The Jātaka, vol. IV (nos. 439-510)

[1] “Four gates,” etc.—This story the Master told at Jetavana, about a certain unruly person. The circumstances have been already set forth in the first Birth of the Ninth Book*, Here again the Master asked this brother, “Is it true, as they say, that you are disobedient?” “Yes, Sir.” “Long ago,” said he, “when by disobedience you refused to do the bidding of wise men, a razor-wheel was given to you.” And he told a story of the past. Once upon a time, in the days of the Buddha Kassapa, there dwelt in Benares a merchant, whose wealth was eighty crores of money, having a son named Mittavindaka. The mother and father of this lad had entered upon the First Path, but he was wicked, an unbeliever. When by and bye the father was dead and gone, the mother, who in his stead managed their property, thus said to her son:—‘‘My son, the state of man is one hard to attain’; give alms, practise virtue, keep the holy day, give ear to the Law.” Then said he, “Mother, no almsgiving or such like for me; never name them to me; as I live, so shall I fare hereafter.” On a certain full-moon holy day, as he spoke in this fashion, his mother answered, “Son, this day is set apart as a high holy day. To-day take upon you the holy day vows; visit the cloister, and all night long listen to the Law, and when you come back I will give you a thousand pieces of money.”

For desire of this money the son consented. As soon as he had broken his fast he went to the cloister, and there he spent the day; but at 1 See Nos, 82, 104, 369; Avaddna-Cataka, iii. 6. (86), and Feer’s note on p. 137 of that book. : 2 No. 427, vol. iii. p. 287 of this translation, 3 Among the five gatis, A ad Gt 1 g 2 The Jataka. Book X. night to the end that not one word of the Law should reach his ear [2] he lay down in a certain place, and fell asleep. On the next day, very early in the morning, he washed his face, and went to his own house and sat down. Now the mother thought within herself, “To-day my son after hearing the Law will come back early in the morning, bringing with him the Elder who has preached the Law.” So she made ready gruel, and food hard and soft, and prepared a seat, and awaited his coming. When she saw her son coming all alone, “Son,” quoth she, “why have you not brought the preacher with you?”—‘“‘ No preacher for me, mother!” says he. “Here then,” quoth the woman, “you drink this gruel.” “You promised me a thousand pieces, mother,” he says, “first give this to me, and afterward I will drink.” “Drink first, my son, and then you shall have the money.” Quoth he, “No, I will not drink till I get the money.” Then his mother laid before him a purse of a thousand pieces. And he drank the gruel, took the purse with a thousand pieces, and went about his business ; and so thereafter, until in no long time he had gained two millions.

Then it came into his mind that he would provide a ship, and do business with it. So he provided a ship, and said to bis mother, “‘ Mother, I mean to do business in this ship.” Said she, “‘ You are my only son, and in this house there is plenty of wealth; the sea is full of dangers. Do not go!” But he said, ‘Go I will, and you cannot prevent me.” “Yes, I will prevent you,” she answered, and took hold of his hand; but he thrust her hand away, and struck her down, and in a moment he was gone, and under way. On the seventh day, for cause of Mittavindaka, the ship stood immovable upon the deep. Lots were cast, and thrice was the lot found in the hand of Mittavindaka’. Then they gave him a raft; and saying— “‘Let not many perish for the sole sake of this one,” they cast him adrift upon the deep. In an instant the ship sprang forth with speed over the deep. And he upon his raft came to a certain island. There in a crystal palace he espied four female spirits of the dead. [3] They used to be in woe seven days and seven in happiness. In their company he experienced bliss divine. Then, when the time came for them to undergo their penance, said they, “Master, we are going to leave you for seven days; while we are gone, bide here, and be not distressed.” So saying they departed.

But he, full of longing, again embarked upon his raft, and passing over the ocean came to another isle; there in a palace of silver he saw ’ The reader will be reminded of the story of Jonah. eight other spirits. In the same way, he saw upon another island, sixteen in a palace all of jewels, and on yet another, thirty-two that were in a golden hall, With these, as before, he dwelt in divine blessedness, and when they went away to their penance, sailed away once more over the ocean ; till at last he beheld a city with four gates, surrounded by a wall. That, they say, is the Ussada Hell, the place where many beings, condemned to hell, endure their own deeds: but to Mittavindaka it appeared as though a city all beautiful. Thought he, “I will visit yon city, and be its king.” So he entered, and there he saw a being in torment, supporting a wheel sharp as a razor; but to Mittavindaka it seemed as though that razor-wheel upon his head were a lotus bloom ; the five-fold fetters upon his breast seemed as it were a splendid and rich vesture ; the blood dripping from his head seemed to be the perfumed powder of red sandal wood; the sound of groaning was as the sound of sweetest song. So approaching he said, “Ho, man! Long enough you have been carrying that flower of lotus;

now give it to me!” He replied, “My lord, no lotus it is, but a razor-wheel.” ‘ Ah,” quoth the first, “so you say because you do not wish to give it.” Thought the condemned wretch : “ My past deeds must be exhausted. No doubt this fellow, like me, is here for smiting a mother. Well, I will give him the razor-wheel.” Then he said, ‘“‘ Here then, take the lotus,” and with those words cast the razor-wheel upon his head ; and on his head it fell, crushing it in. In an instant [4] Mittavindaka knew that it was a razor-wheel, and says he, “Take your wheel, take back your wheel!” groaning aloud in his pain ; but the other had disappeared.

At that moment the Bodhisatta with a great following was making a round through the Ussada Hell, and arrived at that spot. Mittavindaka, espying him, cried out, “Lord king of the Gods, this razor-wheel is piercing and tearing me like a pestle crushing mustard seeds! what sin have I committed?” and in asking this question he repeated these two stanzas : “Four gates this iron city hath, where I am trapt and caught: A rampart girds me round about: what evil have I wrought? “Now fast are closed the city gates: this wheel destroyeth me: Why like a caged bird am I caught? why, Goblin, should it be?” Then the King of the Gods, to explain the matter to him, uttered these “ An hundred thousand thou, good Sir, didst own, and twenty eke: Yet to a friend thou wouldst not lend thine ear, when he would speak. “Swift didst thou flee across the sea, a perilous thing, I ween ; The four, the eight, didst visit straight, and with the eight, sixteen, “ And with sixteen the thirty-two; and lust didst ever feel: See now, the mecd of utter greed upon thy head, this wheel. 4 The Jataka. Book X.

“Who tread the highway of desire, that spacious thoroughfare, That highway great, insatiate,—’tis theirs this wheel to bear. “Who will not sacrifice their wealth, nor to the Path repair, Who do not know this should be so,—’tis theirs this wheel to bear. [5] Ponder the issue of thy deeds, and see How great thy wealth, and do not crave to be Master of ill-got gains; what friends advise Do,—and the wheel shall never come nigh thee.” [6] Hearing this, Mittavindaka thought to himself, “This son of the gods has explained exactly what I have done. No doubt he knows also the measure of my punishment.” And he repeated the ninth stanza : “How long, O Goblin, shall this wheel upon my head remain ? How many thousand years? reveal, nor let me ask in vain!” Then the Great Being declared the matter in the tenth stanza : “The wheel shall roll, and on shall roll, no saviour shall appear, Fixt on thy head till thou be dead—O Mittavinda, hear!” Thus saying, the Divine Being returned to his own place, and the other fell into great misery. The Master, having ended this discourse, identified the Birth:—‘“At that time the unruly Brother was Mittavyindaka, and I myself was the king of the gods.”

“Behold yon man,” etc.—This story the Master told at Kapilayatthu, in the Banyan Park, about smiling. [7] At that time they say that the Master, wandering afoot with his band of Brethren in the Banyan Park at evening time, at a certain spot gave a smile. Said Elder Ananda, “What can be the cause, what the reason, that the Blessed One should smile? Not without cause do the Tathagatas smile. I will ask him, then.” So with a gesture of obeisance he asked of this smile. Then the Master said to him, “In days of yore, Ananda, there was a certain sage, named Kanha, who on this spot of earth lived, meditative, in meditation his delight; and: by power of his virtue Sakka’s abode was shaken.” But as this speech about the smile was not quite clear, at the Elder’s request he told this story of the past. Once upon a time, when Brahmadatta ruled in Benares, there was a certain childless Brahmin, having wealth to the amount of eighty crores, who took upon him the vows of virtue, and prayed for a son; in the womb of this brahmin’s wife was conceived the Bodhisatta, and from his black colour they gave him on his nameday the name of Kanha-kumara, young Blackie. He at the age of sixteen years, being full of splendour, as it were an image of some precious stone, was sent by his father to Takkasila, where he learnt all the liberal arts, and returned again. Then his father provided a wife meet for him. And by and bye he came in for all his parents’ property.

Now one day, after inspecting his treasure houses, as he sat on his gorgeous divan, he took in his hand a golden plate, and reading upon the golden plate these lines inscribed by his kinsmen of former days, ‘‘So much of the property gained by such an one, so much by another,” thought he, “Those who won this wealth are seen no more, but the wealth is still seen; not one of them could take it where he is gone; we cannot tie our wealth in a bundle and take it with us to the next world. Seeing that it is connected with the Five Sins, to distribute in alms this vain wealth is the better part; seeing that this vain body is connected with much disease, to show honour and kindness to the virtuous is the better part; seeing that this transient and vain life is but transient, to strive after spiritual insight is the better part. Therefore these vain treasures I will distribute in alms, that by so doing I may gain the better part.” So he uprose from his seat, and having asked the king’s consent, he gave alms bounteously. Up to the seventh day [8] seeing no diminution in his wealth, he thought, “ What is wealth to me? While I am yet unmastered by old age, I will even now take the ascetic vow, I will cultivate the Faculties and the Attainments, I will become destined for Brahma’s heaven!” So he caused all the doors of his dwelling to be set open, and bade them take it all as freely given;

and spurning it as a thing unclean, he forsook all desire of the eyes, and amid the lamentations and tears of a great multitude, went forth from the city, even unto the Himalaya region. There he embraced the solitary life; and seeking out for a pleasant place to dwell in, he found this place, and there he resolved to dwell; and choosing a gourd tree for his place of feeding, there he did abide, and lived at the root of that tree; lodging never within a village he became a dweller in the woods, never a hut of leaves he made, but abode at the foot of this tree, in the open air, sitting ever, or if he desired to lie, lying upon the ground, not a pestle but only teeth to grind his food with, eating only things uncooked by the fire, and never even a grain in the husk passed his lips, eating once in the day, and at one sitting. On the ground, as though he were one with’ the four elements, he lived,

1 i,e, he had no more feeling than these, 6 The Jataka.._Book X. taking upon hin the ascetic virtues’. In that Birth the Bodhisatta, as we learn, had very few wants. .« Thus ere long he attained the Faculties and the Attainments, and lived in that spot in the ecstasy of ecstatic meditation. For wild fruits he went no further afield; when fruit grew upon the tree, he ate the fruit; in time of flowers, he ate flowers; when the leaves grew, he ate leaves ; when leaves there were none, he ate the bark of trees. Thus in the highest contentment he lived a long time in that place. As in the morning he used to pick up the fruits of that tree, never once even did he from greediness rise up and pick fruit in any other place. In the place where he sat, he stretched out his hand, and gathered all the fruit there was within the handsweep; these he would eat as they came, making no distinction between nice and nasty. As he continued to take pleasure in this, by the power of his virtue the yellowstone throne of Sakka grew hot. (This throne, they say, grows hot when Sakka’s life draws towards its end, or when his merit is exhausted and worked out, [9] or when some mighty Being prays, or through the efficacy of virtue in priests or brahmins full of potency.)

Then Sakka thought, “ Who is it would dislodge me now?” Surveying all around, he saw, living in a forest, in a certain spot, the sage Kanha, picking up fruit, and knew that yonder was the sage of dread austerity, all sense subdued ; “To him will I go,” thought he, “I will cause him to proclaim the Law in trumpet tones, and having heard the preaching that gives peace, I will satisfy him with a boon, and make his tree bear fruit unceasingly, and then I will return hither.” Then by his mighty power quickly descending, and taking his stand at the root of that tree behind the sage, he said, by way of testing whether or no the sage would be angry at mention of his ugliness, the first stanza : “Behold yon man, all black of hue, that dwells on this black spot, Black is the meat that he doth eat—my spirit likes him not!” Swart Kanha heard him. ‘‘ Who is it speaks to me !—” by his divine insight he perceived that it was Sakka ; and without turning, replied with the second stanza : “Though black of hue, a brahmin true at heart, O Sakka, see: Not by the skin, but if he sin, then black a man must be.”

