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Kitavāsa

King of Bārāṇasī. A son was born to him who was named Duṭṭhakumāra, and who, according to the fortune-tellers, would die for lack of water. In order to falsify the prophecy, the king guarded his son closely, made numerous tanks near the city, and saw that vessels of water were placed wherever possible. One day, while returning from the park, the prince saw a Pacceka Buddha, and being angry that obeisance should be paid to the Buddha instead of to himself, he took the Buddha’s bowl and dashed it on the ground. The prince’s body burst into flames, but all the water around having dried up, they could not be quenched and he was swallowed up in hell. When Kitavāsa heard of this he was greatly grieved, but on reflection he realised that his grief sprang from affection, and thenceforth resolved to fix his love on nothing.

Kitavāsa is identified with Chattapāṇi of the Dhammaddhaja Jātaka, Chattapāṇi himself being a former birth of Sāriputta (J.ii.194 ff).

The story of Kitavāsa’s son bears close resemblance to that of Kitava’s son (see Kuṇḍinagariya Thera). Perhaps Kitava and Kitavāsa are identical.