The Jātaka, vol. V (nos. 511-537)

[353] The Master, to make the matter clear, said: Thus to the lord of mortals spake the Dhatarattha king, Then sought these geese their kith and kin with utmost speed of wing. Seeing their chiefs all safe and sound returned from haunts of men, The winged flock with noisy cries welcomed them back again. Thus circling round their lord in whom they trust, these ruddy geese Paid all due honour to their king, rejoiced at his release. While thus escorting their king these geese asked him, saying, ‘How, sire, did you escape?” The Great Being told them of his escape by the help of Sumukha, and of the action of the Sakula king and the fowler. On hearing this the flock of geese in their joy sang their praises, saying, “Long live Sumukha, captain of our host, and the Sakula king and the fowler. May they be happy and free from sorrow.” 1 akatatta, Skt akritatman, cf. vi. 296. 1, 2 uttamasattava, ‘best of beings,’ sattava=satta, 1.e. sattva. 3 sangahavatthu, see p. 174. 186 The Jataka. Book XXII. The Master, to make the matter clear, repeated a final stanza: Thus all whose hearts are full of love succeed in what they do, Fen as these geese back to their friends once more in safety flew. [354] The Master here ended his story, saying, “ Brethren, not now only, but of old also, Ananda for my sake renounced his life,” and he identified the Birth :

“ At that time Channa was the fowler, Sariputta the king, Ananda Sumukha, the followers of Buddha the ninety thousand geese, and I myself was the gooseking.”

“There go the birds,” ete. This story the Master, while residing in the Bamboo Grove, told concerning the elder Ananda’s renunciation of life. The introductory story is exactly like one already given, but on this occasion the Master in telling a story of the past related the following tale. Once upon a time at Benares a king named Samyama had a chief consort named Khema, At that time the Bodhisatta with a following of ninety thousand geese dwelt on mount Cittakita. Now one day at daybreak queen Khema saw a vision. Some gold-coloured geese came and perching upon the royal throne with a sweet voice preached the Law. While the queen was listening and applauding and had not yet had her fill of the exposition of the Law, it became broad daylight, and the geese finished their discourse and departed by the open window. The queen, rising in haste, cried, “Catch them, catch the geese, before they escape,” and in the act of stretching forth her hand she awoke. Hearing her words her handmaids said, ‘‘ Where are the geese?” and softly laughed. At this moment the queen knew that it was a dream, and thought, “I do not see the thing that is not: surely there must be golden geese in this world, but if I should say to the king, ‘I am anxious to hear the preaching of the Law by golden geese,’ he will say, ‘We have never yet seen any golden geese ; there is no such thing as preaching by geese,’ and he will take no pains in the matter: but if I say, ‘It is a pregnant longing on my part,’ he will search for them m every possible way and so will the desire of my

1 For other versions of this. story see note on Cullahamsa-Jataka, p. 175 of this volume. heart be fulfilled.” So pretending to be sick [355] she gave instructions to her servants and lay down. The king, when he had taken his seat upon his throne, not seeing her at the usual time of her appearance, inquired where queen Khema was, and, hearing she was sick, he went to her and sitting on one side of the bed he chafed her back and inquired if she were il]. “My lord,” she said, “I am not ill but the longings of a pregnant woman have come upon me.” ‘Say, lady, what you would have, and I will soon fetch it you.” ‘Sire, I long to listen to the preaching of the Law by a golden goose, while it sits upon the royal throne, with a white umbrella spread over it, and to pay homage to it with scented wreaths and such like marks of honour, and to express my approval of it. Tf I should attain to this, it is well; otherwise there is no life in me.” Then the king comforted her and said, “If there is such a thing in the world of men, you shall have it: do not vex yourself.” And going forth from the queen’s chamber he took counsel with his ministers, saying, “ Mark you, queen Khema says, ‘If I can hear a golden goose preach the Law, I shall live, but otherwise I shall die’;

pray, are there any golden geese?” ‘‘Sire,” they answered, “we have never either seen or heard of them.” ‘‘ Who would know about it?” “The brahmins, sire.” The king summoned the brahmins and asked them, saying, ‘‘ Are there such things as golden geese who teach the Law'?’’ “Yes, sire, it has come down by tradition to us that fish, crabs, tortoises, deer, peacocks, geese, all these are found of a golden colour. Amongst them, they say, the family of Dhatarattha geese are wise and learned. Including men there are seven creatures that are gold-coloured.” The king was greatly pleased and asked, ‘‘ Where dwell these scholarly ruddy geese?” ‘We do not know, sire.” ‘Then who will know?” And when they answered, “The tribe of fowlers,”’ he gathered together all the fowlers in his dominion and asked them, saying, ‘‘ My friends, where dwell gold-coloured geese of the Dhatarattha family?” Then a certain fowler said, ‘People tell us, sire, by tradition from one generation to another, that they dwell in the Himalayas, on mount Cittakita.” “Do you know how to catch them?” ‘TI do not know, sire.” He summoned his wise brahmins [356] and after telling them that there were golden geese on Cittakita, he asked if they knew any way to catch them. They said, ‘Sire, what need for us to go and catch them? By a stratagem we will bring them down close to the city and catch them.” ‘ What is this stratagem?” “On the north of the city, sire, you are to have a lake dug, three leagues in extent, a safe and peaceful spot, and filling it with water, plant all manner of grain and cover the lake with the five kinds of lotus. Then hand it over to the care of a skilful fowler and suffer no one to approach it, and by means of men stationed at the four corners have it proclaimed as a sanctuary lake,

1 One reading gives Acariyd, ‘‘ My masters, are there any golden geese?” 188 The Jdtaka. Book XX1. and on hearing this all manner of birds will alight there. And these geese, hearing one from another how safe this lake is, will visit it and then you can have them caught, trapping them with hair nooses.” The king, on hearing this, had a lake such as they described formed in the place they mentioned, and summoning a skilled fowler he presented him with a thousand pieces of money and said, ‘‘ Henceforth give up your occupation : I will support your wife and family. Carefully guarding this peaceful lake and driving everyone away from it, have it proclaimed at the four corners as a sanctuary, and say that all the birds that come and go are mine, and when the golden geese arrive you shall receive great honour.” With these words of encouragement the king put him in charge of the sanctuary lake. From that day the fowler acted just as the king bade him and watched over the place, and as one that kept the lake in peace he came to be known as the fowler Khema (Peace). Thenceforth all manner of birds alighted there, and from its being proclaimed from one to another that the lake was peaceful and secure, different kinds of geese arrived. First of all came the grass-geese, then owing to their report came the yellow geese, followed in like manner by the scarlet geese, the white geese and the paka geese.

On their arrival Khemaka thus reported to the king: ‘“ Five kinds of geese, sire, have come, and they are continually feeding in the lake. Now that the paka geese have arrived, in a few days the golden geese will be coming: [357] cease to be anxious, sire.” The king on hearing this made proclamation in the city by beat of drum that no one was to go there, and whosoever should do so should suffer mutilation of hands and feet and spoliation of his household goods ; and from that time no one went there. Now the paka geese dwell not far from Cittakiita in Golden Cave. They are very powerful birds and as with the Dhatarattha family of geese the colour of their body is distinctive, but the daughter of the king of the paka geese is gold-coloured. So her father, thinking she was a fitting match for the Dhatarattha king, sent her to be his wife. She was dear and precious in her lord’s eyes, and owing to this the two families of geese became very friendly. Now one day the geese that were in attendance on the Bodhisatta inquired of the paka geese, “ Where are you getting your food just now?” ‘We are feeding near Benares, on a safe piece of water; but where are you roaming?” “To such and such a place,” they answered. ‘“ Why do you not come to our sanctuary? It is a charming lake, teeming with all manner of birds, covered over with five kinds of lotus, and abounding with various grains and fruits, and buzzing with swarms of many different bees. At its four corners is a man to proclaim perpetual immunity from danger. No one is allowed to come near: much less to injure another.” After this manner did they sing the praises of the peaceful lake. On hearing what the paka geese said, they told Sumukha, saying, “They tell us, near

No: 538A. . 189 Benares is a peaceful lake of such and such a kind: thither the paka geese go and feed. Do you tell the Dhatarattha king, and, if he allows us, we too will go and feed there.” Sumukha told the king, who thought, ‘“‘Men, verily, are full of wiles and skilled in expedients: there must be some reason for this. All this long time past there was no such lake: it must have been made now to catch us.” And he said to Sumukha, “ Let not this going there meet with your approval. This lake was not constructed by them in good faith ; it was made to catch us. Men surely are cruelly minded and versed in expedients: keep still in your own feeding grounds.” [358] The golden geese a second time told Sumukha they were anxious to visit the Lake of Peace and he reported their wishes to the king. The Great Being thought, “My kinsfolk must not be vexed by reason of me: we will go there.” So accompanied by ninety thousand geese he went and browsed there, disporting himself after the manner of geese and then returned to Cittakita. Khemaka, after they had fed and taken their departure, went and reported their arrival to the king of Benares. The king was highly pleased and said, ‘‘ Friend Khemaka, try and catch one or two geese and I will confer great honour on you.” With these words he paid his expenses and sent him away.

Returning there the fowler seated himself in a skeleton pot and watched the movements of the geese. Bodhisattas verily are free from all greed. Therefore the Great Being, starting from the spot where he alighted, went on eating the paddy in due order. All the others wandered about, eating here and there. So the fowler thought, ‘This goose is free from greed: this is the one I must catch.” The next day before the geese had alighted on the lake, he went to the place hard by and concealing himself in the framework of his pot he remained there sitting in it and looking through a chink in the frame. At that moment the Great Being escorted by ninety thousand geese came down on the same spot where he had alighted the day before, and sitting down at the limit of yesterday’s feeding ground he went on browsing. The fowler, looking through a chink in his cage and marking the extraordinary beauty of the bird, thought, ‘‘This goose is as big as a waggon, gold-coloured and with its neck encircled with three stripes of red. Three lines running down the throat pass along the middle of the belly, while other three stripes run down and mark off the back, and its body shines like a mass of gold poised on a string made of the thread of red wool, This must be their king, and this is the one I will seize.” And the goose-king, after feeding over a wide field, disported himself in the water and then surrounded by his flock returned to Cittakita, For six days he fed after this manner. On the seventh day Khemaka twisted a big stout cord of black horse-hair and fixed a noose upon a stick, and, knowing for certain the goose-king would alight to-morrow on the same spot, [359] he set the stick on which the snare was mounted in the water.

190 The Jataka. Book X XI. The next day the goose-king coming down stuck its foot, as it alighted, into the snare, which grasping the bird’s foot as it were with a band of iron held it fast in its grip. The bird, thinking to sever the snare, dragged at it and struck it with all its force. First its gold-coloured skin was bruised, next its flesh of the colour of red wool was cut, then the sinew was severed and last of all its foot’ would have been broken, but thinking a maimed body was unbefitting a king, it ceased to struggle. As severe pains set in, it thought, “If I should utter a cry of capture, my kinsfolk would be alarmed and without feeding properly they would fly away, and being half-starved they would drop into the water.” So putting up with the pain it remained in the power of the snare, pretending to be feeding on the paddy, but when the flock had eaten their fill, and were now disporting themselves after the manner of geese, it uttered a loud cry of capture. The geese on hearing it flew away, just as previously described. Sumukha, too, considering the matter, just as related before, searched about and not finding the Great Being in the three main divisions of the geese, thought, “Verily this must be something terrible that has come upon the king,”

and he turned back, saying, ‘“‘ Fear not, sire, I will release you at the sacrifice of my own life,” and sitting down on the mud he comforted the Great Being. The Great Being thought, ‘The ninety thousand geese have forsaken me and fled and this one alone has returned. I wonder, when the fowler comes up, whether or not Sumukha too will forsake me and flee.” And by way of testing him, stained with blood as he was, and resting against the stick fastened to the snare, he repeated three stanzas : There go the birds, the ruddy geese, all overcome with fear, O golden-yellow Sumukha, depart! What wouldst thou here ? My kith and kin deserted me, away they all have flown ; Without a thought they fly away. Why art thou left alone? Fly, noble bird, with prisoners what fellowship can be ? Sumukha, fly! nor lose the chance*, while thou mayst yet be free. [360] On hearing this, Sumukha thought, “ This goose-king is ignorant of my real nature ; he fancies I am a friend that speaks words of flattery. T will show him how loving I am,” and he repeated four stanzas : No, I'll not leave thee, royal goose, when trouble draweth nigh, But stay I will, and by thy side will either live or die.

I will not leave thee, royal bird, when trouble draweth nigh, Nor join in such ignoble act with others, no, not I. I’m one in heart and soul with thee, playmate and friend of old, Of all thy host, O noble king, famed as the leader bold. Taking the v. 1. pado chijjeyya. The plural pada in the text must be wrong, as the royal goose had only one foot snared. 2 ma anighaya hdpesi, ef. Jat. 1v. 424, 21. hdapeti is here constructed with a dative instead of the more usual accusative. INO: 2584. we > 191 Returning to thy kith and kin what could I have to say, If I shall leave thee to thy fate and heedless fly away? Nay, I would rather die than live, so base a part to play. ~ When Sumukha had thus in four stanzas uttered as it were a lion’s note, the Great Being, making known his merits, said: Thy nature ’tis, O Sumukha, abiding in the Right, Ne’er to forsake thy lord and friend or safety seek in flight. [861] Looking on thee no thought of fear arises in my mind, Fen in this sorry plight some way to save me thou wilt find.

