"Yes, sire," they answered.
"Where?" asked the king.
"In the Himalayas."
"Go and fetch it," ordered the king.
Sura and Varuna went back to the forest, but they soon realized how
much trouble it was to return to the mountains every time they ran
out. They took note of all the ingredients and gathered everything
needed, so that they were able to brew the alcohol in the city. The
citizens began drinking the liquor, forgot about their work, and
became poor. The city soon looked like a ghost town.
At that point the two drink-makers left and took their business to
Baranasi, where they sent a message to the king. There, too, the
king summoned them and offered them support. As the habit of
drinking spread, ordinary business deteriorated, and Baranasi
declined in the same way as Kasi had. Sura and Varuna next went to
Saketa, and, after abandoning Saketa, proceeded to Savatthi.
At that time the king of Savatthi was named Sabbamitta. He welcomed
the two merchants and asked them what they wanted. They asked for
large quantities of the main ingredients and five hundred huge
jars. After everything had been combined, they put the mixture in
the jars and tied a cat to each jar to guard against rats.
As the brew fermented, it began to overflow. The cats happily
lapped up the potent drink that ran down the sides, became
thoroughly intoxicated, and lay down to sleep. Rats came and
nibbled on their ears, noses, and tails.
The king's men were shocked and reported to the king that the cats
tied to the jars had died from drinking the escaping liquor.
"Surely these men must be making poison!" the king concluded, and
he immediately ordered them both beheaded. As Sura and Varuna were
being executed, their last words were, "Sire, this is liquor! It is
delicious!"
After putting the drink merchants to death, the king ordered that
the jars be broken. By then, however, the effects of the alcohol
had worn off, and the cats were playing merrily. The guards
reported this to the king.
"If it had been poison," the king said, "the cats would have died.
It may be delicious after all. Let us drink it."
He ordered that the city be decorated and that a pavilion be set up
in the courtyard. He took his seat on a royal throne under a white
umbrella and, surrounded by his ministers, prepared to drink.
At that moment, Sakka, the king of the gods, was surveying the
world and wondering, "Who is dutifully taking care of his parents?
Who is conducting himself well in thought, word, and deed?"
When he saw the king seated in his royal pavilion, ready to drink
the brew, he thought, "If King Sabbamitta drinks that, the whole
world will perish. I will make sure that he does not drink
it."
Sakka instantly disguised himself as a brahman and, carrying a jar
full of liquor in the palm of his hand, appeared standing in the
air in front of the king. "Buy this jar! Buy this jar!" he
cried.
King Sabbamitta saw him and asked, "Where do you come from,
brahman? Who are you? What jar is that you have?"
"Listen!" Sakka replied. "This jar does not contain butter, oil,
molasses, or honey. Listen to the innumerable vices that this jar
holds.
"Whoever drinks this, poor silly fool, will lose control of himself
until he stumbles on smooth ground and falls into a ditch or
cesspool. Under its influence, he will eat things he'd never touch
in his right mind. Please buy it. It is for sale, this worst of
jars!
"The contents of this jar will distract a man's wits until he
behaves like a brute, giving his enemy the fun of laughing at him.
It will enable him to sing and dance stupidly in front of an
assembly. Please buy this wonderful liquor for the obscene gaiety
it brings.
"Even the most bashful will lose all modesty by drinking from this
jar. The shyest man can forget the trouble of being dressed and can
shamelessly run nude around the town. When he's tired, he'll
happily rest anywhere, oblivious to danger or decency. Such is the
nature of this drink. Please buy it. It is for sale, this worst of
jars!
"When one drinks from this, one loses control of one's body,
tottering as if one cannot stand, trembling, jerking, and shaking
like a wooden puppet worked by another's hand. Buy my jar. It's
full of wine.
"The man who drinks from this is prey to every danger because he
loses his senses. One might burn to death in one's bed, stumble
into a pack of jackals, drown in a puddle, become reduced to
bondage or penury there is no misfortune that drinking this may
not lead to.
"Having imbibed this, men may lie senseless on the road, soiled
with their own vomit and licked by dogs. A woman may become so
intoxicated she will tie her beloved parents to a tree, revile her
husband, and in her blindness even abuse or abandon her only child.
Such is the merchandise contained in this jar.
"When a man drinks from this jar, he can believe that all the world
is his and that he owes respect to no one. Buy this jar. It is
filled to the brim with the strongest drink.
"Addicted to this drink, whole families of the highest class will
squander their wealth and ruin their name. Buy this jar, sire. It
is for sale.
"In this jar is a liquid which makes tongue and feet lose control.
It creates irrational laughter and weeping. It dulls the eye and
impairs the mind. It makes a man contemptible.
"Drinking this will create strife. Friends will quarrel and come to
blows. Even the old gods were susceptible and lost their heaven
because of drink.2 Buy this jar and taste the wine.
"Because of this beverage, falsehoods are spoken with pleasure, and
forbidden actions are performed with joy. False courage will lead
to danger, and friends will be betrayed. The man who drinks this
will dare any deed, unaware that he is dooming himself to hell. Try
this drink, sire. Buy my jar.
"The one who drinks this brew will sin in thought, word, and deed.
He will see good as evil and evil as good. Even the most modest
person will act indecently when drunk. The wisest man will babble
foolishly. Buy this lovely liquid and become addicted. You will
grow accustomed to evil behavior, to lies, to abuse, to filth, and
to disgrace.
"When thoroughly drunk, men are like oxen struck to the ground,
collapsing and lying in a heap. No human power can compete with the
poisonous power of liquor. Buy my jar.
"In short, drinking this will destroy every virtue. It will banish
shame, erode good conduct, and kill good reputation. It will defile
and cloud the mind. If you can allow yourself to drink this
intoxicating liquor, sire, buy my jar."
When the king heard this, he realized the misery that would be
caused by drinking alcohol. Overjoyed at being spared the danger,
he wished to express his gratitude. "Brahman," he cried, "you have
outdone even my mother and father in caring for me! In gratitude
for your excellent words, let me give you five choice villages, a
hundred serving women, seven hundred cows, and ten chariots with
pure-bred horses. You have been a great teacher."
"As chief of the thirty-three gods," Sakka replied, revealing his
identity, "I have no need of anything. You may keep your villages,
servants, and cattle. Enjoy your delicious food and be content with
sweet cakes. Take delight in the truths I've preached to you. In
this way you will be blameless in this world and will attain a
glorious heavenly rebirth in the next."
With these words, Sakka returned to his own abode.
King Sabbamitta vowed to abstain from alcohol and ordered that the
jars be smashed. From that day on, he kept the precepts and
generously dispensed alms. He lived a good life and was indeed
reborn in heaven.
Later, however, the habit of drinking alcohol spread across India,
and many people were affected.
The Buddha here ended his lesson and identified the Birth: "At that
time Ananda was the king, and I myself was Sakka."