' See Childers, p. 123 a. These thirteen ascetic practices include living under a tree, living alone, living in the forest, sleeping in a sitting posture, mentioned already in the text. * The following is a curious parallel to this idea about Indra’s throne: ‘‘The kings had a heritage at that time. When they did not know how to split justice properly, the judgement seat would begin to kick, and the king’s neck would take a twist when he did not do justice as he ought.” Campbell’s Popular Tales of the West Highlands, ii. p. 159, And then, after this, having explained in their several kinds and blamed the sins which make black such beings, and praised the goodness of virtue, [10] he discoursed to Sakka, and it was as though he made the moon to rise in the sky. Sakka at the hearing of his discourse, charmed and delighted, offered the Great Being a boon, and repeated the third stanza: “Fair spoken, brahmin, nobly put, most excellently said : Choose what you will—as bids your heart, so let your choice be made.” Hearing this the Great Being thought thus within himself. “I know how it must be. He wished to test me, and see should I be wroth at mention of my ugliness; therefore he abused the colour of my skin, my food, my place of dwelling ; perceiving that I was not angry, he is pleased, and offers me a boon; no doubt he thinks that I practise this manner of life through a desire for the power of Sakka or of Brahma; and now, to make him certain, I must choose these four boons: that I may be calm, that I may have within me no hatred or malice against my neighbour, and that I may have no greed for my neighbour’s glory or lust towards my neighbour.” Thus pondering, to resolve the doubt of Sakka, the sage uttered the fourth stanza, claiming these four boons:

“Sakka, the lord of all the world, a choice of blessings gave. From malice, hatred, covetise, deliverance I would have, And to be free from every lust : these blessings four I crave.” [11] Hereupon thought Sakka: ‘The sage Kanha, in choosing his boon, has chosen four most blameless blessings. Now I will ask him what is good or bad with these four things.” And he asked the question by repeating the fifth stanza : “Tn lust, in hatred, covetise, in malice, brahmin, say What evil thing dost thou behold? this answer me, I pray.” ‘Hear then,” replied the Great Being, and gave utterance to four stanzas ; “Because hatred, of ill-will bred, aye grows from small to great, Is ever full of bitterness, therefore I want no hate. “Tis ever thus with wicked men: first word, then touch we see, Next fist, then staff, and last of all the swordstroke flashing free: Where malice is, there follows hate—no malice then for me. “When men make speed egged on by greed, fraud and deceit arise, And swift pursuit of savage loot—therefore, no covetise. “Firm are the fetters bound by lust, that thrives abundantly Within the heart, for bitter smart—no lusting then for me.”

[13] Sakka, his questions thus solved, replied, “ Wise Kanha, by you sweetly are my questions answered, with a Buddha’s skill; well pleased 8 The Jataka. Book X. with you am I; now choose another boon”: and he repeated the tenth stanza: “Fair spoken, brahmin, nobly put, most excellently said: Choose what you will—as bids your heart, so let your choice be made.” Instantly the Bodhisatta repeated a stanza : “OQ Sakka, lord of all the world, a boon thou didst me cry, Where in the woods I ever dwell, where all alone dwell I, Grant no disease may mar my peace, or break my ecstasy.” On hearing this, thought Sakka, “ Wise Kanha, in choosing a boon, chooses no thing connected with food; all he chooses bears upon the ascetic life.” Delighted ever more and more, he added thereto yet another boon and recited another stanza ; “Fair spoken, brahmin, nobly put, most excellently said: i Choose what you will—as bids your heart, so let your choice be made.” And the Bodhisatta, in stating of his boon, declared the law in the concluding stanza : [14] “O Sakka, lord of all the world, a choice thou bidst declare: No creature be aught harmed for me, O Sakka, anywhere, Neither in body nor in mind: this, Sakka, is my prayer!.”

Thus the Great Being, on six occasions making choice of a boon, chose only that which pertained to the life of Renunciation. Well knew he that the body is diseased, and not Sakka can do away the disease of it; not with Sakka lies it to cleanse living beings in the Three Gates’* ; albeit so, he made his choice to the end that he might declare the law to him. And Sakka made that tree bear fruit perennially, and saluting him by touching his head with joined hands’, he said, ‘‘ Dwell here ever free from disease,” and went to his own place. But the Bodhisatta, never breaking his ecstasy, became destined for Brahma’s world. This lesson ended, the Master said, ‘This, Ananda, is the place where I dwelt aforetime,” and thus identified the Birth: “ At that time Anuruddha was Sakka, and for myself, I was Kanha the Wise.” 1 These lines occur in Milinda, p. 384. * Of Body, Speech, Mind: the three gates through which evil enters. 3 Reading patitthdpetvd, and in line 12 vyddhidhammam.

This Birth will be described in the Punnaka Birth}.

[15]? “O learned brahmin,” ete.—This story the Master told in Jetavana, about the giving of all the requisites. At Savatthi, it is said, a certain lay brother having heard the Tathagata’s discourse, being pleased at heart, gave an invitation for the morrow; at his door he set up a pavilion, richly dight, and sent to say that it was time. The Master came attended by five hundred Brethren, and sat in the gorgeous seat appointed for him. The layman, having made rich presents to the company of Brethren headed by the Buddha, bade them again for the morrow; and so for seven days he invited them, and offered gifts, and on the seventh gave them all a Brother’s requisites. In this presentation he offered a special gift of shoes. The pair of shoes offered to the Buddha were worth a thousand pieces of money, those offered to the two Chief Disciples* were worth five hundred, and shoes to the value of an hundred were given to each of the five hundred Brethren who remained. And after this presentation made of all that the Brethren need, he sat down before the Blessed One, along with his company. Then the Master returned thanks in a voice of much sweetness: “ Layman, most munificent is thy gift ; be joyful. In olden days, ere the Buddha came into the world, there were those who by giving one pair of shoes to a Pacceka Buddha, in consequence of that gift found a refuge on the sea where refuge there is none ; and thou hast given to the whole of Buddha’s company all that a Brother can need—how can it be, but that thy gift of shoes should prove a refuge to thee?” and at his request, he told a story of the past.

Once upon a time, this Benares was named Molini. While Brahmadatta reigned in Molini as king, a certain brahmin Sankha, rich, of great wealth, had built almshalls in six places, one at each of the four city gates, one in the midst of it, one by his own door. Daily he gave in alms six hundred thousand pieces of money, and to wayfarers and beggars he did much bounty. 1 No such title occurs in the collection, nor in Westergaard’s Catalogue, 2 Misprints on this page should be corrected: line 10 pajicasatagghanaka, 12 parikkharadanam, 14 anuppanne. 3 Sariputta and Moggallana, 10 . The Jataka. Book X. One day he thought to himself, “‘My store of wealth once gone, I shall have nothing to give. Whiles it is still unexhausted I will take ship, and sail for the Gold Country?, whence I will bring back wealth.” So he caused a ship to be built; filled it with merchandise; and said he, as he bade farewell to wife and child, [16] ‘‘ Until I:come again, see that you make no stay in distributing of alms.” This said, he took up his sunshade, donned his shoes, and with his servants about him, setting his face towards the seaport, at midday he departed.

At that moment, a Pacceka Buddha on Mount Gandha-madana, meditating, saw him on his way to get wealth, and thought he, “A great man is journeying to get wealth: will there be aught on the sea to hinder him, or no?—There will.—If he sees me he will present me with shoes and sunshade; and in consequence of this gift of shoes, he will find refuge when his vessel is wrecked upon the sea. I will help him.” So passing through the air, he alighted not far from the traveller, and moved to meet him, treading the sand hot as a layer of burning embers in the fierce wind and sunshine. “Here,” thought the brahmin, “is a chance of gaining merit ; here I must sow a seed this day.” In high delight he made haste to meet and greet him. ‘‘Sir,” says he, “be so kind as to come aside from the road awhile, under this tree.” Then as the man came in beneath the tree, he brushed up the sand for him, and spread his upper robe, and made him sit down; with water perfumed and purified he washed his feet, anointed him with sweet scented oil; from his own feet he took off the shoes, wiped them clean and anointed them with scented oil, and put them on him, and presented him with shoes and sunshade, bidding him wear the one, and spread the other overhead as he went his ways. The other, to please him, took the gift, and as the brahmin gazed upon him for the increase of his faith, flew up and went on his way again to Gandha-madana.

The Bodhisatta on his part, glad at heart, proceeded to the harbour, and took ship. When they were come to the high seas, on the seventh day the ship sprang a leak, and they could not bale the water clear. All the people in fear for their lives made a great outcry, calling each upon his own god’. [17] The Great Being chose him one servitor, and anointing all his body with oil, ate a mess of powdered sugar with ghee as much as he desired, and giving the man to eat also, he climbed up the mast. ‘In that direction,” said he, “lies our city”; pointing out the direction, and casting off all fear of the fish and turtles, he dived off with the man toa 1 Said to be the district of Burmah and Siam, “‘the Golden Chergonese.” See Childers, p. 492. 2 Again the reader will be reminded of Jonah (i. 5). Compare also the scene in Erasmus’ dialogue Naufragiwm. distance of more than a hundred and fifty cubits. A multitude of men perished ; but the Great Being, with his servant, began to make his way over the sea. For seven days he kept on swimming. Even then he kept the holy fast day, washing his mouth with the salt water.

Now at that time a divinity named Mani-mekhala, which by interpretation is Jewel-zone, had been commanded by the four lords of the world, “If by shipwreck any ill befall men who have gone to the Three Refuges, or are endued with virtue, or who worship their parents, you should save them”; and to protect any such, the deity took station upon the sea. In her divine power she kept no outlook for seven days, but on the seventh day, scanning the sea, she saw the virtuous brahmin Sankha, and thought she, “’Tis now the seventh day since yon man was cast into the sea: were he to die, great would be my blame.” So troubled at heart the deity filled a golden plate full of all manner of divine meats, and hastening wind-swift towards him, came to a stop before him in mid-air, saying, “Seven days, brahmin, hast thou taken no food: eat this!” The brahmin looked at her, and replied, “Take thy food away, for I am keeping fast.” His attendant, who came behind, saw not the deity, but heard only the sound; and thought he, “The brahmin babbles, methinks, being of tender frame, and from his seven days’ fasting, being in pain and in fear of death: I will comfort him.” And he repeated the first stanza :

“O learned brahmin, full of sanctity, Pupil of many a holy teacher, why [18] All out of reason dost vain babbling use, When none is here, save me, to make reply ?” The brahmin heard, and knowing that he had not seen the deity, he said, ‘“‘Good fellow, ’tis no fear of death; but I have another here to converse with me”; and he repeated the second stanza : “Tis a fair radiant presence, gold-besprent, That offers me food for my nourishment, All bravely set upon a plate of gold: To her I answer No, with heart content.” Then the man repeated the third stanza : “Tf such a wondrous being one should see, A man should ask a blessing hopefully. Arise, beseech her, holding up claspt hands : ‘Say, art thou human, or a deity ?’” [19] ‘‘You say well,” said the brahmin, and asked his question by repeating the fourth stanza : “ As thou beholdest me in kindly way And ‘Take and eat this food’ to me dost say, I ask thee, lady, excellent in might, Art thou a goddess, or a woman, pray ?” 12 The Jataka. Book X. Thereupon the deity repeated two stanzas :

“ A goddess excellent in might am I; And to mid-ocean hitherward did hie, Full of compassion and in heart well-pleased, For thy sake come in’ this extremity. “Here food, and drink, and place of rest behold, Vehicles various and manifold ; Thee, Santkha, I make lord of every thing Which for desirable thy heart may hold.” On hearing this the Great Being thought it over. “ Here is this deity (thought he), in the middle of the ocean, offering me this thing and that thing. Why does she wish to offer them to me? Is it for any virtuous act of mine, or by her own power, she does it? Well, I will ask the question.” And he asked it in the words of the seventh stanza : “Of all my sacrifice and offering Thou art the queen, and thine the governing ; 1Thou of fair slender waist, thou beauteous-browed : What deed of mine hath brought to fruit this thing?” [20] The deity listened to him, thinking, “This brahmin has put his question, I suppose, because he imagines I know not what good deed he has done. I will just tell him.” So she told him, in the words of the eighth stanza :

“A solitary, on the burning way, Weary and footsore, thirsty, thou didst stay, O brabmin Satikha, for a gift of shoon : That gift thy Cow of Plenty is this day.” When the Great Being heard this, he thought to himself, “ What! in this impracticable ocean the gift of shoes given by me has become a give-all to me! Ah, lucky was my gift to the Pacceka Buddha!” Then, in great contentment, he repeated the ninth stanza: “A ship of planks well builded let there be, Sped by fair winds, impervious to the sea ; No place is here for other vehicle ; This very day take me to Molini2.” [21] The deity, well pleased at hearing these words, caused a ship to appear, made of the seven things of price; in length it was eight hundred cubits, in width six hundred cubits, twenty fathoms in depth; it had three masts made of sapphire, cordage of gold, silver sails, and of gold were also the oars and the rudders. This vessel the deity filled with the seven precious things; then embracing the brahmin, set him aboard the gorgeous ship. She did not notice the attendant; howbeit the brahmin ‘ In line 29 read subbhu suvilakamajjhe : cp. Schol. 2 Benares,

gave him a share of his own good fortune; he rejoiced, the deity embraced him also, and set him in the ship. Then she guided the ship to the city of Molini, and having stored all this wealth in the brahmin’s house, returned to her place of dwelling. The Master, in his Perfect Wisdom, uttered the final stanza: “She pleased, delighted, with a happy cheer, A vessel marvellous caused to appear; Then, taking Sahkha with his serving man, To that most lovely city brought them near.” And the brahmin all his life long dwelt at home, distributing bounty without end, and observing virtue; and at the end of his days he with his man went to swell the host of heaven. [22] When the Master had made an end of this discourse he declared the Truths :—now at the conclusion of the Truths the layman entered upon the First Path :—and he thus identified the Birth; “At that time Uppalavanna was the deity, Ananda was the attendant, and I myself was the Brahmin Sankha.”