While they were thus conversing, the fowler standing on the edge of the lake saw the geese flying off in three divisions and wondering what this could possibly mean he looked at the spot where he had set the snare and beheld the Bodhisatta leaning on the stick to which the noose was fastened. Overjoyed he girt up his loins and taking a club he hastily drew nigh and stood before the birds, like the fire at the beginning of a cycle, with head towering above them and his heel planted in the mud. The Master, to make the matter clear, said: As thus these noble birds exchanged high thoughts, to them, behold! All in hot haste, with staff in hand drew nigh this fowler bold. Seeing him trusty Sumukha stood up before the king, His anxious lord in his distress stoutly encouraging! Fear not, O noble bird, for fears become not one like thee, An effort I will duly make with justice as my plea, And soon by my heroic act once more thou shalt be free. Thus did Sumukha comfort the Great Being, and going up to the fowler and speaking with a sweet human voice he asked, “ What is thy name, friend?” [362] Then he answered, ‘“O king of the gold-coloured geese, I am called Khemaka.” Sumukha said, “ Do not imagine, friend, a mere ordinary” goose has been caught in the horse-hair noose you set.

The chief of ninety thousand geese, the Dhatarattha king, is caught in your snare. Wise is he and virtuous and he is ranged on the side of conciliation ®. He ought not to be put to death. I will do whatever he was to have done for you. I too am gold-coloured and for his sake will lay down my life. If you are anxious to take his feathers, take mine; or, if you would have anything else of his, skin, flesh, sinew or bone, take it from my body. Again, supposing you wish to make a tame bird of him, make a tame bird of me, selling me while still alive, or if you would make money, make it

1 aparibrihayi. For the form of the word ef. Whitney’s Skt Grammar § 1087, for the meaning cf. Jat. 11. 31. 14 and 191. 5. 2 For this use of yo vd so va cf. Jat, 1v. 38. 9, v. 313, 23, vi. 31, 25, 8 sangahaka, Jat. 111. 262. 21, rv. 110. 20, is explained as ‘conciliating by means of the four kingly virtues called the sangahavatthus.’ 192 The Jataka. Book XX. by selling me: do not slay him, endowed as he is with wisdom and such like virtues. If you shall kill him, you will never escape from hell and similar states of suffering.” After thus terrifying the fowler with the fear of hell and making him give ear to his sweet discourse, Sumukha once more drew near and took his stand by the Bodhisatta, comforting him. The fowler, hearing his words, thought, ‘‘ Being a mere bird, as he is, he can do what for men is impossible. For they cannot remain constant in friendship. Oh! what a wise, eloquent, and holy creature is this!” His whole body thrilling with joy and ecstasy, and his hair standing erect with wonder, he dropped his stick and raising his joined hands to his forehead, like one avorshipping the sun, he stood proclaiming the virtues of Sumukha.

The Master, to make the matter clear, said: The fowler hearing what the bird so eloquently said, With hair erect and folded hands his homage duly paid. Ne’er was it heard or seen before that, using human speech, To man in his own tongue a goose sublimest truth should preach. 1What is this bird to thee, that when the rest are fled and gone, Though free, beside the captive bird thou here art left alone? [363] Sumukha, on being asked this question by the evil-minded fowler, thought, ‘He is relenting: to soften his heart still more I will now show him my quality,” and he said: He is my king, O foe to birds, his captain chief am I; I cannot leave him to his fate, while I to safety fly. Let not this lord of mighty hosts here perish all alone; Near him my happiness I find: him as my lord I own. On hearing this sweet discourse of his treating of duty, the fowler, overjoyed and with hair erect in wonder, thought, “If I should kill this royal goose endowed with virtue and the like good qualities, I shall never escape from the four states of suffering: let the king of Benares do what he will with me; I shall make over this captive as a free gift to Sumukha and let him go,” and he spake this stanza :

Noble art thou, to honour one through whom thou still dost live; Fly where ye list: to thy good lord his freedom now I give. [364] So saying, the fowler with kindly purpose drew nigh to the Great Being and bending the stick he laid the bird on the mud, and pulling up the stick he set it free from the noose. Then he drew forth the bird from the lake and laying him on some young kufa grass he gently loosed the snare that bound his foot. Conceiving a strong affection for the 1 This line occurs in the previous story, p. 180. Great Being, with kindly thought he took some water and washed off the blood, repeatedly wiping it. Then by the power of his charity nerve was united to nerve, flesh to flesh, and skin to skin, and the foot became just as before, not to be distinguished from the other one, and the Bodhisatta Sat rejoicing.in his original state. Sumukha, seeing how happy the king was all owing to his action, was highly delighted and thought, “This man has rendered us a great service, but we have done nothing for him. If he caught us for the king’s ministers of state and took us to them, he would receive a large sum of money, and if he caught us for himself, he could sell us and still make great gain: I will question him somewhat.” So in his desire to render him a service he put this question and said :

If thou for thine own purposes didst set for us this snare, Our freedom we accept from thee without a thought or care. But otherwise, O fowler bold, in letting us go free, Without the king’s permission, sure, ’twere nought but robbery. The fowler on hearing this said, “I did not catch you for myself, I was employed by Sathyama, king of Benares,” and he then told them the whole story, beginning from the time of the queen’s seeing a vision down to the time when the king heard of the arrival of the geese, and said, “Friend Khemaka, try and catch one or two geese, and I will confer great honour on you,” and despatched him with a provision for his journey. On hearing this Sumukha thought, “This fowler, taking no account of his own livelihood, [365] in setting us free has wrought a difficult thing. But if we shall return hence to Cittakiita, neither the supernatural wisdom of the Dhatarattha king nor my act of friendship will be revealed, the fowler will not receive great honour, the king will not be established in the five moral laws, nor will the queen’s desire be fulfilled.” And he answered, “Friend, it being so, you cannot let us go: present us to the king and he shall deal with us according to his pleasure.”

To make this clear, he spoke this stanza : Thou art the servant of the king; his wishes then fulfil; King Sarnyama! shall deal with us according to his will. On hearing this the fowler said, “O sirs, let it not be your pleasure to see the king. Kings verily are dangerous beings. They will either make tame geese of you or put you to death.” Then Sumukha said, ‘‘ Friend fowler, do not trouble yourself about us. By my preaching of the Law I made a cruel fellow like you soft-hearted. Why should I not do the same in the case of the king? Kings are wise and understand goodly words : quick and take us to the king. And in taking us do not carry us as captives, but put us in a cage of flowers and take us thus. For the 1 Reading Samyama no. 194 The Jataka. Book XXII. Dhatarattha king make a big cage shaded with white lotus, and for me a small cage covered with red lotus, and put him in front and me behind, somewhat lower, and take us with all speed and present us to the king.” The fowler, hearing the words of Sumukha; thought, “Sumukha, in seeing the king, must be desirous of conferring great honour on me,” and being highly delighted he fashioned cages of soft osiers and covering them with lotuses set out with the birds in the way already described.

To make the matter clear, the Master said: The fowler grasping them-with both his hands, as he was told, Placed in their cage these ruddy geese with skin of yellow gold. [366] The goose-king now and Sumukha with plumage bright to see, Safe in their cage the fowler took and off with them marched he. As soon as the fowler had set off with them the Dhatarattha goose called to mind his wife, the daughter of the paka goose-king, and addressing Sumukha under the influence of his passion he thus lamented. To make the matter clear, the Master said : The king on being carried off to Sumukha thus spake ; ‘My fair and gracious! spouse, methinks, now grieving for my sake, If she should hear that I am dead, her life, I fear, might take. Like heron mourning for its mate by lonely ocean’s shore, Suhema—bright as gold her skin—her lord will still deplore®.’ On hearing this Sumukha thought, “This goose, though ready to admonish others, all for a female’s sake, under the sway of passion babbles just as when water is heated*, or as when (birds) rise up from a bank and devour a field of grain. What if I were by my own wisdom to make clear to him the vices of the female sex and to bring him to his senses?” and he said:

That one so great and peerless thought, a leader of his kind, Should grieve for bird of female sex shows little strength of mind, As wind will carry any scent, be it or bad or good, Or greedy child, as if ’twere blind, eats raw or well-cooked food, ! Literally ‘‘ with auspicious marks upon the thigh.” 2 rucchiti for rodissati, cf. Jat. v1. 80. 15. 8 Foolish talk is here compared to the sound of boiling water or perhaps to the _ crackling of thorns beneath the pot, and also to the noise of birds swooping down upon a field of grain. [367] Without true judgment in affairs, poor fool, thou canst not see, What to avoid or what to do in each emergency. Half mad thou speakst of womankind as blest with every grace, Yet most as common are to men as toper’s drinking place. ‘Sorrow, disease, calamity, like harshest chains to bind, Mirage, and fraud, the snare of death deep-seated in the mind— Such women are: who trusts in them is vilest of his kind. [368] Then the Dhatarattha goose, in his infatuation for the female sex, said, “You know not the virtues of womankind, but the sages know: they are not deserving of censure.” And by way of explanation he said :

Truth that sages ascertained, who is there that dares to blame? Women in this world are born, destined to great power and fame. They for dalliance are formed, joys of love for them ordained, _Seeds within them germinate, source from whence all life’s sustained, They from whom man draws his breath scarce by man may be disdained. Art thou, Sumukha, alone versed in ways of womankind ? Didst thou only, moved by fear, this belated wisdom find ? Meeting danger every man bears up bravely ’midst alarm, In a crisis sages all strive to shelter us from harm. Princes then to counsel them fain would have a hero brave, ’Gainst the shock of adverse fate, apt to counsel, strong to save. Let not royal cooks, I pray, roast our mangled limbs to-day, As its fruit the bamboo kills, us too golden plumes might slay. Free thou wouldst not fly from me, captive of thy own free will, Cease from words in danger’s hour, up, a manly part fulfil. [369] The Great Being by singing the praises of womankind reduced Sumukha to silence’, but on seeing how distressed he was, he now, to conciliate him, repeated this stanza : An effort make such as is due, with justice as thy plea, And by heroic act, dear friend, restore my life to me.

[370] Then Sumukha thought, “He is greatly terrified by fear of death ; he does not know my powers. After seeing the king of Benares and having a little talk with him, I shall know what to do: meanwhile I will comfort my king,” and he spoke this stanza : Fear not, O noble bird, for fears become not one like thee, An effort I will duly make, with justice as my plea, And soon by my heroic act thou shalt once more be free. While they were thus conversing in the language of birds, the fowler did not understand a single word they said, but carrying them on his pole he entered Benares, followed by a multitude of people, who, filled with 1 These lines occur in Jat. 11. p. 228, English version. 2 For appatibhana in the sense of ‘not ready with a reply’ cf. Jat. rv. 304. 16, vi. 246, la. 13—2 196 The Jataka. Book XXII. wonder and amazement, stretched forth their hands in suppliant attitude. On reaching the door of the palace, the fowler had his arrival made known to the king. . The Master, to make the matter clear, said : The fowler with his burden to the palace gate drew near; ‘Announce me to the king,’ he cried, ‘the “ruddy goose is here.’

The doorkeeper went and announced his arrival. The king was highly delighted and said, ‘‘Let him-come hither at once,” and attended by a crowd of courtiers and seated upon the throne with a white umbrella held over him he saw Khemaka_ascend to the dais with his burden, and looking at the gold-coloured geese, he said, ‘“‘ My heart’s desire is fulfilled,” and he gave an order to his courtiers that all due service should be rendered to the fowler. To make the matter clear, the Master said: Seeing these birds with holy looks and marks auspicious blest, King Samyama with words like these his councillors addressed : ‘Give to the fowler meat and drink, soft food, apparel brave, And store of ruddy gold as much as heart of man can crave.’ [371] Being highly elated with joy, he in this way showed his pleasure and said, ‘‘Go and array the fowler and bring him back to me.” So the courtiers, taking him down from the palace, had his hair and beard trimmed, and when he had taken a bath and had been anointed and was sumptuously arrayed they brought him into the presence of the king. Then the king conferred on him twelve hamlets, yielding annually a hundred thousand pieces of money, a chariot yoked with thoroughbreds, a large well-equipped house and very great honour. On receiving so great honour, the fowler, to explain what he had done, said, “This, sire, is no ordinary goose that I have brought you; this is the king of ninety thousand geese, Dhatarattha by name, and this is the chief captain, Sumukha.” Then the king asked, “ How, friend, did you catch them?”

