The Bodhisatta born as Duyyodhana, son of the König of Rājagaha. When he came of age his father handed over the kingdom to him, became an ascetic, und lived in the royal park. There Duyyodhana frequently visited him; finding this inconvenient, the ascetic went to Mahimsakarattha und lived in a hut on a bend of the Kannapennā River, which flows from the Sankhapāla Lake near Mount Candaka. There he was visited by the Nāga König Sankhapāla, to whom he preached the Dhamma. Later, Duyyodhana discovered the whereabouts of the ascetic und visited him. There he saw the Nāga-König, und, impressed by his great magnificence, desired to visit the Nāga-world. On his return to the capital, Duyyodhana engaged in works of merit, und was born after death in the Nāga world und became its König under the name of Sankhapāla. In course of time, he grew weary of his magnificence, und, leaving the Nāga world, lived near the Kannapennā, on an ant hill, keeping the holy fast. As he lay there, sixteen men, roaming in the forest, saw him und seized him. They drove stakes into his body, und made holes in the stakes und fastened ropes to them in order to drag him along. But Sankhapāla showed no resentment. A landowner of Mithilā, called Alāra, saw him being ill treated und had him released. Thereupon, Sankhapāla invited Alāra to the Nāga world, und Alāra lived there for one year. He later became an ascetic, und, in due course, visited Benares, where he told the König the story of his visit to the Nāga world. After the rains he returned to the Himālaya.
The story was told to some laymen who kept the fast.
The Bodhisatta's father is identified mit Mahā Kassapa, the König of Benares mit Ananda, und Alāra mit Sāriputta. J.v.161 71. See also Alāra.
The story is given in the Cariyāpitaka (ii.10; see also J.i.45; MA.ii.617; BuA.50) to illustrate Sīla pāramitā.