“Tf one seize,” etc.—This story the Master told in Jetavana, about a passionate man. This man, after having become an ascetic, following the doctrine which leads to salvation with all its blessings, was unable to control his passion: passionate he was, full of resentment; but little said, and he grew angry, flew in a passion, was bitter and obstinate. The Master, hearing of his passionate behaviour, sent for him and asked, was it true that he was passionate, as rumour had it. “Yes, Sir,” replied the man, “Brother,” the Master said, “passion must be restrained; such an ill-doer has no place either in this world or the next. Why dost thou, after embracing the salvation of the Supreme Buddha, who knows not passion, why dost thou show thyself passionate? Wise men of old, even those who embraced a religion? other than ours, have refrained from anger.” And he told him an old-world tale. 1 Of. Ananusociya-jataka, No. 328, vol. iii. (Sammillabhasini, which is an epithet in the first stanza here, is a proper name there, p. 64). 2 bahiradsane is doubtless a misprint for bahirasasane. 14 The Jataka. Book X. Once upon a time, when Brahmadatta was king of Benares, there was in a certain town of Kasi a brahmin rich, wealthy, and of great possessions, but he was childless ; and his wife longed for a son. At that time the Bodhisatta, descending from Brahma’s world, was conceived in the womb of that lady;

and on his name-day they gave him the name of Bodhi-kumara, or Wiseman. When he came of age he repaired to Takkasila, where he studied all sciences; and after his home-coming, much against his will, his parents found him a damsel to wife from a family of the same caste. She too had descended to this world from the world of Brahma, and was.of surpassing beauty, like a nymph. These two were married together, though they neither of them desired it. Never had either done any sin, and in the way of passion neither so much as cast a look at the other ; never even in sleep had they done the deed of kind, so pure were they.

Now it happened that after a while, when his parents were dead, and he had decently disposed of their bodies, the Great Being calling his wife, said to her, ‘‘ Now, lady, you [23] take this fortune of eighty crores, and live in happiness.”—“ Not so, but you, noble Sir.” Said he, ‘ Wealth I want none; I shall go to the region of Himalaya, and become a recluse, and there find a refuge.”——‘“‘ Well, noble Sir, is it men only that should live the ascetic life?” ‘‘ No,” said he, “but women also.” ‘Then I will not take that which you spew out of your mouth; for wealth I care no more than you, and I, like you, will live a recluse.” “Very good, lady,” said he. And they both distributed a great quantity of alms; and setting forth, in a pleasant spot they made a hermitage. There living upon any wild fruits which they could glean, they dwelt for ten whole years, yet did not attain to holy ecstasy. And after living there in the happiness of the ascetic life for ten years, they traversed the country side to get salt and seasoning, and in due course came to Benares, where they abode in the royal park.

Now one day the king, espying the park-keeper who came with a present in his hand, said, “We will make merry in our park, therefore set it in order”; and when the park was cleansed and made ready, he entered it along with a great retinue. At that time these two were also sitting in a certain part of the park, spending their time in the bliss of the religious life. And the king in passing through the park, perceived them both sitting there; and as his eye fell on this amiable and very beautiful lady, he fell in love. Trembling with desire, he determined to ask what she was to the ascetic; so approaching the Bodhisatta, he put the question to him. ‘Great king,” he said, “she is nothing to me; she only shares my ascetic life, but when I lived in the world she was my wife.” On hearing this the king thought within him, “So he says she is nothing to him but in his worldly life she was his wife. Well, if I seize her by my sovereign power what will he do? I will take her, then.” And so coming near he repeated the first stanza :

[24] “If one seize the large-eyed lady, and carry her off from you, The dear one that sits there smiling, brahmin, what would you do?” In answer to this question, the Great Being repeated the second stanza ; “Once risen, it never would leave me my life long, no, never at all: As a storm of rain lays the dust again, quench it while yet it be small.” Thus did the Great Being make answer, loud as a lion’s roar. But the king, though he heard it, was yet unable for blind folly to master his enamoured heart, and gave orders to one of his suite, “that he should take the lady into the palace.” The courtier, obedient, led her away, in spite of her complaints and cries that lawlessness and wrong were the world’s way. ‘The Bodhisatta, who heard her cries, looked once but looked no more. So weeping and wailing she was conveyed to the palace. And the King of Benares made no delay in his park, but quickly returned indoors, and sending for the woman, showed her great honour. And she spoke of the worthlessness of such honour, and the sole worth of the solitary life. The king, finding that by no means could he win her mind over, caused her to be placed in a room apart, and began to think, ‘‘Here is an ascetic woman who cares not for all this honour, and yon hermit never cast an angry look even when the man led away so beauteous a dame! Deep are the wiles of anchorites; he will lay a plot doubtless and work me some harm. [25] Well, I will return to him, and find out why he sits there.” And so unable to keep still, he went into the park.

The Bodhisatta sat stitching his cloak. The king, almost alone, caine up without sound of footfall, softly. Without one look at the king, the other went on with his sewing. ‘This fellow,” thought the king, “ will not speak to me because he is angry. This ascetic, humbug that he is, first roars out, ‘I will not let anger arise at all, but if it does, I will crush it while it is small,’ and then is so obstinate in wrath that he won’t speak to me!” With this idea the king repeated the third stanza : “You that were loud in boasting only awhile ago, Now dumb for very anger there you sit and sew!” When the Great Being heard this, he perceived that the king thought him silent from anger ; and desirous to show that he was not influenced by anger, repeated the fourth stanza: “Once risen, it never had left me, it never would leave me at all: As a storm of rain lays the dust again, I quenched it while it was small.” On hearing these words, the king thought, “Is it anger of which he 16 The Jataka. Book X. speaks, or some other thing? I will ask him.” And he asked the question, repeating the fifth stanza :

“What is it that never has left you your life long, never at all? i As a storm of rain lays the dust again, what quenched you while it was small? [26] Said the other, “Great king, thus anger brings much wretchedness, and much ruin; it just began within me, but by cherishing kindly feelings I quenched it,” and then he repeated the following stanzas to declare the misery of anger. “That without which a man sees clearly, with which he goes blindly ahead, Arose within me, but was not left free—anger, on foolishness fed. “What causes our foes satisfaction, who wish to bring woes on our head, Arose within me, but was not left free—anger, on foolishness fed. “That which if it rises within us blinds all to our spiritual good, Arose within me, but was not left free—anger, with folly for food. “That which, supreme, destroys each great blessing, Which makes its dupes forsake each worthy thing, Mighty, destructive, with its swarm of fears,— Anger—refused to leave me, O great king ! “The fire will rise the higher, if the fuel be stirred and turned; And because the fire uprises, the fuel itself is burned. “ And thus in the mind of the foolish, the man who cannot discern, From wrangling arises anger, and with it himself will burn.

“Whose anger grows like fire with fuel and grass that blaze, As the moon in the dark fortnight, so his honour wanes and decays. “He who quiets his anger, like a fire that fuel has none, As the moon in the light fortnight, his honour waxes well grown.” [27] When the king had listened to the Great Being’s discourse, he was well pleased, and bade one of his courtiers lead the woman back ; and invited the passionless recluse to stay with her in that park, in the enjoyment of their solitary life, and he promised to watch over them and defend them as he ought. Then asking pardon, he politely took leave. And they two dwelt there. By and bye the woman died, and after her death, the man returned to the Himalayas, and cultivating the Faculties and the Attainments, and causing the Excellences to spring up within him, he became destined for Brahma’s heaven. __ When the Master had ended his discourse, he declared the Truths, and identified the Birth ;—(now at the conclusion of the Truths the passionate Brother became established in the fruit of the Third Path:)—“At that time Rahula’s mother was the ascetic lady, Ananda was the king, and I myself was the ascetic,” 4

“Seven days,” etc.—This story the Master told in Jetavana, about a certain backsliding brother. The occasion will be explained under the Kusa Birth’. When the Master had enquired whether this report was true, and the man answered that it was true, [28] he said, “ Brother, wise men in days long gone by, before the Buddha had arisen, even men who had entered upon an unorthodox religious life, for more than fifty years, walking in holiness without caring for it, from the scruples of a sensitive nature never told any one that they had backslidden; and why have you, who have embraced such a religion as ours, that leads to salvation, and who stand in presence of a venerable Buddha such as I am, why have you declared your backsliding before the four kinds of disciples? Why do you not preserve your scruples?” Thus saying, he told an old-world tale. Once upon a time, in the kingdom of Vamsa, reigned in Kosambi? a king named Kosambika. At that time there were two brahmins in a certain town, each possessed of eighty crores, and dear friends one of the other; who, having perceived the mischief which lies in lust, and distributed much goods in almsgiving, both forsook the world, and amid the weeping and wailing of many people, departed to Himalaya, and there built them an hermitage. There for fifty years they lived as ascetics, feeding upon the fruits and roots of the forests where they might chance to glean them ; but unto ecstasy they were unable to attain.

After these fifty years had passed by, they went on pilgrimage through the country side to get salt and seasoning, and came to the kingdom of Kasi. In a certain town of this kingdom lived a householder named Mandavya, who had been a lay friend in householder days of the ascetic Dipayaua. To this Mandavya came our two friends; who when he saw them, enraptured, built them a hut of leaves, and provided them both with the four necessaries of life. Three or four seasons they dwelt there, and then taking leave of him proceeded on pilgrimage to Benares, where they lived in a cemetery grown over with atumuttaka trees. When Dipayana had remained there as long as he wished, he returned to his old comrade again ; Mandavya the other ascetic still dwelt in the same place’. 1 See Grimblot’s Sept Suttas Palies. This story, with the first stanza, is briefly given in the Cariyd-Pitaka, p. 99 f. 3? On the Ganges. 4 In this confusing tale, Mandavya is the name of one of the ascetics and also of the householder, Dipayana is the name of the other ascetic. den DV; Y 18 The Jataka. Book X. Now it happened that one day a robber had committed robbery in the town, and was returning from the fact with a quantity of spoil. The owners of the house, and the watchmen, aroused, set up a cry of “Thief!” and the thief, pursued by these, escaped through the sewer, and as he ran swiftly by the cemetery dropt his bundle at the door of the ascetic’s hut of leaves. When the owners saw this bundle, they cried, “Ah, you rascal! [29] you are a robber by night, and in the daytime you go about in the disguise of an ascetic!” So, with reviling and blows, they carried him into the presence of the king.

The king made no enquiry, but only said, ‘“‘Off with him, impale him upon a stake!” To the cemetery they took him, and lifted him up on a stake of acacia wood; but the stake would not pierce the ascetic’s body. Next they brought a nimb stake, but this too would not pierce him: then an iron spike, and no more would that pierce his body. The ascetic wondered what past deed of his could have caused this, and surveyed the past; then there arose in him the knowledge of former existences, and by this as he surveyed the past he saw what he had done long ago; and this it was—the piercing of a fly upon a splinter of ebony. It is said that in a former existence he had been the son of a carpenter. Once he went to the place where his father was wont to hew trees, and with an ebony splinter pierced a fly as if impaling it. And it was just this sin that found him out when he came to that supreme moment. He perceived that here then was no getting free from sin; so to the king’s men he said, ‘‘If you wish to impale me, take a stake of ebony wood.” This they did, and spitted him upon it, and leaving a guard to watch him they went away.