The Master, to make the matter clear, said: Seeing the fowler highly pleased, the king of Kasi said, S be, Khemaka, on yonder lake geese in their thousands fed, Amidst the throng of kindred fowl, pray, how didst thou contrive To single out this lovely bird and ‘capture him alive 2?’ The fowler answering him said : Through seven long days with anxious care in vain I marked the spot, Searching for that fair goose’s track, concealed within a pot?. To-day I found the feeding-ground to which the goose repaired, And there straightway I set a trap and lo! he soon was snared. [372] On hearing this the king thought, “This fellow standing at the door and telling his story spoke only of the arrival of the Dhatarattha king and now too he speaks of this one only. What can he the meaning of this?” and he spoke this stanza: Fowler, thou speakst of only one, yet here two birds I see; Tis some mistake, why wouldst thou bring this second bird to me? Then the fowler said, “There was no change of purpose on my part, nor am I anxious to present the second goose to some one else: moreover only one was caught in the snare I set,” and in explanation he said : The goose with lines like ruddy gold all running down his breast, Caught in my snare I hither bring, O king, at thy behest.

This splendid bird himself still free sat by the captive’s side, The while with kindly human speech his friend to cheer he tried. And he then after this manner proclaimed the virtues of Sumukha. “As soon as he knew that the Dhatarattha goose was caught, he stayed and consoled his friend and on my approach he came to meet me and remained poised in the air, conversing pleasantly with me in human language and telling of the virtues of the Dhatarattha, and after thus softening my heart [373] he once more took his stand in front of his friend. Then I, sire, on hearing the eloquence of Sumukha was converted and let the Dhatarattha loose. Thus was the release of Dhatarattha from the snare and my coming here with these geese all owing to Sumukha.” On being told this the king was anxious to hear a sermon from Sumukha, and while the fowler was still paying honour to him, the sun set, lamps were lighted, and a crowd of warrior chiefs and others gathered together and queen Khema with an escort of divers bands of dancers took her seat on the right of the king, and at this moment the king, desiring to persuade Sumukha to speak, uttered this stanza : Why, Sumukha, dost hold thy tongue? Is it from awe, I pray, That in my royal presence thou hast not a word to say? Hearing this, Sumukha, to show he was not afraid, said :

I fear not, Kasi lord, to speak amidst thy royal train, Nor, should occasion fit arrive, would J from words refrain. 1 The text here is unsatisfactory, giving dddndni, while the commentator’s gloss gives ‘feeding-ground,’ as if it were adandni, so adanesanam perhaps should be adanesanam, cf. Jat. Iv, 223.4, ghasesanam care. 2 Taking the v.1l. ghatassito, 198 The Jataka. Book XXJ. Hearing this, the king, desirous to make him speak at greater length, reviling him, said: No archers clad in mail, no helm}, no leather shield I see, No escort bold of horse or foot, no cars, no infantry. I see no yellow gold, no town with goodly buildings crowned, No watch tower made impregnable with moat encircling round, Entrenched wherein by Sumukha will nought to fear be found. [374] When the king had in this wise asked why he was not terrified, Sumukha replied in this stanza : No escort for a guard I want, no town or wealth need I, ’Midst pathless air we find a way and travel through the sky. If thou wert stablished in the truth, we fain to thee would teach Some useful lesson for thy good in wise and subtle speech. But if thou art a liar, false, one of ignoble strain, _ This fowler’s words of eloquence appeal to thee in vain.

On hearing this the king said, “‘ Why speakest thou of me as lying and ignoble? What have I done?” Then Sumukha said, “ Well, listen to me,” and he spoke as follows : At brahmins’ bidding thou didst make this Khema, lake of fame, And didst to birds at twice five points immunity proclaim. Within this peaceful pool thus fed with streams serene and pure, Birds ever found abundant food and lived a life secure. Hearing this noised abroad we came to visit that fair scene, And snared by thee we found alas! thy promise false had been. But under cover of a lie each act of sinful greed Forfeits rebirth as man or god, and straight to hell must lead. [375] Thus did he even in the midst of his retinue put the king to shame. Then the king said to him, “I did not have you caught, Sumukha, to kill you and eat your flesh, but hearing how wise you were I was anxious to listen to your eloquence,” and, making the matter clear, he said : No sin was mine, O Sumukha, nor seized I you through greed, Your fame for wisdom and deep thought, ’twas this that caused the deed. ‘Haply if here they may declare some true and helpful word,’

"Twas so I bade the fowler seize and bring thee here, O bird. On hearing this Sumukha said, “ You have acted wrongly, sire,” and he spoke as follows ; We could not speak the word of truth, awed by approaching death, Nor when in death’s last agony we draw our parting breath, “Who would a bird with bird decoy, or beast with beast pursue, Or with a text a preacher trap, nought base would he eschew. 1 I do not find either kita or the commentator’s gloss ca@tipdla: it is probably some weapon or a piece of defensive armour. * This line occurs supra, p. 139, where see note ‘al Riset mo a aoe And whoso utters noble words, intent on action base, Both here and in the next world sinks from bliss to woeful place. Be not o’erjoyed in glory’s hour, in danger not distrest, Make good defects, in trouble strive to do thy very best. Sages arrived at life’s last stage, the goal of death in view, After a righteous course on earth, to heaven their way pursue. Hearing this cleave to righteousness, O sire, and straight release This royal Dhatarattha bird, the paragon. of geese. Hearing this the king said:

Go, fetch ye water for their feet, and throne of solid worth, Lo! from his cage I have set free the noblest bird on earth, Together with his captain bold, so able and so wise, Taught with his king in weal and woe ever to sympathise. Sure such an one right well deserves e’en as his lord to fare, Just as he was prepared with him both life and death to share. Hearing the king’s words they fetched seats- for them and as they sat there they washed their feet with scented water and anointed them oil an hundredfold refined. [377] The Master, in explaining the matter, said : The royal bird sat on a throne, eight-footed, burnished bright, All solid gold, with Kasi cloth o’erspread, a splendid sight. And next his king sat Sumukha, his trusty captain bold, Upon a couch with tiger-skin o’erspread, and all of gold. To them full many a Kasi lord in golden bowls did bring, Choice gifts of dainty food to eat, the offerings of their king. When this food had been thus served to them, the Kasi king, to welcome them, himself took a golden bow] and offered it to them, and they

it ate honey and parched grain and drank sugar-water. Then the Great Being, taking note of the king’s offering and the grace with which it was made, entered into friendly converse with him. The Master, to clear up the matter, said : Thinking, ‘How choice the gifts this lord of Kasi offered us,’ The bird, skilled in the ways of kings, made his inquiries thus: 1Dost thou, my lord, enjoy good health and is all well with thee? I trust thy realm is flourishing and ruled in equity. O king of geese, my health is good and all is well with me ; My realm is very flourishing and ruled in equity. 1 The following twelve lines occur supra, p. 183. 200 The Jataka. Book XXJI. Hast thou true men to counsel thee, free from all stain and blame, Ready to die, if need there be, for thy good cause and name ? I have true men to counsel me, free from all stain and blame, Ready to die, if need there be, for my good cause and name. Hast thou a wife of equal birth, obedient, kind in word, : With children blest, good looks, fair name, compliant with her lord ?

I have a wife of equal birth, obedient, kind in word, _ With children blest, good looks, fair name, compliant with her lord. [378] And is thy realm in happy case, from all oppression free, Held by no arbitrary sway, but ruled with equity ? My kingdom is in happy case, from all oppression free, Held by no arbitrary sway, but ruled with equity. Dost drive bad men out from the land, good men to honour raise, Or dost thou righteousness eschew, to follow evil ways ? I drive bad men out from the land, good men to honour raise, All wickedness I do eschew and follow righteous ways. Dost mark the span of life, O king, how quickly it is sped, Or drunk with madness dost regard the next world free from dread ? I mark the span of life, O bird, how quickly it is sped, And, standing fast in virtues ten, the next world never dread. Almsgiving, justice, penitence, meek spirit, temper mild, Peace, mercy, patience, charity, with morals undefiled— These graces firmly planted in my soul are clear to see, Whence springs rich harvest of great joy and happiness for me. But Sumukha though knowing nought of evil we had done, Right heedlessly gave vent to words in harsh and angry tone.

Things I knew not were to my charge by this bird wrongly laid, In language harsh. Herein, methinks, scant wisdom was displayed. [379] On hearing this Sumukha thought, ‘This virtuous king is angry, because I upbraided him: I will win his forgiveness,” and he said : I sinned against thee, lord of men, and words of rashness spake, But when this royal goose was caught my heart was like to break. As earth bears with all living things, as father with his son, Do thou, O mighty king, forgive the wrong that we have done. Then the king took the bird up and embraced him and seating him on a golden stool he accepted his confession of error, and said : I thank thee, bird, that thou shouldst ne’er thy nature true conceal, ‘Thou breakest down my stubborn will; upright art thou, I feel. And with these words the king, being highly pleased with the exposition of the Law by the Great Being, and with the straightforward speech of Sumukha, thought, “When one is pleased, one ought to act so as to show one’s pléasure,” and yielding his royal splendour to the birds, he said : ‘ For the phrase khilam pabhindati, cf. Fausbdll’s edition of the Sutta Nipata, 973, and the Glossary, Pt. II. p. 92,

Whate’er of silver, gold, and pearls, rich gems and precious gear In Kasi’s royal town is stored within my palace here, [380] Copper and iron, shells and pearls, and jewels numberless, Ivory, yellow sandal wood, deer skins and costly dress, This wealth and lordship over all, I give you to possess. And with such-like words honouring both birds with the white umbrella he handed over to them his kingdom. Then the Great Being, conversing with the king, said : Since thou art fain to honour us, be pleased, O lord of men, To be our Master, teaching us those royal virtues ten. And then if thy approval and consent we haply win, We would take formal leave of thee, and go to see our kin. He gave them leave to go, and, while the Bodhisatta was still preaching the Law, the sun arose. The Master, to make the matter clear, said : The livelong night in deepest thought the king of Kasi spent, Then to that noble bird’s request straight yielded his consent. When he had thus got his permission to depart, the Bodhisatta, saying, “ Be vigilant and rule your kingdom in righteousness,” established the king in the five moral laws. [381] And the king offered them parched corn with honey and sugar-water in golden dishes, and when they had finished their meal, after doing them homage with scented wreaths and similar offerings, the king himself lifted the Bodhisatta on high in a golden cage, and queen Khema lifted Sumukha on high. Then at sunrise they opened the window and saying, ‘Sirs, begone,” they let them loose.

The Master, to make the matter clear, said : Then as the sun began to rise and break of day was nigh}, Soon from their sight they vanished quite in depths of azure sky. One of them, the Great Being, flying up from the golden cage, remained poised in the air, and saying, “O sire, be not troubled, but be vigilant and abide in our admonition,” he thus comforted the king, and taking Sumukha with him he made straight for Cittakita, And those ninety thousand geese issuing forth from the Golden Cave settled on the ratya vivasane. Note ratya for rattiya. The line occurs in Jat. rv, 241, 17, 202 The Jataka. Book XX. high table-land, and on seeing the two birds coming they set out to meet them and escorted them home. And thus accompanied by a flock of their kinsfolk they reached the plateau of Cittakuta. The Master, to make the matter clear, said : Seeing their chiefs all safe and sound returned from haunts of men, The winged flock with noisy cries welcomed them back again. Thus circling round their lord in whom they trust, these ruddy geese Paid all due honour to their king, rejoiced at his release.

While thus escorting their king, these geese asked him, saying, “ How, sire, did you escape?” The Great Being told them of his escape by the help of Sumukha, and of the action of king Sarhyama and his courtiers. On hearing this, the flock of geese in their joy sang their praises, saying, “ Long’ live Sumukha, captain of our host, and long live the king and the fowler. May they be happy and free from sorrow.” [382] The Master, to make the matter clear, said : Thus all whose hearts are full of love succeed in what they do, Hen as these geese back to their friends once more in safety flew. This has been fully related in the Cullahamsa Birth. The Master here ended his story and identified the Birth: “ At that time the fowler was Channa, queen Khema was the nun Khema, the king was Sariputta, the king’s retinue the followers of Buddha, Sumukha was Ananda, and the gooseking was I myself.”

“No huckster I,” etc. This was a story told by the Master, while dwelling at Jetavana, concerning a liberally minded Brother. He was said to be a man of gentle birth, living at Savatthi, who after hearing the Law preached by theMaster was converted and adopted the religious life. Being perfected in the moral virtues and furnished with the dhuta precepts? and with a heart full of love for his fellow priests he thrice every day zealously ministered to the service of the Buddha, the Law, and the Assembly, and showed himself exemplary in con- 1 Reading ciram jivanti for naciram jivantii, as in the previous story, p. 185, supra, 2 Compare vol. i. No. 78, Illisa-Jataka. 8 Hardy’s Hastern Monachism, p. 9, Jat. 11, 483. 13, WN One S Dy 2038 duct and devoted to charity. Fulfilling the obligations of kindly civility!, whatever he received, so long as there were any recipients, he would give away till he was himself without food. And his liberality and charitable disposition were noised abroad in the Assembly of the Brethren. So one day the topic was started in the Hall of Truth, how that a certain Brother was so liberally minded and devoted to charity that if he received only sufficient drink to fill the hollow of the hand, free from all greed, he would give it to his fellow priests—his will being even as that of a Bodhisatta, The Master by his divine sense of hearing caught what they were saying, and issuing forth from his Perfumed Chamber drew nigh and asked what was the nature of their discussion.

