Subha saha Yasa

In the fifth century after the death of Lord Buddha in Sri Lanka's great city of Anuradhapura, King Yasalalaka found his life a little boring.

He had observed that the face of one of his servants - Subha the gatekeeper - bore a remarkable likeness to his own royal countenance. He decided it would be amusing to secretly arrange with the gatekeeper to change places with him for a few days. Subha agreed to dress in the King's clothes and sit on the golden throne, while Yasa would happily act as gatekeeper and, from this humble vantage point, be able to observe how people behaved publicly and privately towards the king.

The first two days went well. Subha carried off the charade with amazing skill - sitting proudly in the King's magnificaent dress; holding his head askew and nodding gravely to the comments and requests from courtiers and ambassadors.

Yasa was particularly amused by the moments of obeisance, when all gathered before the throne fell prostate, clasping their hands above their heads and murmuring the traditional address “Paswan Dahasakata Buduwanda Devayanwahansa!” It was clear to him that no one, not even his oldest Ministers, suspected anything.

It was on the third day that things went horribly wrong. Watching the morning obeisance from his gate-keeper’s post at the back of the throne room, Yasa could no longer hide his amusement as the ceremony began. Seeing the lowly gate-keeper Subha proudly presiding over a room full of ministers and courtiers lying face-down on the floor, Yasa began to laugh.

As gate-keeper, his role required that, even when the court fell to the floor, he must stand tall at his post, clasping his spear and looking firmly ahead. Unfortunately for Yasa his laughter was clearly visible to Subha and the first row of prone ministers.

Subha leapt to his feet in a display of his recently acquired royal anger. “See that gate-keeper!” he shouted. “How he insults me with his insolent laughter. Take him out and kill him!”

They carried out his orders swiftly. The jeers of the onlookers masked the ranting of the poor demented gate-keeper. Something about his crazy fantasy that he was no gate-keeper but really the King.That brought a great deal of laughter from the front row of the crowd who overheard it. Then it was over.

Subha ruled quite well for a further eight years and most historians agree that he was a good and wise ruler.

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