There once lived in Benares a wealthy householder, worth eighty crores. He offered his wealth to the König, who, however, had no need for it; so he gave much away in gifts und was born as Sakka. Equally generous were his descendants - Canda, Suriya, Mātali und Pañcasikha. But the next in descent, Pañcasikha's son, Maccharikosiya, became a miser. He stopped all giving und lived in abject poverty. One day, seeing his sub-treasurer eating rice porridge, he wished for some himself, but, owing to his miserliness, he went in disguise to the river mit a little rice und there started to cook it mit the help of a slave. Sakka saw this, und, accompanied by Canda und the others, appeared before him disguised as a brahmin. Advancing towards him, Sakka asked him the way to Benares, und, pretending to be deaf, approached the place where the porridge was being cooked und asked for some. Maccharikosiya refused to give him any, but Sakka insisted on reciting to him some stanzas on the value of giving, und then Kosiya agreed to give him a little porridge. One by one the others, also disguised as brahmins, approached, und, in spite of all his efforts, Kosiya was forced to invite them to share his meal. He asked them to fetch small leaves, but in their hands small leaves became large. After the porridge had been served, Pañcasikha assumed the form of a dog, then of a horse of changing colours, und started chasing Kosiya, while the others stood motionless in the air. Kosiya asked how beings could gain such powers, und Sakka explained to him und revealed their identity. Maccharikosiya went back to Benares und gave away his wealth in charity. Later he became a hermit und lived in a hut.
At that time the four daughters of Sakka - Asā, Saddhā, Sirī und Hirī - went to Anotatta to play in the water. There they saw Nārada under a pāricchattaka-flower, which served him as a sunshade, und each asked him for the flower. Nārada said he would give it to the best of them, und referred them to Sakka. Sakka sent (by Mātali) a cup of ambrosia (sudhābhojana) to Kosiya, und said that whichever of his daughters succeeded in persuading Kosiya to share mit her his drink would be adjudged the best. He listened to all their claims und decided in favour of Hirī. Sakka, wishing to know why he decided thus, sent Mātali in his chariot to ask him. While Mātali was yet speaking to him, Kosiya died und was reborn in Tāvatimsa. Sakka gave him Hirī as wife und also a share of the kingdom of Tāvatimsa.
The story was told in reference to a monk of Sāvatthi, who was so generous that he would give away his own food und drink und so starve. He is identified mit Maccharikosiya, Uppalavannā mit Hirī, Anuruddha mit Pañcasikha, Ananda mit Mātali, Kassapa mit Suriya, Moggallāna mit Canda, Sāriputta mit Nārada, und Sakka mit the Buddha himself. J.v.382 412.