And when they answered, “It was so and so,” he said, “This Brother of old, Brethren, was far from liberal, nay, so stingy that he would not give so much as a drop of oil on the tip of a blade of grass. So I converted and made him self-denying and by praising the fruits of charity I firmly established him in almsgiving; so that on receiving water just enough to fill the hollow of the hand he would say, ‘I will not drink a drop without giving some away,’ and he received a boon at my hands, and as a result of his almsgiving he became liberally minded and devoted to charity,” and with these words he told a story of the past.

Once upon a time when Brahmadatta was king of Benares there lived a wealthy householder possessed of eighty crores and the king conferred on him the office of Treasurer. Being thus honoured by the king and highly esteemed by citizens and country folk alike, he was one day dwelling _upon his worldly prosperity, and he thought, “This glory was not won by me by slothfulness and sinful acts in a former existence [383] but was attained by accomplishing deeds of virtue; it behoves me to make my salvation sure in the future.” So he sought the king’s presence and addressed him thus, “In my house, sire, is treasure amounting to eighty crores: accept it from me.” And when the king said, “I have no need of your riches ; I have abundant wealth: henceforth take and do whatever you like with it,” he said, ‘Can I, sire, bestow my money in charity ?” The king said, “ Do as you please”: and he had six alms-halls built, one at each of the four city gates, one in the heart of the city and one at the door of his dwelling-house, and by a daily expenditure of six hundred thousand pieces of money he set on foot almsgiving on a grand scale, and so long as he lived he dispensed alms and instructed his sons, saying, “See that you do not break away from this tradition of mine, of giving alms,” and at the close of his life he was reborn as Sakka.

His son, in like manner giving alms, was reborn as Canda, Canda’s son as Suriya, Suriya’s son as Matali, Matali’s son as Paficasikha. Now Paficasikha’s son, the sixth in descent, was the Treasurer named Maccharikosiya (the Millionaire Miser) and he still owned eighty crores. But he thought, “My forefathers were fools. They flung away the wealth that was so sorely scraped together, but I will guard my treasure. I will not give a penny to a soul.” And he demolished and burned down the alms-hall and became a confirmed miser. So the beggars assembled at his gate and stretching forth their arms cried with a loud voice, ‘“O Lord High Treasurer, do not away with

1 sdrdniya, see Senart’s Mahavastu, vol, i. p. 599, Jat, vi. 924. 8. 204 The Jataka. Book XXJ. the tradition of your forefathers, but’ give alms.” On hearing this the people blamed him, saying, “Maccharikosiya has done away with the tradition of his family.” Being ashamed he set a watch to prevent. the beggars from standing at his gate, and being thus left utterly destitute they never again set eyes upon his door. Thenceforth he continued to roll money together’, but he neither enjoyed it himself nor shared it with his wife and children. He lived on rice with its red powder, served with sour gruel, and wore coarse garments, being merely the filaments of roots and stalks of berries, shading his head with a parasol of leaves, and he rode upon a crazy old chariot, yoked to worn-out oxen. Thus all this wicked fellow’s money [384] was as it were a cocoa-nut found by a dog’. Now one day when he was going to wait upon the king he thought he would take the sub-treasurer® with him, and at the moment when he reached his house he found the sub-treasurer seated in the midst of his wife and children, and eating some rice porridge prepared with powdered sugar to sweeten it* and cooked with fresh ghee. On seeing Maccharikosiya he rose from his seat and said, “Come and sit on this couch, Lord High Treasurer, and have some rice porridge with me.” When he saw the rice porridge, his mouth watered and he longed to partake of it, but the thought occurred to him, “Tf I should take some porridge, when the sub-treasurer comes to my house I shall have to make him some return of hospitality and in this way my money will be wasted.

I will not eat it.” Then on being pressed again and again he refused, saying, ‘‘I have already dined; I am sated.” But while the sub-treasurer was enjoying his food, he sat looking on with his mouth watering, and when the meal was ended he repaired with him to the palace. On returning home he was overwhelmed with a craving for rice porridge, but thought, “If I should say I wanted to eat rice porridge, a lot of people would also want to eat it and a quantity of husked rice and the like would be wasted. I will not say a word to a creature.” So night and day he passed his time thinking of nothing but porridge, but from fear of spending his money he told no one and kept his craving to himself. But being unable to bear with it he gradually grew paler and paler, and so through fear of wasting his substance he spoke of his craving to no one, and by and bye becoming very weak he lay down, hugging his bed. Then his wife came to see him and stroking his back with her hand she inquired, “Ts my lord ill?” ‘Ill yourself!” he cried, “I am quite well.” “My

1 samgharati, Jat. 11. 413, 24, 1v, 36. 16, and samghara, Jat. v. 222. 16. 2 Hyidently a proverb to denote a useless possession. 3 anusetthi here clearly denotes some official subordinate to the Lord High Treasurer. See Fick’s Die Sociale Gliederung im nordéstlichen Indien zu Buddha’s Zeit, note on pp. 167, 168. 4 For madhura we should perhaps read madhu, honey, which occurs as one of the ingredients of the porridge on the next page of the text, lord, you have grown pale. Have you anything on your md de the king displeased or have you been treated with disrespect by your children ? Or have you conceived a craving for something?” “Yes, I have a craving.” “Tell me what it is, my lord.” ‘Can you keep a secret?” “Yes, I will be silent about any cravings that ought to be kept secret.” [385] But even so, through fear of wasting his substance he had not the courage to tell her, but being repeatedly pressed by her he said, “ My dear, one day I saw the sub-treasurer eating rice porridge prepared with ghee, honey, and powdered sugar, and from that day I have had a craving to eat the same kind of porridge.” ‘Poor wretch, are you so badly off? I will cook porridge enough for all the inhabitants of Benares.” Then he felt just as if he had been struck on the head with a stick. Being angry with her he said, “I am well aware that you are very rich.

If it comes from your family, you may cook and give rice porridge to the whole city.” ‘Well then I will make and cook enough for the dwellers in a single street.” “ What have you to do with them? Let them eat what belongs to them.” “Then I will make enough for seven households taken at random here and there.” ‘‘ What are they to you?” ‘Then I will cook it for the attendants in this house.” ‘‘ What are they to yout” ‘Well, then, I will cook for our kinsfolk only.” ‘What are they to you?” ‘Then I will cook, my lord, for you and me,” ‘ And pray who are you? It is not allowable in your case.” ‘TI will cook it for you only, my lord.” “ Pray do not cook it for me: if you cook it in the house, a lot of people will look for it, But just give me a measure of husked rice, a quartern of milk, a pound’ of sugar, a pot of honey and a cooking vessel, and going into the forest I will there cook and eat my porridge.” She did so, and bidding a slave take it all he ordered him to go and stand in such and sucha place. Then sending the slave forward, all alone he made himself a veil and in this disguise he went there and by the river side at the foot of a shrub he had an oven made and firewood and water brought to him and he said to the slave, ‘‘Go and stand in yonder road and, if you see anyone, make a sign to me, and when I call you come back to me.” Sending off the slave he made a fire and cooked his porridge.

At that moment Sakka, king of heaven, contemplating the splendid city of the gods, ten thousand leagues in extent, [386] and the golden street sixty leagues long, and Vejayanta” reared a thousand leagues high, and Sudhamma* compassing five hundred leagues, and his throne of yellow marble, sixty leagues in extent, and his white umbrella with its golden wreath, five leagues in circumference, and his own person accompanied with a glorious array of

1 acchara must be a weight or measure of capacity. Can it be akin to acchera (Marathi) a half-sher? 3 Sakka’s hall of justice. 206 The Jataka. Book XX. twenty-five millions of heavenly nymphs—contemplating, I say, all this glory of his he thought, ‘What can I have done to have attained to such honour as this?” And he saw in his mind’s eye the almsgiving he had established when he was Lord High Treasurer at Benares, and then he thought, “Where are my descendants born?” and considering the matter he said, ‘‘ My son Canda was born in an angel-form, and his son was Suriya.” And marking the birth of all of them, ‘‘ What,” he cried, ‘‘has been the fate of the son of Paficasikha?” And on reflection he saw that the tradition of the race had been done away with, and the thought occurred to him, “This wicked fellow being niggardly neither enjoys his wealth himself nor gives aught to others: the tradition of the race has been destroyed by him. When he dies he will be reborn in hell. By admonishing him and by re-establishing my tradition I will show him how to be reborn in the city of the gods.” So he summoned Canda and the rest and saying, “Come, we will visit the haunts of men: the tradition of our family has been abolished by Maccharikosiya, the alms-halls have been burned down and he neither enjoys wealth himself nor gives aught to others, but now being desirous of eating porridgeand thinking, ‘If it is cooked in the house, the porridge will have to be given to someone else as well,’ he has gone into the forest and is cooking it all alone.

We will go and convert him and teach him the fruits of almsgiving. If however he were asked by all of us at once to give us some food, he would fall dead on the spot. I will go first and when I have asked him for porridge and have taken my seat, then do you come, one after another, disguised as brahmins, and beg of him.” So saying he himself in the likeness of a brahmin approached him and cried, “‘ Ho! which is the road to Benares?” Then Maccharikosiya said, ‘‘ Have you lost your wits? Do you not even know the way to Benares? Why are you coming this way? Get you gone from hence.” Sakka, pretending not to hear what he said, came close up to him, asking him what he said. [387] Then he bawled, ‘‘I say, you deaf old brahmin, why are you coming this way? Go yonder.” Then Sakka said, “Why do you bawl so loud? Here I see smoke and a fire, and rice porridge is cooking. It must be some occasion for entertaining brahmins. I too when the brahmins are being fed will take somewhat. Why are you driving me away'?” “There is no entertainment of brahmins here. Be off with you.” “Then why are you so angry? When you eat your meal, I will take a little.” He said, “I will not give you even a single lump of boiled rice. This scanty food is only just enough to keep me alive, and even this was got by begging, You go and look for your food elsewhere ”—and this he said in reference to the fact of his having asked his wife for the rice—and he spoke this stanza :

1 For nicchubhatt see Pischel’s Grammatik der Prakrit-Sprachen, p. 61, and Trenckner’s Milindapanho, p. 423. The participle chuddha occurs, Jat. v. 302. 4. No huckster I to buy or vend, No stores are mine to give or lend: This dole of rice ’twas hard to gain, "Tis scarce enough to serve us twain. On hearing this Sakka said, “I too with honey-sweet voice will repeat a stanza for you; hearken to me,” and though he tried to stop him, saying, “T do not want to hear your stanza,” Sakka repeated a couple of stanzas: From little one should little give, from moderate means likewise, From much give much: of giving nought no question can arise. This then I tell thee, Kosiya, give alms of that is thine: Eat not alone, no bliss is his that by himself shall dine, By charity thou mayst ascend the noble path divine. [888] On hearing his words he said, “This is a gracious saying of thine, brahmin; when the porridge is cooked, thou shalt receive a little. Pray, take a seat.” Sakka sat down on one side. When he was seated, Canda in like manner drew nigh and starting a conversation in the same way, though Maccharikosiya kept trying to stop him, he spoke a couple of stanzas ;

Vain is thy sacrifice and vain the craving of thy heart, Shouldst thou eat food and grudge to give thy guest some little part. This then I tell thee, Kosiya, give alms of that is thine, ete. On hearing his words, the miser very reluctantly said, “‘ Well, sit down, and you shall have a little porridge.” So he went and sat down near Sakka. Then Suriya in like manner drew nigh and starting a conversation in the same way, though the miser tried to stop him, he spoke a couple of stanzas : Real thy sacrifice nor vain the craving of thy heart, Shouldst thou not eat thy food alone, but give thy guest a part. This then I tell thee, Kosiya, ete. . On hearing his words the miser with great reluctance said, “ Well, sit down, and you shall have a little.” So Suriya went and sat by Canda. Then Matali in like manner drew nigh and starting a conversation, though the miser tried to stop him, spoke these stanzas : Who offers gifts to lake or flood of Gaya’s stream that laves Or Timbaru or Dona shrine with rapid-flowing waves, Herein gains fruit of sacrifice and craving of his heart,

If with a guest he shares his food nor sits and eats apart. This then I tell thee, Kosiya, etc. [389] On hearing his words also, overwhelmed as it were with a mountain peak, he reluctantly said, “Well, sit down, and you shall have a little.” Matali came and sat by Suriya. Then Paficasikha in like manner drew nigh and starting a conversation, though the miser tried to stop him, spoke a couple of stanzas : 208 The Jataka. Book X XJ. Like fish that swallows greedily hook fastened to a line Is he who with a guest at hand all by himself shall dine. This then I tell thee, Kosiya, etc. Maccharikosiya on hearing this, with a painful effort and groaning aloud, said, “ Well, sit down, and you shall have a little.” So Paficasikha went and sat by Matali. And when these five brahmins had just taken their seats, the porridge was cooked. Then Kosiya taking it from the oven told the brahmins to bring their leaves. Remaining seated as they were they stretched forth their hands and brought leaves of a creeper from the Himalayas. Kosiya on seeing them said, ‘‘I cannot give you any porridge in these large leaves of yours: get some leaves of the acacia and similar trees.” They gathered such leaves and each one was as big as a warrior’s shield. So he helped all of them to some porridge with a spoon.

