Varadatt (वरदत्त)

दसमस्स उक्खेवो ।

The introduction of the tenth chapter.

This is the standard opening marker that announces the beginning of the tenth and final chapter of the Sukha Vipaak Sutra. It signals that the story of Mahachandrakumar has concluded and the last narrative — that of Vardatta — is about to begin. This is the final opening formula in the entire Sukha Vipaak section, marking the approach toward the conclusion of the second half of the Vipaak Sutra. After ten chapters of stories showing how suffering follows from bad karma in the Dukha Vipaak, and now nine chapters showing how good fortune follows from good karma, the Sukha Vipaak is about to offer its final, climactic demonstration of the law of karma. The tenth chapter carries special significance not just because it is last in number, but because it introduces a subtle difference from earlier chapters: Vardatta does not immediately renounce the world. He accepts the layman's dharma first — the discipline of a devout householder — before progressing further. This makes his story particularly relevant for ordinary people who are not monks or renunciants. It shows that the householder's path, when practiced sincerely, is also a valid and effective road toward liberation. The entire Sukha Vipaak, now reaching its final story, has demonstrated one consistent truth across every chapter: the soul's natural destination is liberation, and every act of genuine virtue moves it closer to that destination.

The simple version: This line marks the start of the tenth and final chapter of the Sukha Vipaak.

एवं खलु जंबू ! तेणं कालेणं तेणं समएणं साएयं णामं णयरं होत्था। उत्तरकुरू उज्जाणे। पासामिओ जक्खो। मित्तणंदी राया। सिरिकंता देवी। वरसेणापामोक्खाणं पंचचेवीसयाणं रायवरकण्णगाणं पाणिग्गहणं। तित्थयरागमणं। सावगधम्मं। पुव्वभवपुच्छा। सयदुवारे णयरे। धम्मरुई णामं अणगारे एज्जमाणं पासाइ, पासित्ता पडिलाभिए जाव सिद्धे। सुबाहुस्स णवरं भद्दणंदी कुमारे... जहा सुबाहुस्स... जाव सव्वदुक्खाणमंतं काहिइ। णिक्खेवो जहा पढमस्स।

"Thus indeed, O Jambu! At that time, in that period, there was a city named Sayeya. In the Uttarakuru garden. The guardian spirit was Pasamiao. The king was Mittanandi. The queen was Sirikanta Devi. He married Varasena, chief among five hundred and twenty-four princesses. The Tirthankara arrived. He accepted the layman's dharma. The question of previous births was asked. In the city of Sayaduvara. He saw the monk named Dhammarui walking, and having seen him, he attained — all the way to liberation. Just as for Subahukumar, so too for Prince Bhadranandi... just as for Subahukumar... all the way to making an end of all suffering. The closing is as in the first chapter."

This sutra presents the final and most instructive narrative of the entire Sukha Vipaak: the story of Prince Vardatta. He was born in the city of Sayeya (identified with Shatadwar — "the city of a hundred doors"), where the garden was called Uttarakuru, a name evoking the legendary paradise described in Jain and Hindu cosmology. The guardian spirit was Pasamiao. His father was King Mittanandi (Mitranandi — "one whose joy is in friendship") and his mother was Queen Sirikanta Devi. Vardatta married Varasena, who was chief among five hundred and twenty-four princesses — a slightly larger number than the five hundred mentioned in earlier chapters, signaling perhaps even greater accumulated merit. When Lord Mahavira arrived in the city, Vardatta did something different from most of the other princes in these stories: he accepted the layman's dharma first. He did not immediately renounce the world and become a monk. He became a sincere, practicing householder — someone who lives in the world but follows the twelve vows of a Jain layperson: restraint, compassion, generosity, non-violence in daily life. This is a hugely important teaching. Not everyone can immediately renounce everything. The Jain path honors both paths — the monk's path and the householder's path — as genuine and valid. Vardatta then asked about his previous births. Lord Mahavira revealed the most striking origin story in the entire Sukha Vipaak: in a former life, Vardatta had lived in the city of Sayaduvara. There, he had simply seen a monk named Dhammarui (Dharmaruci — "one who delights in dharma") walking past. He did not hear a long teaching. He did not make a formal offering. He simply saw a monk walking with dignity and felt moved. That single moment of reverential seeing planted a seed of karma that grew, across multiple lifetimes of charity and devotion, into his current royal birth — and into the spiritual fortune of meeting Lord Mahavira himself. Through continued effort, Vardatta will eventually attain liberation at Mahavidehakshetra. The text explicitly links his story back to Subahukumar from Chapter 1, closing the circle of the entire Sukha Vipaak with a profound reminder: the same spiritual law governs every soul. Every act of virtue counts. Even a single sincere moment of looking at goodness and feeling inspired can set a soul on the path toward its natural home — liberation.

The simple version: Prince Vardatta of Sayeya (Shatadwar) city was born to King Mittanandi and Queen Sirikanta. In a past life, he encountered the monk Dharmaruci and was moved toward the spiritual path. He practiced great charity, followed Lord Mahavira's teachings, and through continued effort across multiple births, will eventually attain liberation at Mahavidehakshetra.