DEVADATTA I A famous brahmin boy whose story is described in the Kathāsaritsāgara. Devadatta was the son of the Brahmin, Haridatta of Kambukapura. Though as a boy Devadatta learnt all the arts and sciences when he grew up to be a youth he became a very wayward fellow. Dice-play became his main job. One day in a game of dice he lost even his clothes, and being afraid of his father, he left the place without returning home. Devadatta roamed about, and during one such trip he saw a deserted temple, and a muni called Jālapāda engaged in reciting mantras. Devadatta prostrated before the muni and told him all the details about himself. The muni accepted Devadatta as his śiṣya and promised to secure vidyādharahood for him. Next night Jālapāda led Devadatta to a burning ghat, nearby the temple. After conducting Pūjā in the shade of a fig tree with offerings of Pāyasa and Vaiśvadevabali the muni told Devadatta thus: “You should come here daily and perform pūjā like this, and pray at the close of it, ‘Oh! Vidyutprabhā! please accept my pūjā.’ Devadatta acted according to the above advice of the muni, and one day, at the close of his pūjā the tree broke open into two and a beautiful female who appeared from it took him with her saying that her mistress wanted him. He was thus taken to a house studded with gems wherein he saw a noble lady seated on a cot. She caught Devadatta by his hands and after seating him alongside said to him: “I am Vidyutprabhā, daughter of the Yakṣa king Ratnavarṣa. I am a virgin girl. Muni Jālapāda has worshipped me so much that I have decided to fulfil his desire. I am in love with you and you will please wed me.” Accordingly Devadatta married Vidyutprabhā and lived there with her. In due course she conceived, and Devadatta met Jālapāda and told him about the whole affair, and the muni, to achieve his personal object asked Devadatta to cut open the abdomen of Vidyutprabhā and take to him the child found therein. Devadatta did not at all relish the idea. Yet reluctant to disobey his preceptor he returned to his wife. She permitted him to carry out the directions of the muni, yet his mind did not approve of the action. Then Vidyutprabhā herself cut open her abdomen, took the child out of it and placing it before her husband told him thus:-- “He who eats the child will become a Vidyādhara. Take it. I was a Vidyādharī turned into a Yakṣī by a curse, and to cut open my abdomen and take out the child like this was the redemption promised me from the curse, and now I go to the Vidyādhara world; we shall meet there.” And she disappeared. In great sorrow Devadatta brought the child to Jālapāda who, after sending him out on the pretext of his (Jālapāda's) performing Bhairavapūja, ate up the child. Devadatta returned and when he knew of the action of his preceptor he was overcome with rage. But the latter rose up to the skies assuming the form of a Vidyādhara. Devadatta made up his mind to anyhow take revenge upon Jālapāda, and he also went to Vidyādharaloka with the help of a Vetāla whom he befriended by offering human flesh. And, there he saw Jālapāda drunk with pride at his Vidyādharahood sitting on a throne of gems in a mansion. Meanwhile Vidyutprabhā who was now once more a Vidyādharī had turned down the advances made by the erstwhile Jālapāda for her love. But, at the sight of Devadatta her face flushed with love for him while, in fear, the sword fell down from the hands of Jālapāda who now fainted. Devadatta prevented the Vetāla from killing Jālapāda and he (Vetāla) at the instance of Devadatta took Jālapāda to the burning ghat and cremated him there. Kātyāyanīdevī at this time appeared before Devadatta and pleased with his courage appointed him as chief of the Vidyādharas. He wedded Vidyutprabhā and lived happily.
[Kathāsaritsāgara, Caturdārikālaṁbakaṁ, Taraṅga 3] .
DEVADATTA II A king of ancient India, son of King Jayadatta. Jayadatta wanted to marry his son Devadatta to the daughter of a Vaiśya in Pāṭalīputra. Though it was a far cry from Pāṭalīputra to Jayadatta's court the Vaiśya married his daughter to the prince as he attached much importance to such an alliance with the King. From the dowry given by the Vaiśya to his daughter the resources of her father appeared to be very meagre to Devadatta. After some time Devadatta's wife returned to her house with the permission of her husband. During her absence Jayadatta expired, enemies attacked his kingdom and Devadatta with his mother ran away from his kingdom. Sometime after that he started for his wife's house. But, feeling that it would not be proper for him to personally tell his father-in-law about what had happened to him he waited outside an inn near his wife's house, and he had not waited there for long when he saw a woman descending by a cord from the other door of the house. He felt deeply mortified to detect that it was his wife who was thus descending. And, when she, not recognising Devadatta in his dirty clothes, asked him who he was, he answered a ‘traveller’. Taking no notice of this ‘traveller’ she got into the inn, and Devadatta followed her. Inside the inn she was met by a man who beat her for being late to go to him; but, in spite of the beating she pleased him with coy words. Then and there Devadatta divorced her in his mind, but remained there observing their love-making. In the course of their loveplay an ear-ring studded with costly gems rolled down the floor from her ears, but she did not notice it. She parted from her paramour before dawn. Devadatta went to Kānyakubja with the ear-ring, and there he pledged it for one lakh sovereigns with which money he collected an army and conquered back his lost kingdom. Then he redeemed the pledge and sent the ear-ring to his father-in-law. The whole incident became public. When she realised the fact that the stranger whom she had met at the inn was her own husband, Devadatta's wife felt so deeply hurt and humiliated that her heart was broken and she died.
[Kathāsaritsāgara, Naravāhanadatta Janana, Taraṅga 1] .
DEVADATTA III Father of the reputed muni Utatthya. (Satyatapas). (See Satyatapas.)
DEVADATTA(M) The divine conch of Arjuna. Maya got this conch from Varuṇa and he kept it in the sabhā of Vṛṣaparvan, which was in Bindusaras on Mount Maināka to the south of Mount Kailāsa. When Maya built the palace at Indraprastha for the Pāṇḍavas he went to Bindusaras and brought for Arjuna that conch called Devadattam, and a club for Bhīmasena.
[Sabhā Parva, Chapter 3] . In the battle of Kurukṣetra Arjuna mounted a white horse and blew his conch Devadattam.
[Bhīṣma Parva, Chapter 25, Verse 14] .