The watchmen from a place of concealment observed all that came to look upon him. Now Dipayana, thinking ‘It is long since I saw my comrade the ascetic,” came to find him; and having heard that he had been hanging a whole day impaled by the roadside, he went up to him, and standing on one side, asked what he had done. ‘‘ Nothing,” quoth he. “Can you guard against ill feeling, or not?” asked the other. “Good friend,” said he, “neither against those who have seized me, nor against the king either, is there any ill feeling in my mind.”—“TIf that is so, the shadow of one so virtuous is delightful to me,” and with these words down he sat by the side of the stake. Then upon his body from the body of Mandavya fell gouts of gore; and these as they fell upon the golden skin, and there dried, became black spots upon it; which gave him the name of Kanha or Black Dipayana from thenceforth. And he sat there all the night. Next day the watchmen went and told the matter to the king, I have acted rashly,” said the king; and with speed he hastened to the spot, [30] and asked Dipayana what made him sit by the stake. “Great king,” answered he, “I sit here to guard him. But say, what has he done, or what left undone, that you treat him thus?” He explained that the matter had not been investigated. The other replied, “Great king, a king ought to act with circumspection; an idle layman who loves pleasure is not good, etc.',” and with other such admonitions he discoursed to him.

When the king found that Mandavya was innocent, he ordered the stake to be drawn out. But try as they would, out it would not come. Said Mandavya, “Sire, I have received this dire disgrace for a fault done long ago, and it is impossible to draw the stake from my body. But if you wish to spare my life, bring a saw, and cut it off flush with the skin.” So the king had this done; and the part of the stake within his body remained there. For on that previous occasion they say that he took a little piece of diamond, and pierced the fly’s duct, so that it did not die then, nor until the proper end of its life; and therefore also the man did not die, they say. The king saluted these ascetics, and craved pardon; and settling them both in his park, he looked after them there. And from that time Mandavya was called Mandavya with the Peg. And he lived in this place near the king; and Dipayana, after healing his friend’s wound, went back to his friend Mandavya the householder. When they saw him enter the leaf-hut, they told it to his friend. When he heard it, he was delighted; and with wife and child, taking plenty of scents, garlands, oil, and sugar, and so forth, he came to the leaf hut; greeting Dipayana, ’ washing and anointing his feet, and giving him to drink, he sat listening to the tale of Mandavya of the Peg.

Then his son, a young man named Yafifia-datta, was playing with a ball at the end of the covered walk. There a snake lived in an ant-hill. The lad’s ball, thrown upon the ground, ran into the hole of the ant-hill and fell upon the snake. Not knowing this, the lad put his hand into the hole. The snake enraged bit the boy’s hand; down he fell in a faint because of the strength of the snake’s poison. [31] Thereupon his parents, finding their son snakebitten, lifted him up and took him to the ascetic; laying him at the ascetic’s feet, they said, ‘‘Sir, religious people know simples and charms ; please cure our son,”—“I know no simples; I do not ply the physician’s trade.” —“‘ You are a man of religion. Have pity then, Sir, upon this lad, and do the Act of Truth.” “Good,” said the ascetic, “an Act of Truth I will do.” And laying hands upon the head of Yafifia-datta, he recited the first stanza :—

1 See vol. iii., p. 70. 20 The Jataka. Book X. “Seven days serene in heart Pure I lived, desiring merit: Since then, for fifty years apart, Self-absorbed, I do declare it, Here, unwillingly, I live: May this truth a blessing give: Poison baulked, the lad revive!” No sooner done this Act of Truth, out from the chest of Yafifia-datta the poison came, and sank into the ground. The lad opened his eyes, and with a look at his parents, cried “Mother!” then turned over, and lay still. Then Black Dipayana said to the father, “See, I have used my power ; now is the time to use yours.” He answered, ‘So will I do an Act of Truth”; and laying a hand upon his son’s breast, he repeated the second stanza: “Tf for gifts I cared no jot, All chance comers entertaining, [32] Yet still the good and wise knew not I was my true self restraining ; If unwillingly I give, May this truth a blessing give, Poison baulked, the lad revive!” After the doing of this Act of Truth, out from his back came the poison, and sank into the ground. The lad sat up, but could not stand. Then the father said to the mother, ‘“ Lady, I have used my power; now it is yours by an Act of Truth to cause your son to arise and walk.” Said she, ‘“‘I too have a Truth to tell, but in your presence I cannot declare it.” ‘ Lady,” quoth he, “‘by all and any means make my son whole.” She answered, ‘“ Very well,” and her Act of Truth is given in the third stanza :

“The serpent that bit thee to-day In yonder hole, my son, And this thy father, are, I say, In my indifference, one: May this Truth a blessing give: Poison baulked, the lad revive!” [33] No sooner done was this Act of Truth, than all the poison fell and sank into the ground; and Yajfifia-datta, rising with all his body purged of the poison, began to play. When the son had in this way. risen up, Mandavya asked what was in Dipayana’s mind by the fourth stanza : “They leave the world who are serene, subdued, Save Kanha, all in no unwilling mood; What makes thee shrink, Dipayana, and why Unwilling walk the path of sanctity?” To answer this, the other repeated the fifth stanza : “He leaves the world, and then again turns back; ‘An idiot, a fool!’ so might one think :— "Tis this that makes me shrink, Thus walk I holy, though the wish I lack, The cause why I do well, is this— 'Praised of the wise the good man’s dwelling is.” Thus having explained his own thought, he asked Mandavya yet again in the sixth stanza : [34] “This thy house was like a mere?, Food and drink in store supplying: Sages, travellers, brahmins here Thirst and hunger satisfying. Didst thou fear some scandal, still Giving, yet against thy will?”

Then Mandavya explained his thoughts by the’ seventh stanza : “Sire and grandsire holy were, Lords of gifts most free in giving ; And I followed with all care Our ancestral way of living; Lest degenerate I should be I gave gifts unwillingly.” After saying this, Mandavya asked his wife a question in the words of the eighth stanza : [35] “When, a young girl, with undeveloped sense, I brought thee from thy home to be my wife, Thou didst not tell me thy indifference, How without love thou livedst all thy life. Then why, O fair-limbed lady, didst thou stay And live with me in this unloving way?” And she replied to him by repeating the ninth stanza: “Tis not the custom in this family For wedded wife to take a newer mate, Nor ever has been; and this custom I Would keep, lest I be called degenerate. Twas fear of such report that bade me stay And live with thee in this unloving way.” [36] But when this was said, a thought passed through her mind— “ My secret is told to my husband, the secret never told before! He will be angry with me; I will crave pardon in the presence of this ascetic, our confidant.” And to this end she repeated the tenth stanza : “Now I have spoken what should be unsaid : For our son’s sake may it be pardoned.

Stronger than parents’ love is nothing here ; Our Yaniia-datta lives, who was but dead!” 1 Or, Praised of the wise and good religion is. 2 The word may possibly mean public-house: either is a ‘drinking place’ (avapana). 29 The Jataka. Book X. “ Arise, lady,” said Mandavya, “I forgive you. Henceforth do not be hard to me; I will never grieve you,” And the Bodhisatta said, addressing Mandavya, “In gathering ill-gotten gains, and in disbelieving that when you give liberally, the deed is a seed that brings fruit, in this you have done wrong. For the future believe in the merit of gifts, and give them.” This the other promised, and in his turn said to the Bodhisatta, “Sir, you have yourself done wrong in accepting our gifts when walking the path of holiness against your will. Now in order that your deeds may bear abundant fruit, do you for the future walk in holiness with a tranquil heart and pure, full of ecstatic joy.” Then they took leave of the Great Being and departed. From that time forward the wife loved her husband ; Mandavya with tranquil heart gave gifts with faith; the Bodhisatta, dispelling his unwillingness, cultivated the ecstatic Faculty, and became destined for Brahma’s heaven.

This discourse ended, the Master declared the Truths: (now at the conclusion of the Truths the backslider was established in the fruit of the First Path :) and identified the Birth :—“ At that time Ananda was Mandavya, [37] Visakha the wife, Rahula the son, Sariputta was Mandayya of the Peg, and IT was myself Black Dipayana.”

“Who ws the man,” etc.—This story the Master told in the Bamboo Grove, about Devadatta. One day the Brethren said to him, “Friend Devadatta, the Master is most helpful to you! From the Master you received your Orders, lesser and greater ; you have learnt the Three Baskets, the voice of Buddha ; you have caused the Hestasy to arise within you; the glory and gain of the _ Dasabala! belong to you.” At this he held up a blade of grass, with the words ‘“T can see no good that the ascetic Gotama has done me, not even this much 13 They talked it over in the Hall of Truth. When the Master came in, he asked what they talked of as they sat together. They told him. Said he, “Brethren, this is not the first time, but long ago as now Devadatta was ungrateful and treacherous to friends.” And he told them a tale of olden days. ' Buddha; “he who possesses the ten powers.” Once upon a time a great monarch named Magadha reigned in Rajagaha. And a merchant of that city brought home for his son’s wife the daughter of some country merchant. But she was barren. In course of time less respect was paid to her for this cause; they all talked, that she might hear, as thus: “While there is a barren wife in our son’s household, how can the family line be kept up?” As this talk kept coming to her ears, she said to herself, ‘Oh, well, I will pretend to be with child, and trick them.” So she asked a good old nurse of hers, “What is it that women do when they are with child?” and being instructed what to do for preserving the child’, concealed the time of her courses ;

showed a fancy for sour and strange tastes; at the time when the arms and legs begin to swell, she caused them to beat: hands and feet and back until they grew swollen; day by day she bandaged her body round with rags and cloths and made it appear greater; blackened the nipples of her breasts; and save that nurse alone, permitted no other to be present at her toilet. Her husband too showed her the attentions proper to her state. After nine months had passed in this fashion, she declared her wish to return home and bring forth her child in her father’s house. So taking leave of her husband’s parents, she mounted a carriage, [38] and with a large number of attendants left Rajagaha behind her, and proceeded along the road.

Now travelling in front of her was a caravan; and she always came about breakfast time to the place whence that caravan had just gone. And one night, a poor woman in that caravan had borne a son under a banyan tree; and thinking that without the caravan she could not get along, but that if she lived she might receive the child, covered him up’ as he was, and left him lying there, at the foot of the banyan tree. And the deity of the tree took care of him; he was not any ordinary child, but the Bodhisatta himself had come into the world in that form. At breakfast time the other travellers arrived at the spot. The woman, with her nurse, going apart to the shade of the banyan tree for her toilet, saw a babe of the colour of gold lying there. By-andbye she called out to the nurse that their object was gained; unwound the bandages from her loins’; and declared that the babe was her own, and that she had just brought him forth. The attendants at once raised a tent to seclude her, and in high delight sent a letter back to Rajagaha. Her husband’s parents wrote in

1 In vol. ii. page 2 (page 1 of translation, note 4) it is suggested that this may be a magical rite. It may; but the passage here translated supports a simpler meaning, The word in both cases is gabbhaparihara. Compare p. 124, 14 below (p. 79 of this book). 2 Lit. partum illuviemque puerperii. 3 Tumbos illuvie puerperii inquinavit. 24 The Jéataka. Book X. reply that as the babe was born, there was no longer need for her to go to her father’s house; let her return. So to Rajagaha she returned at once. And they acknowledged the babe: and when the babe came to be named, named him after the place where he was born, NigrodhaKumara, or Master Banyan. That same day, the daughter-in-law of a merchant, on her way home to her father for the birth, brought forth a son beneath the branches of a tree; and him they named SakhaKumara, Master Branch. And on the same day, the wife of a tailor in the employ of this merchant bore a son amidst his bits of cloth ; and him they called Pottika, or Dollie. The great merchant sent for these two children, as having been born on Master Banyan’s birthday, and brought them up with him.