By the time he had helped the last of all, there was still plenty left in the pot. After serving the five brahmins he himself sat down, holding the pot. At that moment Paficasikha rose up and putting off his natural form was changed into a dog and came and stood in front of them and made water. Each of the brahmins covered up his porridge with a leaf. A drop of the dog’s water fell on the back of Kosiya’s hand. [390] The brahmins fetched water in their jars and mixing it with the porridge pretended to eat it. Kosiya said, “ Give me too some water and

after washing my hand I will take some food.” ‘Fetch water for yourself,” they said, ‘‘and wash your hand.” “I gave you porridge; give me a little water.” ‘We do not make a business of exchanging alms’'.” “Well then guard this cooking pot and, after I have washed my hand, I will come back,” and he descended to the river side. At that moment the dog filled the pot with urine. Kosiya on seeing him make water took a big stick and drew nigh, threatening him. The dog was now transformed into a spirited blood horse and, as it pursued him, it assumed various colours. Now it was black, now white, now gold-coloured, now dappled. At one time high, at another time low of stature. Thus in many different appearances it pursued Maccharikosiya, who frightened with the fear of death drew nigh to the brahmins, while they flew up and stood fixed in the air. On seeing their supernatural power he said: Ye noble brahmins, standing in mid air, Why does this hound of yours thus strangely wear A thousand varied forms, though one he be, And tell me truly, brahmins, who are ye? On hearing this, Sakka, the king of heaven, said:

Canda and Suriya lo! both are here, And Matali the heavenly charioteer, I Sakka am, chief god of Thirty-Three, And Paiicasikha there is chasing thee. 1 Any arrangement for the exchange of alms was forbidden. Cf. Jétaka 1. notes on pp. 57 and 214, English version. And celebrating Paticasikha’s fame Sakka spoke this stanza : With tabour, drum, and tambourine they rouse him from his sleep, And as he wakes, glad music makes his heart with joy to leap. On hearing his words Kosiya asked, “By what acts do men attain to heavenly glory such as this?” ‘They that do not practise charity, evil doers and misers reach not the angel-world, but are reborn in hell.” And by way of showing this Sakka said ; [391] Whoe’er are miserly niggards born, Or priests and holy brahmins scorn, Their earthly frame now laid aside, In hell, dissolved by death, abide. And speaking the following stanza, to show how those that are steadfast in righteousness attain to the angel-world, he said : Steadfast in right who heaven would win Give alms and keep themselves from sin, And, with their body laid aside By death’s decay, in heaven abide. After these words Sakka said, ‘““Kosiya, we have not come to you for the sake of the porridge, but from a feeling of pity and compassion for you are we come,” and to make it clear to him he said:

Thou, though to us in former births akin, A miser art, a man of wrath and sin; Tis for thy sake we have come down to earth, To avert from thee sin’s doom—in hell rebirth. Hearing this Kosiya thought, “They tell me they are my well-wishers ; plucking me out of hell they would fain establish me in heaven.” And being highly pleased he said : In that ye thus admonish me, ye doubtless seek my good, I too will follow your advice, so far as understood. Henceforth I'll cease from stingy ways, from sinful deed abstain, [392] Give alms of all, nor e’en a cup, unshared!, of water drain. Thus ever giving, Sakka, soon my wealth will minished be, Then will I orders take, and lusts of every kind? will fice. Sakka after converting Maccharikosiya taught him the fruits of almsgiving and made him self-denying, and when by preaching the law he had established him in the tive moral virtues, together with his attendant gods he returned to the angel-city. Maccharikosiya too went into the city of Benares and having asked the king’s permission he bade them take and fill all the vessels they could lay hands on with his treasure and gave it to the beggars. And now he started from the Himavat upon the right-hand side and on a spot between the Ganges and a natural lake he built a hut of leaves and becoming an ascetic he lived on roots and wild berries.

1 For datvad reading ’datvd, i.e. adatva. 2 yathodhika, each in its own place, Cf. Jétaka m1. 381. 22 and rv. 437. 17. 210 The Jataka. Book XX. There he dwelt a long time till he reached old age. At that time Sakka had four daughters, Hope, Faith, Glory, and Honour, who taking with them many a heavenly scented garland came to lake Anotatta, to disport themselves in the water, and after amusing themselves there seated themselves on mount Manosila. Just at that moment Narada, a brahmin ascetic, went to the palace of the Thirty-Three to rest during the heat of the day and constructed a dwelling-place for the day in the bowers of Cittakita in the’ Nanda grove. And holding in his hand the flower of the coral tree, to serve as a sunshade, he repaired to Golden Cave, the place where he dwelt on the top of Manosila. The nymphs on seeing this flower in his hand begged it from him. [393] The Master, to make the matter clear, said :. In Gandhamadana’s lordly height, These nymphs, great Sakka’s care, delight : To them a saint of world-wide fame With goodly bough in hand there came. This bough with flowers so pure and sweet Is deemed for gods and angels meet :

No demon, none of mortal birth Can claim this flower of priceless worth. Then Faith, Hope, Glory, Honour, those Four maids with skins like gold, arose, And, peerless ’midst all nymphs confessed, The brahmin Narada addressed, ‘Give us, O sage, this coral flower, If still to give is in thy power, As Sakka’s self we'll honour thee, And thou in all things blest shalt be.’ When Narada their prayer had heard, He straight a mighty quarrel stirred : ‘I need it not; whom ye allow To be your queen shall claim the bough.’ [394] The four nymphs on hearing what he said spoke this stanza : O Narada, supreme art thou, On whom thou wilt the boon bestow : Whom thou shalt with such gift invest, Amongst us shall be counted best. Narada, on hearing their words, addressing them said : Fair one}, such counsel is not right; What brahmin strife would dare excite ? Take to the lord of sprites your quest, If ye would know who’s worst or best. Then the Master spoke this stanza: With pride of beauty mad and rage Excited by the cunning sage, * sugatte. Though addressing the four, Narada singles out one nymph.

Compare the analogous usage in the chorus of a Greek play. To Sakka, lord of sprites, they go, Who ’mongst them all is best to know. [395] As they stood asking this question, These nymphs so earnest in their quest Sakka with due respect addressed, Ye all in beauty equal are, Who thus with strife your peace would mar?’ Being thus addressed by him they said : Narada, world-traversing, a sage of might, Truth-piercing, steadfast ever in the right, Thus spake to us on Gandhamadana’s height ; ‘To Sakka, lord of spirits, straightway go, If who is first or last ye fain would know.’ Hearing this Sakka thought, “If I shall say that one of these four daughters of mine is virtuous. beyond the others, the rest will be angry. This is a case impossible for me to decide ; I will send them to Kosiya, the ascetic in the Himalayas: he shall decide the question for them.” So he said, “I cannot decide your case, In the Himalayas is an ascetic called Kosiya: to him I will send a cup of my ambrosia. He eats nothing without sharing it with another, and in giving he shows discrimination by bestowing it upon the virtuous. Whichsoever of you shall receive food at his hand, she must be the best amongst you.” And so saying he repeated this stanza :

The sage that dwells in yon vast wood Will not unshared touch any food ; Kosiya with judgment gifts confers, To whom he gives, first place is hers. [396] So he summoned Matali and sent him to the ascetic, and in sending him he repeated the following stanza : On Himavyat slopes where Ganges glides Towards the south a saint resides: Ambrosia, Matali, take’ to the saint, For food and drink he’s waxing faint. Then the Master said : At the god’s behest went Matali, On a car with a thousand steeds rode he; Unseen he soon by the hermitage stood And offered the sage ambrosial. food. Kosiya took it and even as he stood spoke a couple of stanzas: A flame of sacrifice while I did raise}, The sun that drives away all gloom to praise, Sakka supreme o’er spirit-world that stands— Who else ?—ambrosia placed within my hands. 1 With udaggihutta compare uddyudha, with uplifted weapon. 14—2 The Jataka. Book XXII. White like a pearl was it, beyond compare, Fragrant and pure, and marvellously fair, Never before seen by these eyes of mine; _ What god puts ih my hands this food divine? Then Matali said : [397] I come, O mighty sage, by Sakka sent,

In haste to bring thee heavenly nutriment : This best of food, pray, eat without all fear, Thou seest here Matali, heaven’s charioteer. By eating this twelve evil things are slain, Thirst, hunger, discontent, fatigue, and pain, Cold, heat, rage, enmity, strife, slander, sloth— This heavenly essence eat thou, nothing loth. Hearing this Kosiya, to make it clear that he had taken a vow upon him, spoke this stanza : ’Twas wrong to eat alone I thought, so took a vow one day To touch no food, unless I gave some part of it away. To eat alone is ne’er approved by men of noble mind, Whoso with others does not share no happiness may find. And when Matali questioned him, saying, ‘‘ Holy sir, what did you discover was wrong in eating without giving a portion to others that you took this vow upon you?” he answered : All who commit adultery or womenkind do slay, Who holy men curse and revile or friendly souls betray, And misers, worst of all—that I may ne’er be ranked with such, Not e’en a drop of water I unshared will ever touch. On men and women both alike my gifts shall ever flow, Sages will praise all such as shall their goods in alms bestow; All that are generous in this world and niggard ways eschew, Approved by all, will ever be esteemed good men and true.

On hearing this Matali stood before him in a visible form. At that moment these four heavenly nymphs stood at the four points of the com- Glory.at the east, Hope at the south, Faith at the west, Honour at the north. The Master, to clear up the matter, said: Four nymphs with golden forms so bright, Hope, Glory, Faith, and Honour hight, At Sakka’s bidding earthward sent, To Kosiya’s cell their footsteps bent. The maids with forms that glowed like flame To each of earth’s four quarters came; Fore Matali (now god confest) The sage o’erjoyed one thus addressed, ‘Who art thou, nymph, like morning star, Tlluming Eastern skies afar? Thy form in robe! of gold arrayed Tell me thy name, O heavenly maid.’ 4 [399] ‘I Glory am, man’s honoured friend, The sinless soul prompt to defend: To claim this food, lo! here am I; With this my prayer, great sage, comply. I bliss confer on whom I will 4 And all his heart’s desire fulfil ; a High priest, my name is Glory, know, On me thy heavenly food bestow.’ On hearing this Kosiya said : a Men may be skilful, virtuous, wise, Excel in all their wits devise,

sg Yet without thee they ne’er succeed ; ES In this I blame thy evil deed. Another slothful, greedy, see, Low-born and ugly as may be: Blest by thy care and rich withal He makes one nobly born his thrall. Thee then as false and dull, Glory, I recognise, Reckless in courting fools and laying low the wise; No claim hast thou in sooth to seat or water-pot, Much less ambrosial food. Begone, I like thee not. [400] So did she straightway vanish from sight. Then holding converse with Hope he said: ‘ Who art thou, maiden fair, with teeth so pure and white, 5. With rings of burnished gold and, spangled bracelets dight, : In robe of watered sheen and wearing on thy head A sprig like ruddy flame by tufts of kusa fed ? Like a wild doe all but by hunter’s arrow grazed, a Thou lookst dull-eyed around as ’twere some creature dazed, “4 O softly-glancing maid, what comrade hast thou here, % That through lone forest glade thou strayst without a fear? 4 Then she spoke this stanza : No comrade have I here; from Sakka’s heavenly home " Masakkasara called, angelic-born I come: = To claim ambrosial food Hope now appears to thee; as O hearken, noble sage, and grant this boon to me.

