The lineage of the Sivis is best known for its charity and sacrifices in the Indian traditions since time immemorial. Once, the Bodhisatta was born as Vessantara (Sanskrit: Vishvantara) in the dynasty of the Sivi in the kingdom of Jetuttara. King Sanjaya was his father; and Queen Phusati was his mother. He appeared to be a child prodigy because he spoke on the very day when he was born. Interestingly, on the same day a white elephant was also born. This elephant, who was given the name Pacchaya, was gifted with the supernatural power to make the rain fall.

Vessantara’s passion for charity was so intense that the earth trembled when he pledged to make a great gift at the young age of eight. At sixteen he married Maddi (Sanskrit: Madri). He had two children: Jali and Kanhajina.

At that time there was a great draught in Kalinga. So, eight Brahmins from Kalinga came to Vessantara to beg for his white elephant to make the rain fall in their country. Vessantara acceded to their request and donated the elephant. When the people of Jetuttara heard of this news they were terribly disturbed. Agitatingly, they went to the king and asked him to punish the prince by banishing him to the forest of Vankagiri. The will of the people eventually prevailed and Vessantara had to go on exile much to the unwillingness of the king. Before setting out he obtained the king’s consent to hold an alms-giving ceremony called the “Gifts of Seven Hundreds (Sattasataka). On the occasion he gave away seven hundred pieces of seven hundred kinds of things to the needy people.

One day, one old Brahmin named Jujaka came to the hermitage when Maddi had gone to the forest to bring some fruits for the family. Accosting Vessantara he begged for his two children because Amittatapana, his wife had demanded for two slaves for herself. As Vessantara was widely known for his dana-paramita (perfection of charitability) the greedy Brahmin was intent on exploiting the situation. Vessantara tried to convince the Brahmin to change his mind in several ways. Yet, he insisted on accepting nothing but the two children. Knowing Jujaka’s mind the children were extremely terrified and ran away to a nearby pond and hid themselves. They, however, re-appeared when their father called them. And by then Vessantara had finally agreed to the shrew demand of Jujaka. The brahmin, then chanting some phrases of benediction to the donour ordered the children to accompany him. The children, who did not want to leave glued to the feet of their father to ask Jujaka to wait at least until the arrival of their mother. But shrewd and mean Jujaka without wasting time fastened the hands of the two delicate children with a creeper and forcibly dragged them to his destination. The bleeding and bewailing children, however, screamed,

Oh! the mother will certainly cry like the chataka (bird) upon return
Whose little ones are killed.
How would she act
When she comes back with many roots and fruits
Gathered from the forest
But finds the hermitage empty.
Oh father! I have many toys –
Horses, elephants and chariots –
Give half to mother to assuage her grief.

When Maddi returned late in the evening and did not find her children around, she asked Vessantara of their whereabouts. But Vessantara kept silence. She then repeated the same question several times, yet Vessantara did not utter a single word. So, she again went inside the forest and looked for the children for whole night. Next morning, when she returned she fainted. Vessentara then helped her regain consciousness. That was the time he apprised her of the whereabouts of the children and narrated the story. By then Maddi had mustered up the courage to endure the trauma. Surprisingly, she praised Vessantara’s great act of dana-sila (Conduct of charity).

Their sacrifice trembled the earth. And so did mount Sineru with all its resplendent gems. Surprised, Sakka, the lord of the devas inquired into the cause. When he learnt the cause of the quakes owing to the sacrifice of Vessantara he visited the hermitage next morning to test the firmity of his vow in the guise of a mendicant and begged him for his wife. Even then Vessantara did not lose the firmness of his mind and nodded to donate Maddi as well. Besides, no anger sprang even in the heart of Maddi. She did not wail. She rather looked stupefied and stood like a statue with her eyes fixed on her husband with a fresh load of suffering.

Admiringly, Sakka then said,

Though a house-holder
Yet giving up the most beloved children and wife in charity
With such detachment;
Can there be a greater exemplification of magnanimity?

Now, it was the time for Sakka to reveal his identity. He gave Maddi back to Vessantara. Furthermore, he offered eight boons to the great donor, which included the reunion of his family; his recall to the father’s kingdom; and his ability to benefaction.

In the meanwhile, Jujaka had traveled sixty leagues and having lost his way he reached Jetuttara, though he intended to reach Kalinga. His rugged appearance and harsh behaviour with the two delicate children attracted the royal guards, who brought him before the king. King Sanjaya, when saw his grand-children and learnt their story he bought them back from the cruel brahmin in lieu of handsome gifts and seven-storeyed palace. But Jujaka could hardly enjoy those riches as he died of over-eating in a few days. The king along with Phusati, Jali and his army then marched to Vankagiri to bring back his son and the daughter-in-law.

The white elephant Pacchaya also joined the procession as he had just returned from Kalinga as no one could subdue him there.

Finally, after a month of merry-making in the forest they all returned to the kingdom, happily.

(Devadatta is identified with Jujaka and his wife Amittapana as Chincha; Sanjaya as Suddhodhana and Phusati as Mahamaya; Rahula with Jali, Uppalavanna as Kanhajina Rahulamata as Maddi; and Vessantara as the Bodhisatta).