Very well," said the king but he was not sure of Sthūlabhadra's final intention. He went to the terrace of his palace to watch whether Sthūlabhadra was going back to the courtesan's house but what he saw there convinced him that Sthūlabhadra had really renounced the world. A dead body was lying on the road near the courtesan's house and people who walked that way passed from a distance with their noses covered but Sthūlabhadra went quite near it and passed it without being in any way disturbed by its smell.
The king appointed Sriyaka as his minister.
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