[401] On hearing this Kosiya said, ‘‘They tell me that whosoever a pleases you, to him by accomplishing the fruition of hope you grant hope, * and whosoever pleases you not, to him you grant it not. Success does not come to him through you in this case, but you bring about his destruction,” and by way of illustration he said : 1 yelli, which occurs also Jat. v. 402. 10, and 405. 2, is probably some part of dress. Compare sanwelli, v. 306. 6, explained by the scholiast as kaccha. Cf. Cullavagga, : x, 16, Vinaya Texts Translation, 1. p. 348 (S. B. E.). a 214 The Jataka. Book XX. Merchants through hope seek treasure far and wide, And taking ship on ocean’s billows ride: There sometimes do they sink to rise no more, Or else escaping their lost wealth deplore. In hope their fields the farmers plough and till, Sow seeds and labour with their utmost skill; But should some plague, or drought afilict the soil No harvest will they reap for all their toil. Ease-loving men, led on by hope, take heart And for their lord’s sake play a manly part, Oppressed by foes on every side they fall

And fighting for their lord lose life and all. Grain-stores and wealth renouncing for their kin, Through hope aspiring heavenly bliss to win, Long time harsh penances they undergo, And by bad ways attain to state of woe. Deceiver of mankind, thy suit is vain, Thy idle craving for this boon restrain, No claim hast thou to seat or water-pot: Much less to heavenly food. Begone, I like thee not. [402] She too on being rejected straightway vanished from sight. Then holding converse with Faith he spoke this stanza: Famed nymph in blaze of glory drest, Standing towards the ill-omened West, Thy form in robe of gold arrayed, Tell me thy name, illustrious maid. Then she repeated a stanza : My name is Faith,*man’s honoured friend, The sinless soul prompt to defend: To claim this food, lo! here am I; With this my prayer, great sage, comply. Then Kosiya said, “Those mortals that in believing the words of first one and then another do this or that, do that which they ought not to do more often than that which they ought to do, ‘and verily it is all done through you,” and he repeated these stanzas : Through faith at times men freely alms dispense, Show self-control, restraint and abstinence:

[403] At times again through thee from grace they fall, Slander and ‘lie and cheat and steal withal. With wives, chaste, faithful, and of high degree, A man may circumspect and prudent be, May curb his passions well in such a case, Yet in some harlot his whole trust may place. Through thee, O Faith, adultery is rife, Forsaking! good thou lead’st a sinful life. No claim hast thou to seat or water-pot : Much less ambrosial food. Begone, I like thee not. 1 rificati, Jataka vy. 146. 19. a ee ae ee ee She too straightway vanished from sight. But Kosiya holding converse with Honour, as she stood on the north side, repeated these two stanzas : Like Dawn that gilds the skirts of hateful Night, So doth thy beauty burst upon my sight; [404] O heavenly nymph in form so passing fair, Tell me thy name and who thou art declare. q Like to a tender plant! whose roots are fed i On soil o’er which devouring flames? have spread, | Its wealth of scarlet leaves by summer breezes shed, : Why dost thou look at me with bashful air, Fain as it were to speak, yet standing silent there?

Then she uttered this stanza: Honour am I, man’s cherished friend, Who aid to righteous mortals lend; Lo here am I this food to claim, Yet scarcely dare my wish to frame; To woman suing counts as shame. On hearing this the ascetic repeated two stanzas : No need for thee to beg and sue, Receive what is thy right and due: I grant the boon thou durst not crave, Accept the food thou fain wouldst have. Ee _ [405] Deign, nymph, all golden clad, I pray, ; To feast within my cell this day: First honouring thee with dainties rare, - I too this heavenly food would share. Then follow some stanzas inspired by divine wisdom : Thus Honour, glorious nymph, at his behest In Kosiya’s home was welcomed as a guest: Fruits and perennial streams therein abound, And thronging saints are in its precincts found. : Here flowering shrubs® in a dense mass we see, The mango, piyal, bread-fruit, Judas-tree ; Here s4l and bright rose-apple deck the glade, There fig and banyan cast their holy shade. Here many a flower with fragrance scents the wind, Here peas and beans, panic and rice we find: Bananas everywhere rich clusters show,

And bamboo reeds in thickest tangle grow. On the north side, hemmed in by smooth and level bank, And fed by purest streams, behold a sacred tank. There happy fish* in peace disport themselves at will, And ’midst abundant food enjoy to take their fill. » [406] There happy birds in peace enjoy abundant fare, Swans, herons, ospreys too, peacocks with plumage rare, Z Cuckoos and pheasants eke with ruddy geese are there. Blia Tk. ah ah at 7~ 1 ipomoed. 2 Virgil, Georgics 1. 84. rf 3 Many trees and plants only known by botanical names have been omitted. + The names of many fish, for the most part unknown, are omitted. a oe: Fee . ¥ NY 216 The Jataka. Book XXII. Hither do lions, tigers, boars resort their thirst to slake. This bears, hyenas, wolves are wont their drinking-place to make. The buffalo, rhinoceros and_gayal too are here, With antelope, elk, herds of swine, and red and other deer, And cats with ears like to a hare’s in numbers vast appear. The mountain slopes are gaily pranked with flowers of varied shade And echo to the song of birds that haunt each forest glade. Thus did the Blessed One sing the praises of Kosiya’s hermitage. And now to show forth the manner of the goddess Honour’s entrance therein he said:

[407] The fair one leaning on a branch, all clothed with foliage green, Like lightning from a thunder-cloud straight flashed upon the scene. For her was set a dainty couch}, rich drapings at its head, All wrought of fragrant kusa grass, with deer-skin overspread. And thus to Honour, heavenly nymph, the holy hermit spake: ‘For thy delight the couch is set; be pleased a seat to take.’ The ascetic then pure water from the spring In freshly gathered leaves with haste did bring, And knowing what her inmost soul would crave The ambrosial food to her he gladly gave. As in her hands the welcome gift she pressed, The nymph thus overjoyed the saint addressed : ‘Worship to me and victory thou hast given, Lo! now once more I'll seek my native heaven.’ The maid intoxicate with pride of fame, With Kosiya’s blessing, back to Indra came, ‘And see,’ she cried, ‘god of the thousand eyes, The ambrosia’s here—to me award the prize.’ Then Sakka and his host of angels paid Due honour to the peerless heavenly maid, And as she sat on her new seat enthroned, Her presence gods and men adoring owned. [408] While thus honouring her this thought occurred to Sakka, “What can be the reason why Kosiya refusing it to the others gave the ambrosia to this one alone?” To ascertain the reason of this he again sent Matali.

The Master, in making the matter clear, repeated this stanza: So Sakka, lord of the Thirty-Three, Once more addressing Matali, Said, ‘Go and bid the saint explain Why Honour should the ambrosia gain.’ In obedience to his word Matali, mounting the car called Vejayanta’, departed thither. 1 For koccha see Vinaya Texts, translated by Davids and Oldenberg, 1. 34, and mu. 165. * Sakka’s chariot. Cf. Jat. 1. 202. 23, mm. 254. 13, 1v. 355, 17, vi. 103. 6, EHlsewhere it is the name of Sakka’s palace, as in y. 386. 1. The Master, to explain the matter, said: So Matali then launched a car to voyage through the air, With fittings all to match itself, in splendour wondrous fair, Its pole of gold, gold well refined, and all its framework built With ornament elaborate and overlaid with gilt. Bi Peacocks in gold depicted were in numbers not a few, } Horses and cows and elephants, tigers and panthers too, Here antelopes and deer are seen as if prepared for fight, q Here wrought in precious stones are jays and other birds in flight. 3 To it they yoked a thousand royal steeds of golden hue, % Each strong as youthful elephant, a splendid sight to view;

= [409] Their breasts in golden network clad, with wreaths begarlanded, With loosened trace!, at a mere word, swift as the wind they sped. ze As Matali this lordly car ascended with a bound The firmament in all ten points re-echoed to the sound: And as he journeyed through the air, he made the world to quake, And sky and sea and earth with all its rocks and woods did shake. Right soon he gained the hermitage and wishing to declare ee Due reverence for the holy man he left one shoulder bare, = And speaking to this brahmin sage, a wise and learned man, Well trained in holy lore, ’twas thus that Matali began : Hear now, O Kosiya, the words of Indra, heavenly king, 4 As to what he is fain to learn, this message, lo! I bring, zy ‘While Hope and Faith and Glory’s claims thou wilt not recognise, = Pray, why should Honour at thy hands alone receive the prize?’ [410] On hearing his words the ascetic spoke this stanza : Glory to me, O Matali, appears a partial jade, While Faith, thou charioteer of gods, proves an inconstant maid, Hope ever a deceiver loves its promise to betray,

Honour alone is stablished firm in holy virtue’s way. And now in praise of her virtue he said : Maidens that still within their homes live, ever guarded well, 2 Women now past their prime, and such as still with husbands dwell, zs In one and all should fleshly lust within their heart arise, F : At Honour’s voice they check the thought and sinful passion dies. Where shafts and spears in battle’s van are hurtling fast and free, And in the rout when comrades fall or turn them round and flee, At Honour’s voice they check their flight e’en at the cost of life, 2And panic-stricken as they were once more renew the strife. Just as the shore will stem the rush of billgws from the main, So Honour too will oft the course of wicked folk restrain. Then, Matali, to Indra quick return and make it clear, That saints throughout the whole wide world all Honour’s name revere. 1 asdmgita, i.e. nissanga, perhaps the Greek cetpadpépos. 2 The scholiast would take it thus: ‘And rallying round their rescued lord once more renew the strife.’ 218 The Sk aaBo eee [411] On hearing this Matali repeated this stanza :

Who was it, Kosiya, that did suggest this view to thee, Was it great Indra, Brahma, or Pajapati! maybe? This Honour, mighty sage, be sure, to Indra owes her birth, And in the angel-world she ranks foremost of all in worth. While he was still speaking, at that very instant Kosiya became subject to re-birth. - Then Matali said to him, “ Kosiya, thy aggregate of life* is passing from thee: thy practice of charity® is ended. What hast thou to do with the world of men? We will now go to the angel-world,” and being minded to conduct him thither he spoke this stanza : Come now, O saint, and stfaightway mount the car so dear to me, And let me lead thee to the heaven where reign the Thirty-Three. Indra is longing sore for thee, to Indra’s self akin, To-day thy way to fellowship with Indra thou shalt win. While Matali was yet still speaking, Kosiya passing away came into existence in the ranks of the gods without the intervention of parents* and mounting up took his stand upon the celestial car. Then Matali conducted him into the presence of Sakka. Sakka on seeing him was glad at heart and gave him his own daughter Honour to wife, as his chief consort, and conferred on him a boundless sovereignty.

On perceiving the state of things the Master said, ‘It is the merit of some illustrious beings that is thus purified,” and he repeated the final stanza : Tis thus the acts of holy men to happy issue lead, And evermore abides the fruit of meritorious deed. [412] Whoso beheld the ambrosial food to Honour that was given, Straight passed away to fellowship with Indra, lord of heaven. The Master here ended his discourse with these words, “Not now only, Brethren, but of old also I converted this niggardly fellow who was a confirmed miser,” and so saying he identified the Birth thus: “At that time Uppalavanna was the nymph Honour, a Brother of lordly generosity was Kosiya, Anuruddha was Paficasikha, Ananda Matali, Kassapa Suriya, Moggallana Canda, Sariputta Narada, and I myself was Sakka. 1 The same three gods occur in Jat. v1. 568. Pajapati here is clearly distinct from Brahma, 2 Jataka 1. 106, English version. 5 With danadhamma compare deyyadhamma, the usual term in Buddhist inscriptions for a pious gift or votive offering. 4 opapatika is a being who springs into existence without the intervention of parents and, as it were, uncauged and seeming to appear by chance, but really due to

“Thas is the report and the fame thereof.” This was a story told by the Master, while dwelling heside lake Kunala, concerning five hundred Brethren who were overwhelmed with discontent. Here follows the story in due order. The Sakiya and Koliya tribes had the river Rohini which flows between the cities of Kapilavatthu and Koliya confined by a single dam and by means of it cultivated their crops. In the month Jetthamtla? when the crops began to flag and droop, the labourers from amongst the dwellers of both cities assembled together. Then the people of Koliya said, “Should this water be drawn off on both sides, it will not prove sufficient for both us and you. But our crops will thrive with a single watering; give us then the water.” The people of Kapilavatthu said, “When you have filled your garners with corn, we shall hardly have the courage to come with ruddy gold, emeralds and copper coins, and with baskets and sacks in our hands, to hang about your doors. Our crops too will thrive with a single watering; give us the water.” “We will not give it,” they said. ~ “Neither will we,” said the others. As words thus ran high, one of them rose up and struck another a blow, and he in turn struck a third and thus it was that what with interchanging blows and spitefully touching on the origin of their princely families they increased the tumult.

The Koliya labourers said, “Be off with your people of Kapilavatthu [413], men who like dogs, jackals, and such like beasts, cohabited with their own sisters. What will their elephants and horses, their shields and spears avail against us?” The Sakiya labourers replied, “Nay, do you, wretched lepers’, be off with your children, destitute and illconditioned fellows, who like brute beasts had their dwelling in a hollow jujube tree (folt). What shall their elephants and horses, their spears and shields avail against us?” So they went and told the councillors appointed to such services and they reported it to the princes of their tribes. Then the Sakiyas said, “We will show them how strong and mighty are the men who cohabited with their sisters,” and they sallied forth, ready for the fray. And the Koliyas said, “We will show them how strong and mighty are they who dwelt in the hollow of a jujube tree,” and they too sallied forth ready for the fight. But other teachers tell the story thus, “When the female slaves of the Sakiyas and Koliyas came to the river to fetch water, and throwing the coils of cloth that they carried on their heads upon the ground were seated and pleasantly conversing, a certain woman took another’s cloth, thinking it was her own; and when owing to this a quarrel arose, each claiming the coil of cloth as hers, gradually the people of the two cities, the serfs and the labourers, the attendants, headmen, councillors and viceroys, all of them sallied forth ready for battle.” But the former version being found in many commentaries and being plausible is to be accepted rather than the other.

