Petavatthu(Ghost stories)1.6

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1.6 The Devourer of Five Children

While the Teacher(Buddha) was staying at Savatthi, he told this story. In a village not far from Savatthi a certain land owner's wife was barren. His relatives said: " Let us get you another girl." He was unwilling out of affection for his wife. Then, when his wife heard of this, she urged her husband to marry again and not cut off his lineage. But when the new wife was with child, the barren wife, who was overcome by envy, satisfied with food and drink a certain person, and employed him to bring about abortion. The second wife told her mother, who summoned her relatives and they spoke thus to the barren wife: " You have caused the death of her unborn child," She replied: " I am not guilty,". The relatives said: " If you are not, take an oath." She took the oath, that if she was guilty, she would become a peti (female ghost) naked and ugly in form, with  ill-smelling and rotten odour from breath ; covered with flies, at daybreak she would give birth to five sons but she devour all of them, and same in evening.

Not long afterwards she died, and was reborn, not far from that same town, as an ill-favoured peti. At that time, eight elder monks who were spending the rainy season(vassa) in the province and were going to Savatthi to see the Teacher(Buddha), came to the place in the forest supplied with shade and water, not far from this same village. Then the peti appeared to the elders, of whom one asked her :

1. "You are naked and ugly in form ; an ill-smelling and rotten odour you breathe out ; you are all covered with flies. Now who are you that are standing here ?"

The peti:

2. " I, venerable Sir, am a peti, a wretched denizen of Yama's world. Since I had done a wicked deed, I went hence to peta(ghost) world.

3• "At daybreak I give birth to five sons, in the evening again to five others, all of whom I devour; even these are not enough for me.

4• " My heart is scorched and smokes with hunger; I get no water to drink. Behold the misfortune come to me."

When the elder had heard this, he asked her :

5. " Now what wicked deed was done by body, speech, and mind ? In retribution of what offence do you devour the flesh of your sons?

Then the peti told the elder what she had done:

6. " The other wife of my husband was with child, and I planned evil against her ; I myself with a corrupt intention caused the abortion of her unborn child.

7. " When it(foetus) was two months old, blood flowed forth. Then her mother in anger brought her relatives to me. And she both administered an oath to me and had me reviled.

8. " I, even I, took the terrible oath falsely: ' May I eat the flesh of children if it was done by me. ' "

9. " In consequence of both the deed of abortion and the lie, I devour the flesh of children, stained with the blood of the past."

The elders, moved with compassion for her, went to the house of that landlord, and had him transfer to the peti the virtue of the alm-gift which he made to them. All at once the peti, freed from her misery, obtained great blessedness and showed herself (in a vision) during the night to her husband. Then the elders in due time came to Savatthi and told the matter to the Lord Buddha who then taught them the Dhamma in that matter.