They all grew up together, and by-and-bye went to Takkasila to complete their education. Both the merchants’ sons had two thousand pieces to give their teacher for a fee; [39] Master Banyan provided Pottika with an education under his own wing. When their education was finished, they took leave of their teacher, and left him, with intent to learn the customs of the country folk; and travelling on and on, in time they came to Benares, and lay down to rest in a temple. It was then the seventh day since the king of Benares had died. Proclamation was made through the city by beat of drum, that on the morrow the festal car would be prepared. The three comrades were lying under a tree asleep, when at dawn Pottika awoke, and sitting up began to chafe Banyan’s feet. Some cocks were roosting upon that tree, and the cock at the top let a dropping fall upon a cock near the bottom’. “What is that fell upon me?” asked this cock. ‘Do not be angry, Sir,” answered the other, “I did not mean to do it.” ‘‘Oh, so you think my body is a place for your droppings! You don’t know my importance, that is plain!” To this said the other, ‘Oho, still angry, though I declared that I did not mean it! And what is your importance, pray ?”—‘ Whoever kills me and eats my flesh will receive a thousand pieces of money this very morning! Is not that something to be proud of?” “ Pooh, pooh,” quoth the other, “proud of a little thing like that! Why, if any one kills me and eats of my fat, he will become a king this very morning; he that eats the middle flesh, becomes commander-in-chief ; who eats the flesh about the bones, he will be treasurer !”

All this Pottika overheard. ‘A thousand pieces —” thought he, “What is that? Best to be aking!” So gently climbing the tree, he seized the cock that was roosting atop, and killed it, and cooked it in the embers ; the fat he gave to Banyan, the middle flesh to Branch, and himself ate the flesh that was about the bones. When they had eaten, he ' In No, 284 (ii. p. 280 of this translation) the episode of the cocks has come already. said, “Banyan, Sir, to-day you will be king; Branch, Sir, you will be commander-in-chief ; and as for me, I’m the treasurer!” They asked him how he knew; he told them. So about the time for the first meal of the day, they entered the city of Benares. At the house of a certain brahmin they received a meal of rice-porridge, with ghee and sugar; and then emerging from the city, [40] they entered the royal park. Banyan lay down upon a slab of stone, the other two lay beside it. It so happened that at the moment they were just sending forth the ceremonial chariot, with the five symbols of royalty’ in it. (The details of this will be given in the Mahajanaka Birth*.) In rolled the car, and stopping, stood ready for them to enter. ‘Some being of great merit must be present here!” thought the chaplain to himself. He entered the park, and espied the young man; and then removing the cloth from his feet he examined the marks upon them, ‘‘ Why,” said he, “he is destined to be King of all India, let alone Benares!” and he ordered all the gongs and cymbals to strike up.

Banyan awaking threw the cloth from his face, and saw a crowd assembled round him! He turned round and for a moment or two he lay still; then arose, and sat with his legs crossed. The chaplain fell upon one knee, saying, ‘‘ Divine being, the kingdom is thine!” ‘So be it,” said the youth; the chaplain placed him upon the heap of precious jewels, and sprinkled him to be king. Thus made king, he gave the post of Commander-in-chief to his friend Branch, and entered the city in great pomp; and Pottika’ went with them. From that day onward the Great Being ruled righteously in Benares. One day the memory of his parents came into his mind; and addressing Branch, he said, “Sir, it is impossible to live without father and mother; take a large company of people, and go fetch them.” But Branch refused; “That is not my business,” said he. Then he told Pottika to do it. Pottika agreed, and making his way to Banyan’s parents, told them that their son had become a king, and begged them to come to him. But they declined, saying that they had power and wealth: enough of that, go they would not. He asked Branch’s parents also to come, and they too preferred to stay ; and when he invited his own, said they, “ We live by tailoring ; enough, enough,” and refused like the rest.

As he failed to hit off their wishes, he then returned to Benares. Thinking that he would rest from the fatigue of the journey in the house of the Commander-in-chief, before seeing Banyan, he went to that house. 1 Sword, parasol, diadem, slippers, fan, 2 No. 539, vol. vi. p. 39. : 3 After this point he is several times called Pottiya. 26 The Jataka. Book X. [41] “Tell the Commander-in-chief,” said he to the door-keeper, “ that his comrade Pottika is here.” The man did so. But Branch had conceived a grudge against him, because, quoth he, the man had given his comrade Banyan the kingdom instead of himself; so on hearing this message, he waxed angry. “Comrade indeed! who is his comrade? A mad baseborn churl! seize him!” So they beat him and kicked him, and belaboured him with foot, knee and elbow, then clutching him by the throat cast him forth. “Branch,” thought the man, “gained the post of Commander-in-Chief through me, and now he is-ungrateful, and malicious, and has beaten me, and cast me forth. But Banyan is a wise man, grateful and good, and to him [ will go.” So to the king’s door he went, and sent a message to the king, that Pottika his comrade was waiting at the door. The king asked him in, and as he saw him approach, rose up from his seat, and went forth to meet him, and greeted him with affection ; he caused him to be shaved and cared for, and adorned with all manner of ornaments, then gave him rich meats of every sort to eat; and this done, sat graciously with him, and enquired after his parents, who as the other informed him refused to come.

Now Branch thought to himself, “ Pottika will be slandering me in the king’s ear, but if I am by, he will not be able to speak”; so he also repaired thither, And Pottika, even in his presence, spoke to the king saying, ‘‘ My lord, when I was weary with my journey, I went to Branch’s house, hoping to rest there first and then to visit you. But Branch said, ‘I know him not!’ and evil entreated me, and haled me forth by the neck! Could you believe it!” and with these words, he uttered three stanzas of verse : “*Who is the man? I know him not! and the man’s father, who ? Who is the man?’ so Sakha said :—Nigrodha, what think you? “Then Sakha’s men at Sakha’s word dealt buffets on my face, And seizing me about the throat forth cast me from the place. “That such a deed in treachery an evil man should do! An ingrate is a shame, O king—and he your comrade, too !” [42] On hearing these, Banyan recited four stanzas : ‘“T know not, nor have ever heard in speech from any one, Any such ill as this you tell which Sakha now has done.

“With me and Sakha you have lived; we both your comrades were ; Of empery among mankind you gave us each a share: We have by thee got majesty, and not a doubt is there. “As when a seed in fire is cast, it burns, and cannot grow ; Do a good turn to evil men, it perishes even so. “The grateful, good, and virtuous, such men are not as they ; In good soil seeds, in good men deeds, are never thrown away.” As Banyan was reciting these lines, Branch stood still where he was. Then the king asked him, “Well, Branch, do you recognise this man Pottika?” He was dumb. And the king laid his bidding upon the man in the words of the eighth stanza : “Seize on this worthless traitor here, whose thoughts so evil be; Spear him! for I would have him die—his life is nought to me !” But Pottika, on hearing this, thought within himself—“ Let not this fool die for my sake!” and uttered the ninth stanza : [43] ‘Great king, have mercy! life once gone is hard to bring again: My lord forgive, and let him live! I wish the churl no pain.”

When the king heard this, he forgave Branch ; and he wished to bestow the place of Commander-in-chief upon Pottika, but he would not. Then the king gave him the post of Treasurer, and with it went the judgeship of all the merchant guilds. Before that no such office had existed, but there was this office ever after. And by-and-bye Pottika the Royal Treasurer, being blest with sons and with daughters, uttered the last stanza for their admonition : “With Nigrodha one should dwell ; To wait on Sakha is not well. Better with Nigrodha death Than with Sakha to draw breath.” This discourse ended, the Master said, ‘‘So, Brethren, you see that Devadatta was ungrateful before,” and then identified the Birth: “At that time, Devadatta was Sakha, Ananda was Pottika, and I myself was Nigrodha.”

“No bulbs are here,’ etc.—This story the Master told at Jetavana about a layman who supported his father. This man we learn was re-born in a needy family. After his mother’s death, he used to rise up early in the morning, and prepare the tooth-twigs and water for cleansing the mouth; then by working for hire or ploughing in the fields, he used to procure rice gruel, and thus fed his father in a manner suiting his station in life. Said his father to him, “My son, whatever is to be done indoors and out you do alone. Let me find you a wife, and she shall do the 1 This is a variant of a famous story, known as the Housse Partie, See Clouston, Popular Tales and Fictions, ‘The ungrateful son” (ii. 372); Jacques de Vitry’s Euempla (Folk Lore Society, 1890), No. 288, with bibliographical note on p. 260. 28 The Jataka. Book X. household work for you.”—“ Father,” says he, “if women come into the house they will bring no peace of mind for me or for you. Pray do not dream of such a thing! While you live, I will support you ;‘[44] and when you pass away, I shall know what to do,”

But the father sent for a girl, much against his son’s wish ; and she looked after her husband and his father; but a low creature she was. Now her husband was pleased with her, for attending upon ‘his father ; and whatever he could find to please her, that he brought and gave her; and she presented it to her father-in-law. And there came a time when the woman thought, “Whatever my husband gets, he gives to me, but nothing to his father. It is clear that for his father he cares nothing. I must find some way of setting the old man at variance with my husband, and then I shall get him out of the house.” So from that time she began to make the water too cold or too hot for him, and the food she salted too much or not at all, and the rice she served up all hard or else soaking wet; and by this kind of thing did all she could to provoke him. Then, when he grew angry, she scolded: “ Who can wait on an old creature like this !” said she, and stirred up strife. And all over the ground she would spit, and then stir up her husband—* Look there !” would she say, “that’s your father’s doing! I am constantly begging him not to do this and that, and he only gets angry. Hither your father must leave this house, or I!” Then the husband answered, “Lady, you are young, and you can live where you will; but my father is an old man. If you don’t. like him, you can leave the house.” This frightened her. She fell at the old man’s feet, and craved pardon, promising to do so no more ; and began to care for him as before.

The worthy layman was so worried at first by her goings-on that he omitted visiting the Master to hear his discourse; but when she had come to herself again, he went. The Master asked why he-had not been to hear his preaching this seven or eight days. The man related what had happened. ‘‘This time,” said the Master, “you refused to listen to her, and to turn out your father ; but in former times you did as she bade; you took him to a cemetery, and dug him a pit. At the time when you were about to kill him I was a seven-yearold, and I by recounting the goodness of parents, held you back from parricide. At that time you listened to me; and by tending your father while he lived became destined for paradise. I admonished you then, and warned you not to forsake him when you should come into another life ; for this cause you have now refused to do as the woman bade you, and your father has not been killed.” Thus saying, at the man’s request, he told a story of the past. Once upon a time, when Brahmadatta was King of Benares, there was in a family of a certain village of Kasi an only son named Vasitthaka. [45] This man supported his parents, and after his mother’s death, he supported his father as has been described in the introduction. But there is this difference.

When the woman said, ‘‘ Look there ! that is your father’s doing! I am constantly begging him not to do this and that, and he only gets angry !” she went on, ‘‘ My lord, your father is fierce and violent, for ever picking quarrels. A decrepit old man like that, tormented with disease, is bound to die soon ; and I can’t live in the same house with him. He will die of himself before many days are out; well, take him to a cemetery, and dig a pit, throw him in and break his head with the spade ; and when he is dead, shovel the earth upon him, and leave him there,” At last, by dint of this dinning in his ears, said he, ‘“ Wife, to kill a man is a serious matter: how can I do it?” “TI will tell you of a way,” quoth

she.—“ Say on, then.”—“ Well, my lord, at break of day, go to the place where your father sleeps; tell him very loud, that all may hear, that a debtor of his is in a certain village, that you went and he would not pay you, and that if he dies the man will never pay at all; and say that you will both drive there together in the morning. Then at the appointed time get up, and put the animals to the cart, and take him in it to the cemetery. When you get there, bury him in a pit, make a noise as if you had been robbed, wound and wash your head, and return.” “Yes, that plan will do,” said Vasitthaka. He agreed to her proposal, and got the cart ready for the journey. Now the man had a son, a lad of seven years, but wise and clever. The lad overheard what his mother said, “My mother,” thought he, “is a wicked woman, and is trying to persuade father to murder his father. I will prevent my father from doing this murder.” He ran quickly, and lay down beside his grandsire. Vasitthaka, at the time suggested by the wife, prepared the cart. ‘Come, father, let us get that debt!” said he, and placed his father in the cart. But the boy got in first of all. [46] Vasitthaka could not prevent him, so he took him to the cemetery with them. Then, placing his father and his son together in a place apart, with the cart, he got down, took spade and basket, and in a spot where he was hidden from them began to dig a square hole. The boy got down, and followed him, and as though ignorant what was afoot, opened a conversation by repeating the first stanza :

“No bulbs are here, no herbs for cooking meet, No catmint, nor no other plant to eat. Then father, why this pit, if need be none, Delve in Death’s acre mid the woods alone?” Then his father answered by repeating the second stanza : “Thy grandsire, son, is very weak and old, Opprest by pain from ailments manifold: Him will I bury in a pit to-day ; In such a life I could not wish him stay.” Hearing this, the boy answered by repeating a half-stanza : “Thou hast done sinfully in wishing this, And for the deed, a cruel deed it is.” With these words, he caught the spade from his father’s hands, and at no great distance began to dig another pit. [47] His father approaching asked why he dug that pit; to whom he made reply by finishing the third stanza : “TI too, when thou art aged, father mine, Will treat my father as thou treatest thine; Following the custom of the family Deep in a pit I too will bury thee.” 30 The Jataka. Book X. To this the father replied by repeating the fourth stanza : “What a harsh saying for a boy to say, And to upbraid a father in this way! To think that my own son should rail at me, And to his truest friend unkind should be !”

