Channa rode alongside Prince Siddhartha during the Great Departure, holding the tail of Kanthaka as they crossed the Anoma River, then returned to Kapilavastu with the prince's robes and jewels to deliver the news of his renunciation.
Prince Siddhartha stole from his palace at Kapilavastu in the dead of night, stepping over his sleeping wife and newborn son, while devas muffled the hooves of his horse Kanthaka — the Great Departure that set him on the path to becoming the Buddha.
Kanthaka bore Prince Siddhartha through the night of the Great Departure, his hooves silenced by devas as they leapt over the city walls, and upon reaching the Anoma River the faithful horse collapsed and died of a broken heart when his master cut his hair and departed on foot.
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