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Cariyapitaka · Story 32

Sutasoma’s Conduct

Sutasoma Cariyā — The Chapter With Yudhañjaya · The Perfection of Truth (6th of 6)

Setting
No external narrative frame; the Buddha speaks in the first person about his past life as King Sutasoma
Speaker
The Buddha, recounting his life as Sutasoma, with a brief exchange with a cannibal
Form
Six verses of first-person narration
Length
1–2 minutes to read
Northern parallel
Sutasoma is the subject of his own jātaka in the wider tradition; this reading guide does not assert a specific matching number.
Difficulty
★★★☆☆ — a plain, direct story closing the chapter on its starkest note

Why this text

This story closes the truth chapter with no clever escape and no miraculous declaration — only a king, captured by a cannibal who has already strung up and drained a hundred warriors, granted temporary release on a promise to return, who then keeps that promise fully expecting to die.

Reading guide

A captor already shown to be lethal

Before Sutasoma is even introduced to the reader's attention, the text establishes exactly what kind of danger he faces: a hundred aristocrat warriors already strung up by their hands, drained of blood, brought for sacrifice — there is no ambiguity about what awaits a broken promise here.

A release granted on trust alone

The cannibal's offer is oddly formal for someone so violent: ‘what do you wish for — release? I shall act as you think, so long as you will return.’ Sutasoma's word is treated, even by his captor, as sufficient security.

A debt settled before the return

Given his freedom, Sutasoma does not flee or fortify his city; he uses the time to give money to a brahmin, settling an obligation, before renouncing kingship and going back to the cannibal exactly as promised.

No escape, no miracle, only a kept word

The story closes without any of the reversals seen elsewhere in this chapter: no clever technicality like Cp 27's monkey, no declaration that changes the outcome like Cp 29 through Cp 31. Sutasoma states plainly, ‘I had no doubt that he was going to kill me’, and returns anyway, closing the chapter on its most unadorned example of what keeping one's word can cost.

Key terms

sacca — “truth” — the perfection this story illustrates, closing this chapter's six stories on the theme.
cariyā — “conduct” — this collection's title, and the word used for each of its thirty-five stories, this one its thirty-second.
Yudhañjaya-vagga — “the Chapter With Yudhañjaya” — this collection's third chapter, now moving from truth into its final two themes, love and equanimity.
Sutasoma Jātaka — the fuller version of this story in the separate Jātaka tradition, not otherwise covered on this site.
pabbajjā — “going forth” — the renunciation of kingship Sutasoma undertakes in the brief window between his release and his return to the cannibal.

The text

The text in full: six verses, closing the Cariyapitaka's chapter on truth. Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0, SuttaCentral).

§1“Then again when I was Sutasoma, Lord of the Earth, captured by a cannibal I remembered my promise to a brahmin.

§2A hundred aristocrat warriors he strung up by their hands . Having drained their blood, he brought me for sacrifice.

§3The cannibal asked me, ‘What do you wish for—release? I shall act as you think, so long as you will return.’

§4I promised him that I would return at dawn. I went to the delightful city and then renounced kingship.

§5Recollecting the true Dhamma, fostered by former Victors, I gave money to the brahmin, and returned to the cannibal.

§6I had no doubt that he was going to kill me. Protecting my truthful speech, I went to give up my life. There is no-one to equal my truthfulness: this is my perfection of truth.”

· · ·

Self-check quiz

Ten questions. Click an answer to see immediate feedback. No score is recorded — this is for your own checking.

Question 1 of 10
What has the cannibal already done to a hundred warriors before this story's main events?
Correct: B. Establishing exactly what kind of danger Sutasoma faces.
Question 2 of 10
What does the cannibal offer Sutasoma?
Correct: B. The king's word treated as sufficient security by his own captor.
Question 3 of 10
What does Sutasoma do with his temporary freedom?
Correct: C. Using the time to settle an obligation, not to escape his promise.
Question 4 of 10
Does Sutasoma attempt to avoid returning to the cannibal?
Correct: B. Keeping his word despite having every opportunity to flee.
Question 5 of 10
Does Sutasoma expect to survive his return?
Correct: B. Returning with full awareness of the likely outcome.
Question 6 of 10
How does this story's resolution differ from Cp 27's, Cp 29's, Cp 30's, and Cp 31's?
Correct: C. The chapter's most unadorned example of what truthfulness can cost.
Question 7 of 10
What perfection does this story close out?
Correct: B. Six stories on truth conclude here.
Question 8 of 10
What two themes does this collection's chapter move to next, after truth?
Correct: B. Two stories on love, then one on equanimity, closing the whole collection.
Question 9 of 10
What does Sutasoma's story share with Cp 19's Alīnasattu?
Correct: B. A recurring cannibal motif across this collection's final chapter.
Question 10 of 10
What does 'pabbajjā' mean, as used in this story?
Correct: A. Undertaken in the brief window of his freedom.
Answered 0 of 10 · Correct 0

Further reading

← PreviousCp 31 · Dark Light’s Conduct