When the father had thus spoken, the wise Jad recited three stanzas, one by way of answer, and two as an holy hymn: “T am not harsh, my father, nor unkind, Nay, I regard thee with a friendly mind: But this thou dost, this act of sin, thy son Will have no strength to undo again, once done. “Whoso, Vasittha, hurts with ill intent His mother or his father, innocent, He, when the body is dissolved, shall be In hell for his next life undoubtedly. “Whoso with meat and drink, Vasittha, shall His mother or his father feed withal, [48] He, when the body is dissolved, shall be In heaven for his next life undoubtedly.” The father, after hearing his son thus discourse, repeated the eighth stanza : “Thou art no heartless ingrate, son, I see, But kindly-hearted, O my son, to me; Twas in obedience to thy mother’s word I thought to do this horrid deed abhorred.” Said the lad, when he heard this, “Father, women, when a wrong is done and they are not rebuked, again and again commit sin. You must bend my mother, that she may never again do such a deed as this.” And he repeated the ninth stanza:

“That wife of yours, that ill-conditioned dame, My mother, she that brought me forth—that same, Let us from out our dwelling far expel, Lest she work other woe on thee as well.” Hearing the words of his wise son, well pleased was Vasitthaka, and saying, “Let us go, my son!” he seated himself in the cart with son and father. Now the woman too, this sinner, was happy at heart ; for, thought she, this ill-luck is out of the house now. She plastered the place with wet cowdung, and cooked a mess of rice porridge. But as she sat watching the road by which they would return, she espied them coming. ‘ There he is, back with old ill-luck again!” thought she, much in anger. ‘ Fie, good-for-nothing !” cried she, “what, bring back the ill-luck you took away with you!” Vasitthaka said not a word, but unyoked the cart. Then said he, “ Wretch, what is that you say?” He gave her a sound drubbing, and bundled her head over heels out of doors, bidding her never darken his door again. Then he bathed his father and his son, and took a bath himself, [49] and the three of them ate the rice porridge. The sinful woman dwelt for a few days in another house.

Then the son said to his father: “Father, for all this my mother does not understand. Now let us try to vex her. You give out that in such and such a village lives a niece of yours, who will attend upon your father and your son and you; so you will go and fetch her. Then take flowers and perfumes, and get into your cart, and ride about the country all day, returning in the evening.” And so he did. The women in the neighbour's family told his wife this;—“ Have you heard,” said they, “that your husband has gone to get another wife in such a place?” ‘Ah, then I am undone!” quoth she, ‘“‘and there is no place for me left!” But she would enquire of her son; so quickly she came to him, and fell at his feet, crying—‘“ Save thee I have no other refuge! Henceforward I will tend your father and grandsire as I would tend a beauteous shrine! Give me entrance into this house once more!” ‘Yes, mother,” replied the lad, “if you do no more as you did, I will; be of good cheer!” and at his father’s coming he repeated the tenth stanza:

“That wife of yours, that ill-conditioned dame, My mother, she that brought me forth,—that same,—- Like a tamed elephant, in full control, Let her return again, that sinful soul.” So said he to his father, and then went and summoned his mother. She, being reconciled to her husband and the husband’s father, was thenceforward tamed, and endued with righteousness, and watched over her husband and his father and her son; and these two, stedfastly following their son’s advice, gave alms and did good deeds, and became destined to join the hosts of heaven. [50] The Master, having ended this discourse, declared the Truths: (at the conclusion of the Truths, the dutiful son was established in the fruit of the First Path :) then he identified the Birth :—“ At that time, father and son and daughterin-law were the same as they are now, and the wise boy was I myself.” 32 The Jataka. Book X.

“What custom ts it,” ete—This story the Master told, after his first visit (as Buddha) to Kapilapura, while he lodged in his father’s Banyan Grove, about the King his father’s refusal to believe. At the time, they say that the great King Suddhodana, having given a meal of rice gruel at his own dwelling to the Buddha at the head of twenty thousand Brethren, during the meal talked pleasantly to him, saying, “Sir, at the time of your striving’, came some deities to me, and poised in the air, said, ‘Your son, Prince Siddhattha, has died of starvation.” And the Master replied, “Did you believe it, great King?”—“Sir, I did not believe it! Even when the deities came hovering in the air, and told me this, I refused to believe it, saying that there was no death for my son until he had obtained Buddhahood at the foot of the bo-tree.” Said the Master, “Great King, long ago in the time of the great Dhammapala, even when a world-famed teacher said—‘ Your son is dead, these are his bones,’ you refused to believe, answering, ‘In our family, they never die young’; then why should you believe now?” and at his father’s request, the Master told a tale of long ago.

Once upon a time, when Brahmadatta was King of Benares, there was in the kingdom of Kasi a village named Dhammapala, and it took that name because the family of one Dhammapala dwelt there. From his keeping the Ten Paths of Virtue this brahmin was known where he dwelt as Dhammapala, or the Lawkeeper. In his household, even the servitors gave alms, and observed virtue, and kept the holy day. At that time the Bodhisatta came to life in that household, and to him they gave the name of Dhammapala-Kumara, or Lawkeeper the Younger. So soon as he came of age, his father gave him a thousand pieces, and sent him to study at Takkasila, Thither he went, and studied with a worldfamed teacher, and became the chief pupil in a company of five hundred youths. Just then died the eldest son of the teacher; and the teacher, [51] surrounded by his pupils, in the midst of his kith and kin, weeping did the lad’s obsequies in the cemetery. Then the teacher with his company of kinsfolk, and all his pupils, were weeping and wailing, but Dhammapala only neither wept nor wailed. When afterwards the five hundred youths had returned from the cemetery, they sat down in their teacher’s presence,

* Compare Mahavastu, No. 19. The Dhammapdla in Avaddna Cataka, p. 122, is different. 2 The six years of austerities practised by the Buddha, before he found the peace of Buddhahood. and said, “Ah, so fine a lad, so good, a tender child, to be cut off in his tender age and parted from father and mother!” Dhammapila replied, “Tender indeed, as you say! Well, why did he die at a tender age? "Tis not right that children of tender age should die.” Then they said to him, “ Why, Sir, do you not know that such persons are but mortal ?” —“T know it; but in tender years they die not; people die when they are grown old.”—“Then are not all component things transitory and unreal?” ‘Transitory they are, it is true; but in the days of youth creatures do not die; it is only when they are grown old that they die.” —‘Oh, is that the custom of your family ?”—“ Yes, that is the custom in my family.” The lads told this conversation to their teacher. He sent for Dhammapiala, and asked him, “Is it true, Dhammapala, my son, that in your family they do not die young?” ‘Yes, teacher,” said he, “it is true.”

On hearing this, the teacher thought, “This is a most marvellous thing he says! I will make a journey to his father, and ask him about it; and if it be true, I will live according to his rule of right.” So when he had finished for his son all that should be done, after lapse of seven or eight days he sent for Dhammapala, and said, “ My son, I am going away from home; while I am away, you are to instruct these my pupils.” So saying, [52] he procured the bones of a wild goat, washed them and scented them, and put them in a bag; then taking with him a little page-boy, he left Takkasila, and in course of time arrived at that village. There he enquired his way to Maha-dhammapala’s house, and stopped at the door. The first servant of the brahmin who saw him, whoever it was, took the sunshade from his hand, and took his shoes, and took the bag from the servant. He bade them tell the lad’s father, here was the teacher of his son Dhammapala the Younger, standing at the door. ‘“ Good,” said the servants, and summoned the father to him. Quickly he came to the threshold, and “Come in!” said he, leading the way into his house, Seating the visitor upon a couch, he did a host’s duty by washing his feet, and so forth.

When the teacher had eaten food, and they sat down for a kindly talk together, said he, “‘ Brahmin, your son young Dhammapala, when full of wisdom, and a perfect master of the Three Vedas and the Eighteen Accomplishments, by an unhappy chance has lost his life. All component things are transitory ; grieve not for him!” The brahmin clapt his hands, and laughed loudly. ‘Why do you laugh, brahmin?” asked the other. ‘“‘Because,” said he, ‘it is not my son who is dead; it must be some other.” “No, brahmin,” was the answer, “your son is dead, and no other. Look on his bones, and believe.” So saying, he unwrapt the bones. “ These are your son’s bones,” said he. “A wild goat’s bones, perhaps,” quoth 34 The Jataka. Book X. the other, “or a dog’s; but my son is not dead. In our family for seven generations no such thing has been, as a death in tender years; and you are speaking falsehood.” Then they all clapt their hands, and laughed aloud. The teacher, when he beheld this wonderful thing, was much pleased, and said, “Brahmin, this custom in your family line cannot be without cause, that the young do not die. Why is it then that you do not die young?” And he asked his question by repeating the first stanza:

“What custom is it, or what holy way, Of what good deed is this the fruit, I pray? Tell me, O Brahmin, what the reason is, Why in your line the young die never—say !” [53] Then the brahmin, to explain what virtues had the result that in his family no one died young, repeated the following stanzas : “We walk in uprightness, we speak no lies, All foul and wicked sins we keep afar, We do eschew all things that evil are, Therefore in youth not one among us dies. “We hear the deeds of foolish and of wise; Of what the foolish do no heed we take, The wise we follow, and the fools forsake ; Therefore in youth not one among us dies. “Tn gifts beforehand our contentment lies ;! Even while giving we are well content ; Nor having given, do we then repent : Therefore in youth not one among us dies. “Priests, brahmins, wayfarers we satisfy, Beggars, and mendicants, and all who need, We give them drink, and hungry folk we feed: Therefore the young among us do not die. “Wedded, for others’ wives we do not sigh, But we are faithful to the marriage vow ; And faithful are our wives to us, I trow: Therefore the young among us do not die.

“The children that from these true wives are sprung Are wise abundantly, to learning bred, Versed in the Vedas, and all perfected ; Therefore none dies of us while he is young. “Kach to do right for sake of heaven tries : So lives the father, and so lives the mother, So son and daughter, sister so and brother : Therefore no one of us when youthful dies. “For sake of heaven our servants too apply Their lives to goodness, men and maidens all, [54] Retainers, servitors, each meanest thrall: Therefore the young among us do not die.” 1 This stanza occurs in vol. iii. p. 300 (Pali). And lastly, by these two stanzas he declared the goodness of those who walk in righteousness : “Righteousness saves him that thereto is bent;! Righteousness practised well brings happiness ; Them that do righteously this boon doth bless— The righteous comes not into punishment. [55] “Righteousness saves the righteous, as a shade Saves in the time of rain: the lad still lives. Goodness to Dhammapala safety gives ; Some other’s bones are these you have conveyed.” On hearing this, the teacher replied: ‘“‘A happy journey is this journey of mine, fruitful, not without fruit!” Then full of happiness, he begged pardon of Dhammapala’s father, and added, “I came hither, and brought with me these wild goat’s bones, on purpose to try you. Your son is safe and well. I pray you, impart to me your rule of preserving life.” Then the other wrote it upon a leaf; and after tarrying in that place some few days, he returned to Takkasila, and having instructed Dhammapala in all branches of skill and learning, he dismissed him with a great troop of followers.

When the Master had thus discoursed to the Great King Suddhodana, he declared the Truths, and identified the Birth: (now at the conclusion of the truths the King became established in the fruit of the Third Path :)—“ At that time, mother and father were the Maharaja’s kin, the teacher was Sariputta, the retinue was the Buddha’s retinue, and | myself was the younger Dhammapala.”