Now it was at eventide that they would be sallying forth, ready for the fray. At that time the Blessed One was dwelling at Savatthi, and at dawn of day while contemplating the world he beheld them setting out to the fight, and on seeing them he wondered whether if he were to go there the quarrel would cease, and he made

1 The text of this Birth Story is not very satisfactory, and in many places it is almost impossible to distinguish the words of the story itself from the explanations of the commentary. Compare Jdt. 1. No. 74, Rukkhadhamma-Jataka and Dhammapada, p. 351; also Hardy’s Manual, pp. 134—140. 2 May and June. 3 Compare Rogers’ translation of Buddhaghosha’s Parables, Ch. xxv1., for an account 220 The Jataka. Book XX. up his mind and thought, “I will go there and, to quell this feud, I will relate three Birth Stories, and after that the quarrelling will cease. Then after telling two Birth Stories, to illustrate the blessings of union, I will teach them the Attadanda! Sutta and after hearing my sermon the people of the two cities will each of them bring into my presence two hundred and fifty youths, and I shall admit them to holy orders and there will be a huge gathering.” Thus after performing his toilet, he went his rounds in Savatthi for alms, and on his return, after taking his meal, at eventide he issued, forth from his Perfumed Chamber and without saying a word to any man he took his bowl and robe and went by himself and sat cross-legged in the air between the two hosts. And seeing it was an occasion to startle them, to create darkness he sat there emitting (darkblue)? rays from his hair. Then when their hearts were troubled he revealed himself and emitted the six-coloured rays.

The people of Kapilavatthu on seeing the Blessed One thought, “The Master, our noble kinsman, is come. Can he have seen the obligation laid upon us to fight?” Nowthat the Master has come, it is impossible for us to discharge a weapon against the person of an enemy,” [414] and they threw down their arms, saying, “Let the Koliyas slay us or roast us alive.” The Koliyas acted in exactly the same way. Then the Blessed One alighted and seated himself on a magnificent Buddha throne, set in a charming spot on a bed of sand, and he shone with the incomparable glory of a Buddha. The kings too saluting the Blessed One took their seats. Then the Master, though he knew it right well, asked, “Why are ye come here, mighty kings?” “Holy Sir,” they answered, “we are come, neither to see this river, nor to disport ourselves, but to get up a fight.” “What is the quarrel about, sires?” ‘About the water.” “What is the water worth?” “Very little, Holy Sir.” “What is the

earth worth?” “It is of priceless value.” “What are warrior chiefs worth?” “They too are of priceless value.” “Why on account of some worthless water are you for destroying chiefs of high worth?” ‘Verily, there is no satisfaction in this quarrel, but owing to a feud, sire, between a certain tree-sprite and a black lion a grudge was set up, which has reached down to this present aeon,” and with these words he told them the Phandana® Birth. Then he said, “There ought not to be this blind following! of one another. A host of quadrupeds in a region of the Himalayas, extending to three thousand leagues, following one another at the word of a hare, all rushed headlong into the great sea. Therefore this following one of another ought not to be,” and so saying he related the Daddabha® Birth. Moreover he said, ‘“‘Sometimes the feeble see the weak points of the mighty, at other times the powerful see the weak points of the feeble, and a quail, a hen-bird, once killed a royal elephant,” and he related the Latukika® Birth. Thus to appease the quarrel he told three Birth Stories, and to illustrate the effects of unity he told two Birth Stories. “In the case of such as dwell together in unity, no one finds any opening for attack,” and so saying he told the Rukkhadhamma’ Birth. He also said, “Against such as were at unity, no one could find a loophole for attack, but when they quarrelled one with another, a certain hunter brought about their destruction and went off with them:

verily there is no satisfaction in a quarrel,” and with these words he related the Vattaka Birth’. After he had thus related these five Birth Stories, he finished up by reciting the Attadanda Sutta. Becoming believers the kings said, ‘““Had not the Master come, we should have slain one another and set flowing rivers of blood. It is owing to the Master that we are alive.. But if the Master had adopted the lay life, the realm of the four great islandcontinents, together with two thousand lesser islands, would have passed into

Sutta-Nipdta, tv. 15, p. 178. Ja&t. 1. p. 327, nilaransim vissajjetva. Jat. Iv. No, 475, 4 parapatti, cf. Jat, 11. 77. 27. 5 Jat. 11. No. 322, 6 Jat. 111. No. 357. 7 Jat. 1. No. 74. * Vol. 1. No. 33, Sammodamana-Jataka, is what is called Vattaka-Jataka in the text. ian Ape rf Nie To EET ra oe LNs : “eh ee NY ENP E Ae CL SS TeV, his hands and he would haye had more than a thousand sons. Moreover he would have had an escort of warrior lords. But foregoing this glory he gave up the world [415] and attained to Perfect Wisdom. Now too let him wander forth with a following of warrior lords.” So the two peoples each of them oftered him two hundred and fifty princes. The Blessed One after ordaining them retired to a great forest. From the next day onward, escorted by them, he goes his rounds for alms in the two cities, sometimes in Kapilavatthu, at other times in Koliya, and the people of both cities paid him great honour. Amongst these men, who were ordained not so much for their own pleasure as out of respect to the Teacher, spiritual discontent sprang up. And their former wives to stir up their discontent sent such and such messages to them, and they grew yet more dissatisfied. The Blessed One on reflection discovered how discontented they were and thought, “These Brethren, though living with a Buddha like me, are discontented.

I wonder what kind of preaching would be profitable to them” ; and he bethought him of the religious discourse of Kunala. Then this notion struck him, “I will conduct these Brethren to the Himalayas and after illustrating the sins connected with womankind by the Kunala story and removing their discontent, I will bestow upon them the first stage of Sanctification.” So in the morning putting on his under garment and taking his alms bowl and robes he went his rounds in Kapilavatthu, and having returned and taken his noonday meal, when the repast was finished, he addressed these five hundred Brethren and asked, “Was the delightful region of the Himalayas ever seen by you before?” They said, “Nay, holy sir?” “Will you go on pilgrimage to the Himalayas?” “Holy sit, we haye no supernatural powers; how should we go?” “But supposing some one were to take you with him, would you go?” “Yes, sire.” The Master by his miraculous power caught them all up with him in the air and transported them to the Himalayas and standing in the sky he pointed out to them in a pleasant tract of the Himalayas various mountains, Golden Mount, Jewel Mount, Vermilion Mount, Collyrium Mount, Table-land Mount, Crystal Mount, and five great rivers, and the lakes, Kannamundaka, Rathakara, Sihappapata, Chaddanta, Tiyaggala, Anotatta and Kunala, seven lakes in all. The Himalaya is a vast region, five hundred leagues in height, three thousand leagues in breadth.

This charming part of it by his mighty power did he show them, and the dwelling places that were built there, the quadrupeds too, troops of lions, tigers, elephants and so forth did he show from this place —sacred closes and other pleasances, flowering and fruit-bearing trees, flocks of all manner of birds, water and land plants,—on the east side of Himalaya a golden table land, on the west side a vermilion one. From the first sight of these charming regions, the passionate longing of these Brethren for their former wives passed off. Then the Master with these Brethren [416] alighting from the air on the west side of Himalaya on a rocky plateau sixty leagues in extent, in Red Valley three leagues long, beneath a sal tree covering seven leagues and lasting a whole aeon, the Master, I say, escorted by these Brethren, emitting the six-coloured rays and stirring up the depths of Ocean and blazing like the sun took his seat, and speaking with a voice sweet as honey he thus addressed these Brethren: “Brethren, inquire of me about some marvel ye have never seen before in this Himalaya.” At that moment two spotted cuckoos, seizing a stick at both ends in their mouths, in the centre of it had placed their lord. Eight cuckoos in front and eight behind, eight on the right and eight on the left, eight below and eight above, thus casting a shadow over their lord as they escorted him, were flying through the air.

These Brethren on seeing this flock of birds asked the Master, “What, sir, is the meaning of these birds?” “Brethren,” he said, “this is an ancient custom of our family, a tradition set up by me; in a former age they thus escorted me. Now at that time there was a vast gathering of these birds. Three thousand five hundred young hen-birds escorted me. Gradually wasting away the flock has become such as you see.” “In what kind of forest did they escort you, sir?” Then the Master said, “Well, hearken, Brethren,” and recalling it to mind he told a story of the past and thus taught them.

222 The Jataka. Book XXTI. This is the report and the fame thereof: a region yielding from its soil all manner of herbs, overspread with many a tangle of flowers, ranged over by the elephant, gayal, buffalo, deer, yak, spotted antelope, rhinoceros, elk, lion, tiger, panther, bear, wolf, hyena, otter’, kadali antelope, wild cat, long-eared hare, inhabited by numberless herds of different kinds of elephants’, and frequented by various kinds of deer*, and haunted by horse-faced yakkhas, sprites, goblins and ogres, overspread with a thicket of trees blooming at the top with flowers, stalked and high-standing, and pithless*, re-echoing to the eries of hundreds of birds, all mad with joy, ospreys, partridges, elephant-birds, peacocks, pheasants, Indian cuckoos*, adorned and covered with hundreds of. mineral substances, collyrium, arsenic, yellow orpiment, vermilion, gold and silver—it was in such a delightful forest lived the bird Kunila [417]: very bright was it and covered with gay feathers. This Kunala bird had three thousand five hundred hen-birds in attendance on him. Then two birds seizing a stick in their mouths seated the Kunala bird between them and flew up, fearing lest fatigue in the course of the long distance should cause him to move from his position and he should fall. Five hundred young birds fly below, for they thought, “If this Kunala bird should fall from his perch, we will catch him in our wings.” Other five hundred birds fly above him, for fear lest the heat should scorch Kunala.

Five hundred birds fly on either side of him, to prevent cold or heat, grass or dust, wind or dew from coming nigh him. Five hundred fly in front of him, lest cowherds or neat-herds, grass-cutters, or stick-gatherers or foresters should strike Kuniala with stick or potsherd, with fist or clod, with staff or knife or gravel, or lest Kunala should come into collision with shrub or creeper or tree, with post or rock, or with some powerful bird. Five hundred fly behind, addressing him with gentle, kindly words, in charming, sweet tones, lest Kunala should grow weary, sitting there. Five hundred birds fly hither and thither, bringing a variety of fruits from different kinds of trees, lest Kunala should be distressed with hunger. Then the birds swiftly transport Kunala for his satisfaction from pleasance to pleasance, from garden to garden, from one river’s bank to another, from mountain peak to mountain peak, from one mango grove to another, from rose-apple orchard to rose-apple orchard, from one bread-fruit grove to another, from one cocoa-nut plantation to another. So Kunala day by day escorted by these birds thus upbraids them: [418] “ Perish, ye vile creatures, yea, perish utterly, ye thievish, knavish creatures, heedless, flighty and ungrateful as ye are, like the wind going wheresoever ye list.”

1 udddrakd. For the form compare marjaraka, a cat. ? Specified in the text, 3 amajja. For this word compare Taittiriya Samhita, vm. 5. 12, 2. 4 T have omitted the names of three birds, parabhiita, celdvaka, bhinkara, which are not found in the dictionaries. , CORI NG EN ONG Ea IN TY ene Aaa dial iin vt [419] After these words the Master said, “Surely, Brethren, even when I was in an animal form, I knew well the ingratitude, the wiles, the wickedness and immorality of women-folk, and at that time so far from being in their power I kept them under my control,” and when by these words he had removed the spiritual discontent of these Brethren, the Master held his peace. At this moment two black cuckoos came to this spot, raising their lord aloft on the stick, while others in fours flew below and on every side of him. On seeing them, the Brethren asked the Master of them and he said, “Of old, Brethren, I had a friend, a royal cuckoo, named Punnamukha, and such was the tradition in his family,” and in answer to the Brethren’s question, just as before, he said: On the eastern side of this same Himalaya, the king of mountains, are green-flowing streams, having their source in slight and gentle mountain slopes; in a fragrant, charming, bright spot, blooming with the beauty of lotuses, blue, white, and the hundred-leafed, the white lily and the tree of paradise, [420] in a region overrun and beautified with all manner of trees’ and flowering shrubs and creepers, resounding with the cries of swans, ducks and geese, inhabited by troops of monks and ascetics, and such as are possessed of magical or supernatural powers, and haunted by high angelic beings, demons, goblins, ogres, heavenly minstrels, fairies and mighty serpents—verily it was in such a charming forest-thicket that the royal cuckoo Punnamukha dwelt.

