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Then he, going home and seeing her lying there, sat on the bed and asked, "What is wrong, dear?" She, remaining silent, said after being asked several times, "I cannot speak." When pressed hard by her husband, she thought, "If I say directly that I desire her ornaments, it will not be fitting; if I say I desire her five delicacies of meat, he will kill her, then the ornaments will be mine." Then she said, "Husband, I desire the five delicacies of meat of your younger sister; without obtaining it, I have no life." Hearing that, he, though dissuading her in many ways, saying, "Killing a human being is a heavy burden," could not dissuade her. Then, his mind bound by her, overcome by lust, deluded by ignorance, he agreed to her words, saying, "Good, you shall have it." Thus: 7. Worldly gains diminish, Future gains diminish; Great purposes diminish, For those attached to women. 8. "This is mother, this is father, These are sisters, these are brothers;" They do not know what is worthy of respect, Those attached to women. 9. Whether it is right or wrong, Whether it should be done or not; Blinded by lust, they do not know, Those attached to women. 10. They may take life, Or be adulterers; They speak false words, Those attached to women. 11. Theft, like breaking and entering, And drinking liquor, and malicious speech; All violent deeds are done By those who are under women's sway. 12. Oh, wondrous in the world, A source of fear to those who remember; Having come under his wife's sway, He wishes to kill his own sister! Then that violent man said to his sister, "Come, sister, let us settle the debt of our parents, perhaps the creditors, seeing us, will give us the debt." Having heard that and agreed, he made her sit in a comfortable palanquin, pretending to go to the creditors' village, but reaching a great forest, he stopped the palanquin off the road, and thinking, "I will take her and cut her throat," he grabbed her hair and threw her to the ground. At that moment, her labor pains began. Out of shame for her brother, she said, "My lord, my labor pains have started, wait until I give birth," but unable to prevent it, she gave birth to a son. Then he, thinking, "I will kill her and the child near the banyan tree," grabbed her hair and dragged her. At that time, she pleaded, saying, "My lord, look at the face of your nephew, and do not kill me out of affection for him." But he, cruel, as if not hearing her compassionate words, was determined to kill her. Then that young woman, without refuge, thought, "If I cry out, someone might come and do harm to my brother, that would not be proper." Out of love for her brother, silently, she lay down, recalling the refuge she had attained. Then, by the power of her brother's love and by the power of recalling her refuge, the deity dwelling in that banyan tree thought, "If such a mother were killed here, truly I would not be able to enter the assembly of the gods." Thinking thus, he frightened that man, as if he were her husband, causing him to flee, and reassuring her, "Do not fear," he placed the son and the young woman in the palanquin and, arriving in Savatthi that very day, laid her down in a hall within the city and disappeared. Thus indeed. 13. The giver of all prosperity, The sole leader of the entire world; The gods protect one, Who cherishes it even in thought. 14. Even for a moment, Who cultivates loving-kindness well; The gods protect one, And please one with offerings. Then her husband, leaving the city, going out, seeing his wife, asked, "When did you come? Who brought you?" She, not knowing she was brought by a deity, said, "What are you saying? Surely, I was brought by you." He said, "What are you saying? Since I saw you in your brother's village, four months have passed today. I have never seen you for so long. How did you come with me?" Hearing that, she said, "Then do not tell this secret to anyone, husband." Then, that noble woman told everything she had done in detail. Hearing that, her husband, agitated and frightened, took her to his house. Then, after she rested for a few days, both of them invited the Teacher, gave a great offering, paid homage, and sat on one side. Then she, revealing the regaining of her life through the power of the Refuge and Precepts, had her son pay homage to the Blessed One and named him Saraṇoti. The Teacher, knowing their inclination, taught the Dhamma accordingly. At the end of the discourse, both became stream-enterers. Then her son, Saraṇakumāra, at the age of twenty, went forth in the Buddha's Dispensation, developed insight, attained arahantship, and became known as Saraṇatthera. 15. Even for a moment, remembering the God of gods in mind, Believing they attain the supreme refuge; Knowing the mass of virtues that are the path of existence, O people; Cultivate the Refuge and Precepts always, at all times. The story of Saraṇatthera is the sixth. 