Dhataraṭṭha untranslated

Dhataraṭṭha 01. One of the Cātummahārājikā, the ruler of the Eastern Quarter. His followers are the Gandhabbas. He has numerous sons called Indra (DN.ii.207, 220, 257f; iii.197). He was present at the preaching of the Mahā Samayasutta and the Āṭānāṭiyasutta. The name of his daughter is Sirī (Ja.iii.257).

Dhataraṭṭha 02. A mythical king, mentioned in a list of kings – with Vessāmitta, Aṭṭhaka, Yāmataggi, Usinnara and Sivi – as having entered Sakka’s heaven by virtue of his righteousness and his waiting on pious men. Ja.vi.251.

Dhataraṭṭha 03. There were two kings of this name, contemporaries and vassals of Reṇu. One of these two was king of Aṅgā with his capital in Campā, and the other of Kāsī with his capital in Benares. DN.ii.235f.

Dhataraṭṭha 04. A Nāga king. Thanks to the scheming of the tortoise Cittaculla, he married Samuddajā, daughter of the king of Benares. They had four sons: Sudassana, Bhūridatta, Subhaga and Kāṇāriṭṭha. His kingdom was beneath the Yamunā. Dhataraṭṭha is identified with Suddhodana. Ja.vi.162ff., 171.186, 200, 219. For details see the Bhūridattajātaka (Ja 543).

Dhataraṭṭha 05. The Bodhisatta born as king of the haṁsas. He lived in Cittakūṭa, at the head of ninety thousand haṁsas geese. One day he was caught in a snare on the lake Khemā, set by the orders of King Bahuputtaka. Dhataraṭṭha’s friend, Sumukha, refused to leave him when he was caught. The two friends melted the heart of the hunter when he came to take Dhataraṭṭha, and later they were brought before the king. Dhataraṭṭha preached the Dhamma to the king and to his queen, Khemā, who longed to hear a haṁsa preach (Ja.iv.425ff; for details see the Haṁsajātaka (Ja 502)). Dhataraṭṭha is often referred to as a king surrounded by a splendid following, e.g., DN­a.i.40; MN­a.ii.576; Ud­a.57, 412; Pv-a.171.

Dhataraṭṭha 06. The family of haṁsas to which belonged Dhataraṭṭha, king of the haṁsas. The members of this family are called Dhataraṭṭhā. They were golden-coloured and lived in Cittakūṭa. The Mahā Sutasomajātaka (Ja 537, Ja.v.345, 355, 357) contains a story of the complete destruction of these haṁsas. They lived in Kañcanaguhā, and during the four months of the rainy season would not leave their cave, in case their wings should be drenched with water and they fall into the sea. A spider, as big as a cartwheel, used to weave a thick web at the entrance to the cave, but the Dhataraṭṭha geese sent one of their young ones, who had received two portions of food, to cut through the web. One season, however, the rains lasted for four months, and the haṁsas became cannibals and thus lost their strength. When, at the end of the rains, they tried to break through the web, they failed, and the spider cut off their heads one by one and drank their blood. This was the end of the Dhataraṭṭha haṁsas. Ja.v.469f.

Dhataraṭṭha 07. A class of Nāgas (DN.ii.259), descendants of the Nāga king Dhataraṭṭha and of Samuddajā (Ja.vi.219), and possessed great power. They dwell in the Sattasidantarasamudda (SN­a.ii.254).

Dhātaraṭṭhā. A tribe of Nāgas, followers of Dhātaraṭṭha. Ja.vi.219.