Summary of Brahmadatta and the Banyan Deer

 Complete Summary of Brahmadatta and the Banyan Deer 

Characters in Brahmadatta and the Banyan Deer 

 

1. Banyan deer: The residing herd of deer in Benaras (Varanasi)

 

2. King of Banyan deer: The leader of the Banyan herd of deer who comes off as muscular and attractive.

 

3. King Brahmadatta: He is a king of men of Benaras who had an ultimate level of interest in hunting.

 

4. Branch deer: Similar to the herd of Banyan deer, they were also a living herd of deer in Benaras.

 

5. King of Branch deer: He was the leading member of branch deer.

 

6. Pregnant Doe: The member of branch deer who didn’t want to sacrifice her life (die) before her baby fawn’s births.

 

Setting of Brahmadatta and the Banyan Deer

 

         It is believed that this ancient tale took place during the time of Gautam Buddha who was born as Banyan Deer in a shadowy forest of 

Benaras.

 

Theme of Brahmadatta and the Banyan Deer

 

      ‘Brahmadatta and the Banyan deer’ is a moral story with the theme that everyone is equally important and every individual has a right to live and enjoy their lives with freedom.

 

 

About the story Brahmadatta and the Banyan Deer in short

 

‘Brahmadatta and the Banyan Deer’ is an ancient tale based on a Buddhist story.

       This story describes how the king Brahmadatta felt sorry and guilty for his deeds ( hunting innocent animals for his own sake) after the king of the Banyan deer made him realize his uncountable sins.

 

Summary of Brahmadatta and the Banyan Deer in detail

         

The story dates back to the golden era when Gautama Buddha was born as a King of Banyan Deer in a shadowy forest situated in Benaras.

 

There was a king named Brahmadatta who ruled over the Benaras. He loved hunting. He did not like to go hunting alone so he called the people of his town to go with him, day after day. However, his subjects weren’t happy as they were forced to follow the king like a puppet, leaving their works undone.

 Tired of this, they planned to capture the animals in a stockade so that the king could hunt whenever he wants. So they made a park, planted grass in it and provided water for the Deer, built a fence all around it, and drove the Deer into it. Then they shut the gate and went to the king to tell him that in the park nearby he could find all the Deer he wanted. Then the king could go into the park and hunt and they could go on with their daily work.

 

The very next day, the king went to the stockade. He was  pleased seeing numerous deer. There he saw the two deer kings. He realized these two deer were kings of the herd. The king assured the deer kings that they will not be hunted. However, king Brahma Datta would often go hunting the rest of the deer. Some days the king would go hunting the Deer, sometimes his cook would go. As soon as any of the Deer saw them they would shake with fear and run. Then, there was the rain of arrows ready to shed blood. Many deers were deeply wounded.

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 But when they had been hit once or twice they would drop down dead. Many deer were killed.

One day. The Banyan Deer spoke to the Branch deer. Then, there was the rain of arrows ready to shed blood as it flew nearer to the stockade. Many deer were deeply wounded.

 

Observing the horrific incident, Banyan deer wasn’t happy. So the two deer kings talked and agreed to send a deer from their group each alternate day. Now, each day a deer would go and offer itself to get killed. The cook would come and carry it off. The King Brahmadatta was pleased with the idea. He started getting deer meat without any effort.

 

This continued till the turn of a pregnant doe. She didn’t want to die until her fawn’s birth. With the scattered hope, she requested the King of Branch deer to grant her more days until her fawn opens her naive eyes in this cruel world. But the King of Branch Deer declined saying that Law is equal for everyone. Again with a broken hope, she requested the King of Banyan deer. He listened to her peacefully and decided to sacrifice his own life on behalf of the pregnant doe.

 

The next day the cook found the King of the Banyan Deer lying with his head on the block. The cook went to the king, who came himself to find out about this. When the king reached the park, King Banyan Deer was still there where the cook had left him.

 

The king was stunned on seeing the king of Banyan deer on the death spot because as per the law issued the Deer Kings were spared due to their appealing and strong physical features. When the king Bramhadatta understood that the Banyan Deer, being a responsible group leader, had come to save the life of a pregnant deer, his heart melted. He was touched by the deer’s sacrifice. The king, greatly moved by this act of generosity, abandons hunting and agrees to protect all living creatures.

 

King Brahmadatta opened the cage and all the enclosed deer paved their way to their long-awaited freedom. Brahmadatta issued a decree that all living creatures can move freely without any fear in his kingdom. To respect the King of Banyan Deer, a stone pillar was built where the conversation between the two kings was carved as ‘Great respect to the nobly born Banyan deer, understanding teacher of the king’.

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