7. In the story of Vessāmittā, this is the sequential account: It is said that in Jambudīpa, in the city of Kosambī, there was a chief queen named Vessāmittā of King Kosambī. At that time, the Blessed One was residing in Kosambī, wandering on tour with a large Saṅgha of monks. At that time, she went to the monastery with the king and a Hearing the Blessed One teaching the Dhamma with a Buddha-like grace and a sweet voice, they were pleased, established in the refuges, and lived as female devotees of the Buddha. Then, later, a border king, wanting the kingdom of that king, sent a message ready for war: either give the kingdom or fight. Hearing that, the king, surrounded by a large army, went to the battlefield, and after going with his queen and setting up camp, he said this to her: "My dear, victory or defeat in battle cannot be known. If I am defeated, I will raise a red flag beforehand. By that sign, you should go to Kosambi." Having instructed her, he went to the battlefield and, fighting a great battle, knowing his defeat, remembering his mother, raised the red flag, and fighting, fell in battle. Then, seeing the red flag, she thought, "My husband is defeated," and began to flee in fear. Then the men of the robber king, seeing her, knew, "Surely this is the king's chief queen," and showed her to their king. The king, seeing her, his mind attached, ordered his ministers, "Have my coronation done with her." The ministers asked her for the coronation, but she did not want it, saying, "I have no need of coronation." The ministers reported that matter to the king. The king summoned her and asked, "Why do you not want it?" She said this: 1. Listen well, O king, to my words; My husband died today, the giver of all wealth. 2. Having made me his chief queen, like his own heart; Protecting me, remembering him, the fire of sorrow burns my mind. 3. O great king, if I were another's chief queen; I would not be freed from that sorrow, therefore I do not desire you. 4. I am ablaze with the fire of sorrow, how can I cast sorrow upon sorrow; Who with wisdom would cast straw into a blazing fire? 5. The sorrow of separation from my beloved, thinking of it again and again; I am not freed from that sorrow, therefore I do not desire you. Hearing that, the king... If, overcome by anger, you do not bathe, I will throw you into the fire, he said, and having had a great pyre of wood made, and having lit the fire, when a single flame arose, he said, "Enter now!" Then she, pleading, said to the king: Evil, O king, to the innocent, truly casting into the fire; evil is the fruit thereof, both in this world and the next. In ancient times, O king, towards ascetics and brahmins, towards parents, children, and women afflicted by disease, killing is not praised, O king, therefore I am not worthy of death. Even having heard that, the king, disbelieving, ordered the men, "Seize her hands and feet and throw her into the fire!" They did so. Then she, being thrown into the fire, thinking, "There is no refuge for me here, I will make refuge my refuge," "I go to the Buddha for refuge, I go to the Dhamma for refuge, I go to the Sangha for refuge," she said, and remembering in her mind, she fell into the fire. Even such a fire was not able to cause even the slightest warmth to a pore of her body. She was as if she had entered a lotus chamber, her body cooled. The king, seeing that marvel, agitated, his hair standing on end, quickly approached her, and having lifted her up with both hands, having laid her on his chest, having seated her on the royal throne, having raised his joined hands, he stood and asked, "Why did that fire not burn your body?" She, recounting the reason, said thus: Mother and father, relatives, family and friends, mantras, oblations, and deities of great power, These and others, O king, when fear comes to beings, are not able to protect, except for the Triple Refuge. I have gone to the Buddha for refuge, the Buddha is my refuge, by that power, O king, the burning fire did not burn me. I have gone to the Dhamma for refuge, the Dhamma is my refuge, by that power, O king, the burning fire did not burn me. I have gone to the Sangha for refuge, the Sangha is my refuge, by that power, O king, the burning fire did not burn me. Of great power, Visible, inviting investigation; Destroying various troubles, Bestowing various successes. 14. Indeed, that being who, Does not take up and grasp the Triple Refuge; Neither in this world nor the next, Will experience happiness. 15. Indeed, that being who, Grasps well and takes up the Triple Refuge; Neither in this world nor the next, Will not be separated from happiness. 16. Therefore, you too, O king, Take up the Triple Refuge; That will be for you everywhere, A protection, a shelter, a final resort.