King Sivi's Eyes
Jataka Tales · 1 min read
King Sivi was famous throughout the land for a single unbreakable vow: he would refuse no genuine request made of him, whatever it cost. Over the years he had given away gold, land, even his own royal chariot to those in need, and his reputation for boundless generosity had spread across every kingdom.
Sakka, wishing to test whether such generosity had any true limit at all, disguised himself as a blind old beggar and approached the king with an extraordinary request: not gold, not land, but the king's own two eyes, so that the beggar might see again.
The court gasped in horror and begged the king to refuse this one request, insisting no vow could reasonably demand such a sacrifice. But Sivi, unwavering, had his own physician remove both eyes and gave them freely to the beggar, insisting his vow allowed no exceptions, however painful.
Sakka, awed by a generosity that held even under this final test, revealed his true form and restored the king's sight completely — granting him eyes even more powerful than before, able to see for great distances, as a reward for a heart that had never once wavered.
Moral of the story
A generosity tested to its limit and still given freely is the truest kind there is.