Śroṇakoṭikarṇāvadāna

The Śroṇakoṭikarṇāvadāna is the opening narrative of the Divyāvadāna, a Sanskrit anthology of Buddhist avadāna literature. It tells the story of Śroṇakoṭika, a boy born with a jewel in his ear, whose journeys expose him to vivid examples of the workings of karma. Through encounters with various individuals whose fortunes reflect their past actions, the tale conveys karmic causality as a moral and didactic theme. The narrative concludes with Śroṇakoṭika’s return home and his eventual ordination as a bhikṣu (monk).