Academic Sutta Name Notes PSA Plae Vagga Nikaya PTS Keywords
DhA.

XIV: 1 The marriage proposal to the Buddha (Magandiya)

Magandiya the brahmin and his wife lived in the kingdom of the Kurus with their beautiful daughter who was also named Magandiya. She was very beautiful and her father turned down all her suitors, saying they were not good enough for her. One day, early in the morning, the Buddha through his vision knew that the time was ripe for the brahmin Magandiya and his wife to attain Anagami (the third stage of Sainthood). So the Buddha set out to meet Magandiya at the place where the brahmin usually went to offer fire sacrifice.

The brahmin, on seeing the Buddha, promptly decided that he was the very person who was worthy of his daughter. He pleaded with him to wait there and hurriedly went off to fetch his wife and daughter. The Buddha left his footprint and went to another place nearby. When the brahmin and his family came, they found only the footprint. Seeing the footprint, the wife of the brahmin remarked that it was the footprint of one who was free from sensual desires. Undaunted, the brahmin managed to find the Buddha and offered his daughter in marriage to him.

The Buddha replied that he was not interested in the offer. Then, he related to the brahmin how the most beautiful daughters of Mara had tried to tempt him soon after his attainment of Buddhahood. He further said, 'It is no use trying to tempt one who is free from craving, clinging and passion, for he cannot be lured by any temptation whatsoever.'

Then, the Buddha continued, 'Brahmin Magandiya, even when I saw those peerless daughters of Mara, I felt no sensual desire in me. After all what is this body of your daughter? I have no interest even to touch her.' On hearing those words of the Buddha, both the brahmin and his wife realised the meaning and were established in the Dhamma. Later, they joined the Order and eventually both of them attained Sainthood. However, Magandiya the daughter felt insulted by the Buddha's remark and vowed to take revenge on the Enlightened One.

55/170 Dhammapada & Commentary Khuddhaka J.i.106ff. despair


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Last modified on: Sunday, 13 August 2000.