“Trust not in those,’ etc. This story the Master told in the Bamboo Grove, on the subject of going about to kill. In the Hall of Truth, the Brethren were discussing the evil nature of Devadatta. “Why, Sir, by suborning archers and others to the task, Devadatta is making an attempt to murder the Dasabala ! [56] The Master, entering, enquired, “ What is this, Brethren, that ye speak of 1 These four lines occur in the Life of Buddha which is prefixt to the Jataka, vol. i. p. 31 (Pali), not in the present translation (Rhys Davids, Buddhist Birth Stories, p. 34). Compare also Dhammapada, p. 126; Theragatha, p. 35. 36 The Jataka. Book X. as ye sit here together?” They told him. Said he, “Tis not now the first time that he has tried to murder me, but it was the same before” ; and he told them a story of the past. ' Once upon a time there reigned in Kosambi' a king named Kosambaka. At that time the Bodhisatta became the offspring of a wild hen that dwelt in a grove of bamboo trees, and afterwards was the chief of a flock of several hundred fowls in the forest. Not far off lived a Falcon, which as he found opportunity caught the fowls one by one and ate them, and in course of time he devoured all the others, and the Bodhisatta was left alone. But he used all caution in seeking his food, and dwelt in a thicket of bamboo. Here the Falcon could not get at him, so he set about thinking by what trick he might entice him to capture.

Then he alighted on a branch hard by, and called out, “Worthy Fowl, what makes you fear me? I am anxious to make friends with you. Now in such a place (naming it) is food in plenty; let us feed there together, and live like friends in company.”—‘‘ No, good Sir,” replied the Bodhisatta, “betwixt you and me no friendship can ever be; so begone!”— “ Good Sir, for my former sins you cannot trust me now; but I promise that I will never do so again!”-—“No, I care not for such a friend; begone, I say!” Again for the third time the Bodhisatta refused : “With a creature of such qualities,” quoth he, “friendship there must never be” ; and he made the wide woods resound, the deities applauding as he uttered this discourse : “Trust not in those whose words are lies, nor those who only know Self-interest, nor who have sinned, nor who too-pious show. “Some men have nature like the kine, thirsty and full of greed: Have words in truth a friend to soothe, but never come to deed. “These hold out dry and empty hands; the voice conceals their heart ; From those who know not gratitude (vain creatures!) keep apart.

[57] “Put not thy trust in woman or in man of fickle mind, Nor such as having made a pact to break it are inclined. “The man who walks in evil ways, to all things threatening death, Unstedfast, put no trust in him, like keenest sword in sheath. “Some speak smooth words that come not from the heart, and try to please With many a show of friendship feigned: put not thy trust in these. “When such an evil-minded man beholds or food or gain, He works all ill, and go he will, but first will be thy bane.” 1 A city on the Ganges, [58] These seven stanzas were repeated by the King of the Fowls. Then were the four stanzas following recited by the King of the Faith, words inspired by a Buddha’s insight : “In friendly show full many a foe follows, his aid to give; _As the Fowl left the Falcon, so ’twere best bad men to leave. “Who is not quick to recognise the meaning of events, Under his foes’ control he goes, and afterward repents. ““Whoso the meaning of events is quick to recognise, As from the Falcon’s toils the Fowl, so from his foes he flies.

“From such inevitable and treacherous snare, Deadly, set deep mid many a forest tree, As from the Falcon far the Fowl did flee, The man of seeing eye afar should fare.” And he again, after reciting these stanzas, called the Falcon, and reproached him, saying, ‘If you continue to live in this place, I shall know what to do.” The Falcon flew away thence and went to another place. [59] The Master, having ended this discourse, said, “ Brethren, long ago as now Devadatta tried to compass my destruction,” and then he identified the Birth: “ At that time, Devadatta was the Falcon, and I was myself the Fowl.”

“Why in the woodland,” etc. This story the Master told while sojourning in Jetavana, about a landowner whose son had died. At Savatthi, we learn that death took a beloved son of a certain landowner who used to wait upon the Buddha. Afflicted with grief for his son, the man washed not and ate not, and neither went about his own business nor waited upon the Buddha, only cried, “Q my beloved son, thou hast left me, and gone before !” As in the morning time the Master was looking abroad upon the world, he perceived that this man was ripe for attaining the Fruit of the First Path. So next day, having led his followers through the city of Savatthi in search of alms, after his meal was done, he sent the Brethren away, and attended by Elder Ananda walked to the place where this man lived. They told the landowner that the Master had come. Then they of his household prepared a seat, and 1 The story is given in Dhammapada, p. 93, where the name is Maddhakundali, 38 The Jataka. Book X. made the Master sit down upon it, and led the landowner into the Master’s presence. Him after greeting, as he sat on one side, the Master addressed in a voice tender with compassion: “Do you mourn; lay Brother, for an only son?” He answered, “Yes, Sir.” Said the Master, “Long, long ago, lay Brother, wise men who went about afflicted with grief for a son’s death, listened to the words of the wise, and clearly discerning that nothing could bring back the lost, yet felt no grief, no not even a little.” So saying, at his request the Master told a story of the past.

Once upon a time, when Brahmadatta was reigning in Benares, the son of a very wealthy brahmin, at the age of fifteen or sixteen years, was smitten by a disease, and dying came to being again in the world of the gods. From the time of his son’s death, the brahmin would go to the cemetery, and make his moan, walking around the heap of ashes; and leaving undone all his duties, he walked about smitten with woe. A son of the gods, as he went about, saw the father, and devised a plan for consoling his misery. He went to the cemetery at the time of his mourning, taking upon himself the semblance of the man’s very son, and adorned with all sorts of ornaments, he stood on one side, holding his head in both hands, [60] and lamenting with a loud voice. The brahmin heard the sound, and looked, and full of the love which he bore his son, stopt before him, saying, ‘‘ My son, dear lad, why do you stand mourning in the midst of this cemetery ?”” Which question he put in the words of the following stanza: “Why in the woodland art thou standing here, Begarlanded, with earrings in each ear,

Fragrant of sandal, holding out thy hands? What sorrow makes thee drop the falling tear ?” And then the youth told his tale by repeating the second stanza: “Made of fine gold, and shining brilliantly My chariot is, wherein I use to lie: For this a pair of wheels I cannot find ; Therefore I grieve so sore that I must die!” The brahmin listened, and repeated the third stanza : “Golden, or set with jewels, any kind, Brazen or silvern, that thou hast in mind, Speak but the word, a chariot shall be made, And I thereto a pair of wheels will find !” Now the Master himself, in his perfect wisdom, having heard the stanza repeated by the young man, repeated the first line of another— “The brahmin youth replied, when he had done” ; while the young man repeats the remainder : [61] “Brothers up yonder are the moon and sun ! By such a pair of wheels as yonder twain My golden car new radiance hath won !” And immediately after ; “Thou art a fool for this that thou hast done, To pray for that which should be craved by none ; Methinks, young sir, thou needs must perish soon, For thou wilt never get or moon or sun !”

“Before our eyes they set and rise, colour and course unfailing : None sees a ghost: then which is now more foolish in his wailing ?” So said the youth ; and the brahmin, comprehending, repeated a stanza: “Of us two mourners, O most sapient youth, I am the greater fool—thou sayest truth, In craving for a spirit from the dead, Like a child crying for the moon, in sooth !” Then the brahmin, consoled by the youth’s words, rendered thanks to him by reciting the remaining stanzas : “Blazing was I, as when a man pours oil upon a fire: Thou didst bring water, and didst quench the pain of my desire. [62] “Grief for my son—a cruel shaft was lodged within my heart ; Thou hast consoled me for my grief, and taken out the dart. “That dart extracted, free from pain, tranquil and calm I keep; Hearing, O youth, thy words of truth no more I grieve, nor weep!.” Then said the youth, “I am that son, brahmin, for whom you weep ; I have been born in the world of gods. Henceforward grieve not for me, but give alms and observe virtue, and keep the holy fast-day.” With this admonition, he departed to his own place. And the brahmin abode by his advice ; and after much almsgiving and other good deeds, he died, and was born in the world of gods.

The Master, having ended this discourse, declared the Truths and identified the Birth : (now at the conclusion of the Truths, the landowner was established in the fruit of the First Path :) “ At that time, I was myself the son of the gods who uttered this admonition.” 1 These stanzas recur in ili. 157 (trans. p. 104), 215 (p. 141), 390 (p. 236), Dhammapada, p. 96. 40 The Jdataka. Book X.

“When food is not,” etc. This story the Master told, while dwelling at Jetavana, about a Brother who was devoted to giving. : This man, we are told, having heard the preaching of the Law, from the time when he embraced the Doctrine was devoted to giving, eager for giving. Never a bowl-full he ate unless he shared it with another; even water he would not drink, unless he gave of it to another: so absorbed was he in giving. Then they began to talk of his good qualities in the Hall of Truth. Entered the Master, and asked what they talked of as they sat there. They told him. Sending for the Brother, he asked him, “Is it true, what I hear, Brother, that you are devoted to giving, eager to give?” He replied, ‘“‘ Yes, Sir.” Said the Master, “ Long ago, Brethren, this man was without faith and unbelieving; not so much as a drop of oil on the end of a blade of grass did he give to any one; then I humbled him, and converted him and made him humble, and taught him the fruit of giving; and this gift-lief heart of his does not leave him even in another life.” So saying, he told a story of the past.

Once upon a time, when Brahmadatta was reigning in Benares, the Bodhisatta was born in a rich man’s family; and coming of age, he acquired a property, and at his father’s death received his father’s station as merchant. One day, as he reviewed his wealth, thought he, “‘ My wealth is here, sure enough, [63] but where are those who gathered it? I must disperse my wealth, and give alms.” So he built an almonry, and while he lived distributed much alms; and when his days were drawing to a close, charging his son not to discontinue the practice of almsgiving, he was born again as Sakka in the Heaven of the Thirty-three, And the son gave alms as his father had given, and with the like charge to his son, was born as Canda, the Moon, among the gods. And his son became Suriya, the Sun, who begat another that became Matali the Charioteer’, and his son was born again as Paficasikha, one of the Gandhabbas, or celestial musicians. But the sixth of the line was without faith, hardhearted, loveless, niggardly ; and he demolished the almonry, burnt it, beat the beggars and sent them about their business; gave no one so much as an oildrop on the end of a blade of grass.

Then Sakka, king of the gods, looked back over his doings in the past, wondering, ‘“ Does my tradition of almsgiving continue or no?” Pondering he perceived this: ‘My son continued the giving, and he is become Canda; and his son is Suriya, and his son is Matali, and his son has 1 Part of this tale occurs in No. 313, vol. iii. 2 ie. of Sakka, or Indra. been born as Paficasikha ; but the sixth in line has broken the tradition.” Then this thought occurred to him; he would go humble that man of sin, and teach him the fruit of giving. So he summoned to him Canda, Suriya, Matali, Paficasikha, and said, “Sirs, the sixth in our line has broken our family tradition; he has burnt the almonry, the beggars he has driven away; he gives nothing to any one. Then let us humble him!” So with them he proceeded to Benares. At that moment the merchant had been to wait upon the king, and having returned, was walking to and fro under the seventh gate-tower’, looking along the road. Sakka said to the others, “Do you wait until [ go in, and then follow one after another.” With these words he went forward, and standing before the rich merchant, said to him, “Ho, Sir! give me to eat!”—“ There is nothing to eat for you here, brahmin; go elsewhere.” —‘“ Ho, great Sir! when brahmins ask for food, [64] it must not be refused them!”—‘ In my house, brahmin, is neither food cooked nor food ready for cooking ; away with you!”—“ Great Sir, I will repeat to you a verse of poetry,—listen.” Said he, “I want none of your poetry ; get you gone, and do not keep standing here.” But Sakka, without attending to his words, recited two stanzas:

‘When food is not within the pot, the good would get, and not deny: And thou art cooking! ’twere not good, if thou wouldst now no food supply. ‘He who remiss and niggard is, ever to give denies; But he who virtue loves, must give, and he whose mind is wise.” When the man had heard this, he answered, “‘ Well, come in and sit down; and you shall have a little.” Sakka entered, repeating these verses, and sat down. Next came Canda up, and asked for food. ‘There’s no food for you,” said the man, ‘(go away!” He replied, ‘‘Great Sir, there is one brahmin seated within; there must be a free meal for a brahmin, I suppose, so I will enter too.” ‘‘There is no free meal for a brahmin!” said the man; “be off with you!” Then Canda said, “Great Sir, please do listen to a verse or two,” and repeated two stanzas: (whenever a terrified niggard gives to none, that very thing that he fears comes to him as he gives not? :)— “When fear of hunger or of thirst makes niggard souls afraid, In this world and the next those fools shall fully be repaid.