Very sweet was his voice, and his laughing eyes were as the eyes of one intoxicated with joy. Three thousand | five hundred hen-birds followed in the train of this cuckoo Punnamukha. So two birds seizing a stick in their mouths and seating Punnamukha in the middle of it fly up into the air, fearing lest fatigue, &c.” (421] Then did Punnamukha, escorted by these birds by day, thus sing their praises, saying, “Bravo, my sisters, this act of yours well becomes high-born ladies, in that ye do service to your lord.” Then in truth the cuckoo Punnamukha drew nigh to the place where sat the bird Kunala, and the Miirds in attendance upon Kunala saw him, and while he was yet afar off they drew nigh to Punnamukha and thus accosted him: “ Friend Punnamukha, Kunala here is a fierce bird and has a rough tongue. Haply by your help we may win kindly speech from him.” ‘Haply we may, ladies,” he said. And so saying, he drew nigh to Kunala, and after a kindly greeting he sat respectfully on one side and thus addressed Kunala: ‘© Wherefore dost thou, friend Kunala, behave so ill to these high-born ladies of rank, though they themselves are well-conducted. One ought, friend Kunila, to speak pleasantly even to ladies who are themselves ungracious in speech : much more to such as are gracious.” When he had so spoken, Kunala abused Punnamukha after this manner, saying, “Perish, vile wretch, yea, perish utterly. Who is to be found like you, won over

1 The translation here omits a long list of trees, etc., known for the most part, if at all, by their botanical equivalents in Latin. 2 Here follows a long passage already given supra, p. 222. 224 The Jataka. Book 0.6 6 by the prayers of womenfolk'?” On‘being thus reproached the cuckoo Punnamukha [422] turned back. Then surely in no long time afterwards severe sickness attacked Puwnnamukha, and extreme suffering from a bloody flux set in, bringing him nigh unto death. Then this thought occurred to the birds in attendance upon the cuckoo Punnamukha: “This cuckoo is ill; peradventure he may be raised up from his sickness.” So leaving him quite alone they drew nigh to where the bird Kunala was. Kunala spied these birds coming from afar, and on seeing them thus addressed them, “‘ Where, wretches, is your lord?” Friend Kunala, they said, “ Punnamukha is sick: perhaps he may be raised up from his sickness.” When they had so spoken, the bird Kunala cursed them thus: ‘Perish, ye wretches, yea, perish utterly, ye thievish, knavish, heedless, flighty creatures, ungrateful for kindness done to you, going like the wind whithersoever ye list.” So saying, he drew nigh to where the cuckoo Punnamukha was and thus addressed him: “Ho! friend Punnamukha.” “Ho! friend Kunala,’’? he replied. Then the bird Kunala seized the cuckoo Punnamukha with his wings and beak and raising him up gave him all manner of medicines to drink.

So the sickness of the cuckoo was relieved. [423] And when Punnamukha was well, the birds returned and Kunala for a few days gave Punnamukha wild fruits to eat, and when he had recovered his strength, he said, ‘‘ Now friend, you are well again ; continue to dwell with your attendant birds, and I will return to my own place of abode.” Then Punnamukha said to him, “ They left me when I was extremely ill and flew away. I have no need of these rogues.” On hearing this the Great Being said, ‘‘ Well then, friend, I will tell you of the wickedness of womenfolk,” and he took Punnamukha and brought him to the Red Valley on a slope of the Himalayas and sat down on a rock of red arsenic at the foot of a sal tree, seven leagues in extent, while Punnamukha with his following sat on one side. Throughout all the Himalayas went a heavenly proclamation, “ To-day Kunala, king of birds, seated on a rock of red arsenic in the Himalayas, with all the charm of a Buddha will preach the Law; hearken to him.” [424] By proclaiming it, one to another, the gods of the six Kamavacara worlds heard of it and for the most part assembled together: many deities too in the forest, serpents, garudas, and vultures proclaimed the fact. At that time Ananda, king of the vultures, with a following of ten thousand vultures dwelt upon Vulture Peak, And on hearing the commotion he thought, “I will listen to the preaching of the Law,” and came with his followers and sat apart. Narada too the ascetic with the five Supernatural Faculties, dwelling in the Himalaya region, with his following of ten thousand ascetics, on hearing this heavenly proclamation, thought, ‘My friend Kunala, they 1 The scholiast seems to take the passage thus. Perhaps it may be rendered, ‘*Who is this (paragon) thus described by you, a henpecked creature that you are?”

say, will speak of the faults of womenkind: I too must listen to his exposition,” and accompanied by a thousand ascetics he travelled thither by his supernatural power and sat on one side apart. There was a great gathering like that which assembles to hear the teaching of Buddhas. Then the Great Being, with the knowledge of one who remembers his former births, making Punnamukha a personal witness, related a circumstance seen in a former existence, connected with the faults of women. The Master, making the matter clear, said: Then the bird Kunala thus addressed the cuckoo Punnamukha, who had recently been raised up from a bed of sickness: “Friend Punnamukha, I have seen Kanha, her that had a double parentage’ and five husbands’, and whose affection was set upon a sixth man, a headless*, crippled dwarf.” Here too we have a further verse : In ancient story Kanha, it is said, A single maid to princes five was wed, Insatiate still she lusted for yet more And with a hump-backed dwarf she played the whore. “T have seen, friend Punnamukha, the case of a female ascetic named Saccatapavi, who dwelt in a cemetery and gave away even a fourth meal. She sinned with a goldsmith. I witnessed too, friend Punnamukha, the case of Kakati*, the wife of Venateyya, who dwelt in the midst of the sea and yet sinned with Natakuvera. I have seen, friend Punnamukha, the fairhaired Kurangavi’ [425], who though in love with Elakamara sinned with Chalangakumara and Dhanantevasi.

This too was known to me, how the mother® of Brahmadatta, forsaking the king of Kosala, sinned with Paficalacanda. These and other women went wrong, and one should not put trust in women nor praise them. As the earth is impartially affected towards all the world, bearing wealth for all, a home for all sorts and conditions of men (good and bad alike), all-enduring, unshaken, immovable, so also is it with women (in a bad sense). A man should not trust them.

As lion fed upon raw flesh and blood, With his five’ paws fierce ravening for food, In others’ hurt will his chief pleasure find— Such like are women. Man, beware their kind. Verily, friend Punnamukha, these creatures are not mere harlots, wenches or street-walkers, they are not so much strumpets as murderesses 1 i.e. the kings of Kosala and Kasi, the real and the putative father. 2 The names of the five husbands are given: Ajjuna, Nakula, Bhimasena, Yudhitthila, Sahadeva. 3 Meaning, ‘ with head crushed down into his body.’ 4 Jat. ut. No. 327. 5 Compare Tawney’s Katha Sarit Sdgara, u. 491—492. 6 Reading mata ohdya Kosalarajanam. 7 The lion’s mouth is the fifth paw. 226 The Jataka. Book X XJ. —I mean these harlots, wenches, and street-walkers'. They are like unto robbers with braided locks, like a poisoned drink, like merchants that sing their own praises, crooked like a deer’s horn, evil-tongued like snakes, like a pit that is covered over, insatiate as hell, as hard to satisfy as a she-ogre, like the all-rapacious Yama, all-devouring like a flame, sweeping all before it as a river, like the wind going where it lists, undiscriminating like mount Neru’, fruiting perennially like a poison tree.” Here too occurs a further verse:

Like poisonéd draught or robber fell, crooked as horn of stag, Like serpent evil-tongued? are they, as merchant apt to brag, Murderous as covered pit, like Hell’s insatiate maw are they, As goblin greedy or like Death that carries all away. Devouring like a flame are they, mighty as wind or flood, Like Neru’s golden peak that aye confuses* bad and good, Pernicious as a poison-tree they fivefold ruin bring On household gear, wasters of wealth and every precious thing. Once upon a time, they say, Brahmadatta, king of Kasi, owing to his having an army, seized on the kingdom of Kosala, slew its king and carried off his chief queen, who was then pregnant [426], to Benares and there made her his consort. By and bye she gave birth to a daughter, and as the king had neither son nor daughter of his own begetting, he was greatly pleased and said, ‘‘ Fair lady, choose some boon at my hands.” She accepted the boon but reserved her choice. Now they named the young princess Kanha. So when she was grown up, her mother said, “Dear child, your father offered me a boon, which I accepted but put off my choice: do you now choose whatever you like.” From the excess of her passion breaking through maidenly shame she said to her mother, “‘ Nothing else is lacking to me; get him to hold an assembly® to choose me a husband.” The mother repeated this to the king. The king said, ‘“ Let her have whatever she wishes,” and he had an assembly for choosing a husband proclaimed. In the palace yard a host of men assembled, arrayed in all their splendour. Kanha, who with a basket of flowers in her hand stood looking out of an upper lattice window, approved of no single one of them, Then Ajjuna, Nakula, Bhimasena, Yudhitthila, Sahadeva, of the family of king Pandu, these five sons of king Pandu,

1 The scholiast takes gamaniyo as equivalent to vesiyo. > Jat. vol. ut. No. 379, Neru-jataka. Like Mt Neru, reflecting a golden hue on all objects alike. 3 One MS. for dujjivha reads dujivha ‘ double-tongued.’ 4 Navasamakata can scarcely be right. The commentary gives as the epithet to Neru nibbisesakarad. One reading gives ndvasamagatd, speeding like a ship, 5 Svayamvara was the public choice of a husband by a princess from a number of suitors assembled for the purpose. In the Mahabharata we have an account of the Svayamyara of Draupadi, daughter of the king of Paficala, afterwards the common wife of the five Pandu princes. I say, after receiving instruction in arts at Takkasila from a worldfamed teacher, travelling about with the idea of mastering local customis, arrived at Benares, and hearing a commotion in the city and learning in answer to their inquiry what it was all about, they came and stood all five of them in a row, in appearance like so many golden statues. Kanha on seeing them fell in love with all five, as they stood before her, and threw a wreathed coil of flowers on the head of all the five and said, “ Dear mother, I choose these five men.” The queen told this to the king. The king, because he had given her the choice, did not say, ‘ You cannot do this,” but was greatly vexed. On asking however what was their origin and whose sons they were, when he learned that they were sons of king Pandu, he paid them great honour and gave them his daughter to wife, and by the force of her passion she won the affection of these five princes in her seven-storied palace.

Now she had as an attendant a humpbacked cripple, and when by the force of passion she had won the hearts of the five princes, as soon as they had gone forth from the palace, finding her opportunity and fired by lust she sinned with the hump-backed slave, and conversing with him she said, “There is no one dear to me like you ; I will slay these princes and have your feet smeared in the blood from their throats.” And when she was in the company of the eldest of the royal brothers, she would say, ‘You are dearer to me than those other four. For your sake I would even sacrifice my life. At my father’s death I will bestow the kingdom on you alone.” But when she was in the company of the others, she acted in just the same way. They were greatly pleased with her, thinking, “She is fond of us and owing to this the sovereignty will be ours.” One day she was sick, and gathering about her, one sat chafing her head, and the rest each of them a hand or foot, while the hump-back sat at her feet. To the eldest brother, prince Ajjuna, who was chafing her head, she made a sign with her head, implying, “No one is dearer to me than you are: so long as I live I shall live for you and at my father’s death I will bestow the kingdom on you,” and so she won his heart. ‘To the others too she made signs with hand or foot to the same

effect. But to the hump-back she made a sign with her tongue which said, “You only are dear to me: for your sake shall I live.” All of them, owing to what had been said by her before, knew what was meant by this sign. But while the rest of them each recognised the sign given to himself, prince Ajjuna [427] when he saw the motions of hand, foot or tongue, thought, “As in my case, so also with the others, by this sign some token must be given, and there must be some intimacy with this hump-backed fellow”; so going outside with his brothers he asked, “ Did you see the lady with five husbands making a sign with her head to me?” “Yes, we did.” “Do you know the meaning of it?” “We do not.” “The meaning of it was so and so: do you know what was meant by the sign given you 15—2 228 The Jataka. Book XX1J. with hand or foot?” “Yes, we know.”* “In the same way she gave me too a sign. Do you know the meaning of the sign given to the humpback by a motion of her tongue?” “We do not know.” Then he told them, “With him too she has sinned.” And when they did not believe him, he sent for the hump-back and asked him, and he told him all about it. When they heard what he had to say, they all lost their passionate love for her.

“Ah! surely,” they said, “ womankind is evil and vicious. Leaving men like us, nobly born and blest by fortune, she goes wrong with a disgusting, loathsome, hump-backed fellow like this. Who that is wise will find any pleasure in consorting with women so shameless and wicked as this?” Thus censuring womenfolk in many a turn the five princes thought, “We have had enough of married life,” and retired into the Himalayas, and after going through the Kasina rite, at the end of their life they fared according to their deeds. Kunala the bird-king was prince Ajjuna, and it was for this reason that in setting forth anything that he himself had seen, he began his story with the words “I saw.” In relating other things that he had seen of old he used the same words, and here follows an explanation of an incident given in the first introductory story.

Once upon a time, they say, a white’ nun named Saccatapavi had a hut of leaves built in a cemetery near Benares, and living there she abstained from four out of five meals, and throughout the city her fame was blazed abroad like as it were that of the Moon or Sun, and natives of Benares, if they sneezed or stumbled, said, “‘ Praise be to Saccatapavi.” