A town (nagara) near Kosambí. When the Buddha found that he could not persuade the Kosambí monks to refrain from quarrelling, he left Kosambí alone and unattended, and passing through Bálaklonakáragáma and Pácínavamsadáya, went to Párileyyaka, where he stayed at the foot of Bhaddasála in the Rakkhitavanasanda. There a certain elephant who, finding communal life distasteful, had left his herd, waited on the Buddha, ministering to all his needs. From Párileyyaka the Buddha went on to Sávatthi (Vin.i.352f.; S.iii.95; Ud.iv.5; J.iii.489; M.i.320).

This was in the tenth year after the Enlightenment (BuA., p.3). The Commentaries (E.g., DhA.i.48ff.; iv.26 ff. UdA.250f.; see Thomas, op. cit., 117 n ) say that the elephant's name was Párileyya, and describe in vivid detail the perfect manner in which he looked after the Buddha, omitting nothing, even to the extent of finding hot water for his bath. There was also there a monkey who offered the Buddha a honeycomb. Soon after, the monkey fell on a tree stump and died and was born in Távatimsa.

Later, when Ananda came with five hundred others to invite the Buddha to return to Sávatthi, Párileyyaka provided them all with food. He died of a broken heart when the Buddha left the forest, and was born in Távatimsa in a golden palace, thirty leagues high, where he came to be known as Párileyyaka devaputta.

This elephant is identified with the elephant of the Bhisa Játaka. J.iv.314.


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