“Therefore give alms, flee covetise, purge filth of greed away, In the next world men’s virtuous deeds shall be their surest stay.” [65] Having listened to these words also, the man said, ‘ Well, come in, and you shall have a little.” In he came, and took a seat with Sakka. 1 Cf. Hardy’s Manual, p. 270. 2 This seems to be a gloss. 42 The Jataka. Book X. After waiting a little while, Suriya came up, and asked for food by repeating two stanzas : “Tis hard to do as good men do, to give as they can give, Bad men can hardly imitate the life that good men live. “And so, when good and evil go to pass away from earth, The bad are born in hell below, in heaven the good have birth.” The rich man, not seeing any way out of it, said to him, ‘“‘ Well, come in and sit down with these brahmins, and you shall have a little.” And Matali, after waiting a little while, came up and asked for food; and when he was told there was no food, as soon as the words were spoken, repeated the seventh stanza : “Some give from little, some give not though they have plenteous store :

Who gives from little, if he gave a thousand, twere no more.” [66] To him also the man said, “‘ Well, come in and sit down.” Then after waiting a little while, Paficasikha came up and asked for food. “‘There’s none, go away,” was the reply. Said he, “What a number of places I have visited! There must be a free meal for brahmins here, methinks!” And he began to hold forth to him, repeating the eighth stanza : “Even he who lives on scraps should righteous be, Giving from little store, though sons have he; The hundred thousand which the wealthy give, Are worth not one small gift from such as he.” The rich man pondered, on hearing the speech of Paijicasikha. Then he repeated the ninth stanza, to ask an explanation of the little worth of such gifts : “Why is a rich and generous sacrifice Not equal to a righteous gift in price, How is a thousand, which the wealthy gives, Not worth a poor man’s gift, tho’ small in size?” [67] In reply, Paficasikha recited the concluding stanza; “Some who in evil ways do live Oppress, and slay, then comfort give: Their cruel sour-faced gifts are less Than any given with righteousness. Thus not a thousand from the wealthy can Equal the little gift of such a man.”

Having listened to the admonition of Paficasikha, he replied, “ Well, go indoors and be seated ; you shall have a little.” And he too entered, and sat with the rest. Then the rich merchant Bilarikosiya, beckoning to a maidservant, said to her, ‘Give yonder Brahmins a measure apiece of rice in the husk.” 1 These stanzas occur in ii. p. 86 (p. 59 of the English translation). She brought the rice, and approaching them, bade them bake it, and get it cooked somewhere, and eat. ‘We never touch rice in the husk,” said they.—“Master, they say that they never touch rice in the husk !”— “Well, give them husked rice.” She brought them husked rice, and bade them take it. Said they, “We accept nothing that is uncooked.”— “Master, they accept nothing that is uncooked!”—‘“ Then cook them some cows’ food in a pot, and give them that.” She cooked in a pot a mess of cows’ food, and brought it to them. All the five of them took up each a mouthful, and put it into their mouths, but let it stick in the throat; then rolling their eyes, they became unconscious, and lay as though dead. The serving-maid seeing this thought they must be dead, and much afraid went and told the merchant, saying, ‘Master, those brahmins could not swallow the cows’ food, [68] and they are dead!” Thought he, “Now people will upbraid me, saying, This lewd fellow gave a mess of cows’ food to delicate brahmins, which they could not swallow, and they died !” Then he said to the maid, “Go quickly, take away the food from their bowls, and cook them a mess of all sorts of the finest rice.” She did so.

The merchant fetched in the passers-by from the road within, and when he had gathered a number of them together he said, ‘“‘I gave these brahmins food after my own manner of eating, and they were greedy and made great lumps, and so as they ate, the food stuck in the throat, and they are dead. I call you to witness that I am guiltless.” Before the crowd thus gathered together the brahmins arose, and said, looking upon the multitude, ‘“ Behold the deceitfulness of this merchant! He gave us of his own food, quoth he! A mess of cow’s food is all he gave us at first, and then while we lay as dead, he caused this food to be prepared.” And they cast forth from their mouths the food which they had taken, and showed it. The crowd upbraided the merchant, crying, “Blind fool! you have broken the custom of your family; you have burnt the alms-hall; the beggars you have taken by the throat and cast forth; and now when you were giving food to these delicate brahmins, all you gave was a mess of cows’ food! As you go to the other world, I suppose you will carry the wealth of your house fast about your neck !”

At this moment, Sakka asked the crowd, ‘Do you know whose is the wealth of this house?” “We know not,” they replied. Said he, “You have heard tell of a great merchant of Benares, who lived in this city once upon a time, and built halls of almonry, and in charity gave much?” “Yes,” said they,” “we have heard of him.” “TI am that merchant,” he said, “and by those gifts I am now become Sakka, king of the gods; and my son, who did not break my tradition, has become a god, Canda ; and his son is Suriya, and his son is Matali, and his son is Pajicasikha ; of these, yonder is Canda, and that is Suriya, and this is Matali the charioteer, and this again [69] is Paficasikha, now a heavenly musician, once father of 44 The Jdtaka. Book X. yonder lewd fellow! Thus potent is giving of gifts; therefore wise men ought to do virtuously.” Thus speaking, with a view to dispelling the doubts of the people there assembled, they rose up in the air, and remained poised, by their mighty power surrounding themselves with a great host, their bodies all ablaze, so that the whole city seemed to be on fire. Then Sakka addressed the crowd: “We left our heavenly glory in coming hither, and we came on account of this sinner Bilarikosiya, this last of his race, the devourer of all his race.

In pity for him are we come, because we knew that this sinner had broken the tradition of his family, and burnt the almonry, and haled forth the beggars by the throat, and had violated our custom, and that by ceasing to give alms he would be born again in hell.” Thus did he discourse to the crowd, telling the potency of almsgiving. Bilarikosiya put his hands together in supplication, and made a vow; “My lord, from this time forth I will no more break the family custom, but I will distribute alms; and beginning from this very day, I will never eat, without sharing with another my own supplies, even the water I drink and the tooth-cleaner which I use.”

Sakka having thus humbled him, and made him self-denying, and established him in the Five Virtues, went away to his own place, taking the four gods with him, And the merchant gave alms as long as he lived, and was born in the heaven of the Thirty-Three. The Master, having finished this discourse, said, “Thus, Brethren, this Brother in former times was unbelieving, and never gave jot or tittle to any one, but I humbled him, and taught him the fruit of almsgiving; and that mind leaves him not, even when he enters another life.” Then he identified the Birth: “At that time, the generous Brother was the rich man, Sariputta was Canda, Moggallana was Suriya, Kassapa was Matali, Ananda was Paiicasikha, and I myself was Sakka.”

_ [70] “Fine-coloured art thou,” etc.—This story the Master told while dwelling in Jetavana, about a greedy Brother. This man, it is said, dissatisfied with his mendicant’s garb and so forth, used to march about asking, “ Where is there a meal for the Order ? where is there an invitation?” and when he heard mention 1 Cf. No. 434, vol. iii. of meat, he showed great delight. Then some well-meaning Brethren, from kindness towards him, told the Master about it. The Master summoning him, asked, “Is it true, Brother, as I hear, that you are greedy?” “Yes, my lord, it is true,” said he. “Brother,” said the Master, “why are you greedy, after embracing a faith like ours, that leads to salvation? The state of greed is sinful ; long ago, by reason of greed, you were not satisfied with the dead bodies of elephants and other offal in Benares, and went away into the mighty forest.” So saying, he told a story of the past. Once upon a time, when Brahmadatta was king of Benares, a greedy Crow was not content with the corpses of elephants in Benares, and all the other offal. ‘Now I wonder,” thought he, “ what the forests may be like?” So to the forest he went ; but neither was he satisfied with the wild fruits that he found there, and proceeded to the Ganges. As he passed along the bank of the Ganges, spying a pair of Ruddy Geese}, he thought, “Yonder birds are very beautiful ; I suppose they find plenty of meat to eat on this Ganges bank. I will question them, and if I too can eat their food doubtless I shall have a fine colour like them.” So perching not far from the pair, he put his question to the Ruddy Goose by reciting two stanzas :

“¥ine-coloured art thou, fair of form, all plump in body, red of hue, O Goose! I swear thou art most fair, thy face and senses clear and true ! “ A-sitting on the Ganges’ bank thou feedest on the pike and bream, Roach, carp, and all the other fish that swim along the Ganges’ stream?!” The Red Goose contradicted him by reciting the third stanza : [71] “No bodies from the tide I eat, nor lying in the wood : All kinds of weed—on them I feed ; that, friend, is all my food.” Then the Crow recited two stanzas : “T cannot credit what the Goose avers about his meat. Things in the village soused with salt and oil are what I eat, “ A mess of rice, all clean and nice, which a man makes and pours Upon his meat; but yet, my colour, Goose, is not like yours,” Thereupon the Ruddy Goose recited to him the remaining stanzas showing forth the reason of his ugly colour, and declaring righteousness : “Beholding sin your heart within, destroying humankind, In fear and fright your food you cat; therefore this hue you find. “Crow, you have erred in all the world by sins of former lives, You have no pleasure in your food ; tis this your colour gives.

“But, friend, I eat and do no hurt, not anxious, at my ease, Having no trouble, fearing nought from any enemies. 1 ecakkavako, Anas Casarca. 2 The fish named are: pavusa, valaja, munja, rohita (Cyprinus Rohita), and pathina (Silurus Boalis). 46 The Jataka. Book X. “Thus you should do, and mighty grow, renounce your evil ways, Walk in the world and do no hurt; then all will love and praise. “Who to all creatures kindly is, nor wounds nor makes to wound, Who harries not, none harry him, gainst him no hate is found.” [72] ‘Therefore if you wish t6 be beloved by the world, abstain from all evil passions ;” so said the Ruddy Goose, declaring righteousness. The Crow replied, “Don’t prate to me of your manner of feeding!” and crying “Caw! Caw!” flew away through the air to the dunghill of Benares. When the Master had ended this discourse, he declared the Truths: (now at the conclusion of the Truths, the greedy Brother was established in the fruit of the Third Path): “At that time, the greedy Brother was the Crow, Rahula’s mother was the mate of the Ruddy Goose, and I was the Ruddy Goose myself.”

“Ts't true, indeed,” ete.—This Bhiri-patha Birth will appear in the Ummagga Birth},

“Declare the truth,” etc. This story the Master told while dwelling in Jetavana, about the Maha-mangala Scripture, or the Treatise on Omens. At the city of Rajagaha for some cause or another a great company had gathered in the royal resting-house, and among these was a man who got up, and went out, with the words, “This is a day of good omen.” Some one else heard it, and said, “Yon fellow has gone out talking of ‘omens’; what does he mean by omen?” Said a third, “The sight of anything with a lucky look is a good omen ; suppose a man 1 No. 546. 2 See the Sutta-nipata, ii. 4. rise betimes and see a perfectly white bull, or a woman with child, or a red fish!, or a jar filled to the brim, or new-melted ghee of cow’s-milk, or a new unwashen garment, or rice porridge, there is no omen better than these.” Some of the bystanders commended this explanation; “Well put,” said they. But another [73] broke in, “No, there’s no omen in those; what you hear is the omen. A man hears people saying ‘Full,’ then he hears ‘Full-grown’ or ‘Growing, or he hears them say ‘Eat’ or ‘Chew’: there’s no omen better than these.” Some bystanders said, “Well put,” and commended this explanation. Another said, “There’s no omen in all that; what you touch? is the omen. If a man gets up early, and touches the earth, or touches green grass, fresh cowdung, a clean robe, a red fish, gold or silver, food, there’s no better omen than these.” And here too some of the bystanders approved, and said it was well put.

And then the partisans of omens of sight, omens of sound, omens of touch formed into three groups, and were unable to convince one another. From the deities of the earth to Brahma’s heaven none could say exactly what an omen was. Sakka thought, “Among gods and men no one but the Blessed One is able to solve this question of the omens. To the Blessed One I will go, and put the question to him.” So at night he paid a visit to the Blessed One, and greeted him, and placing his hands together in supplication, he put the question beginning, “Many gods and men there be.” Then the Master in twelve stanzas told him the eight-and-thirty great omens. And as he repeated the omen-scriptures one after another, gods to the number of ten thousand millions attained to sainthood, and of those who entered the other three Paths there is no counting. When Sakka had heard the omens he returned to his own place. When the Master had told the omens, the world of men and the world of gods approved, and said, “Well put.”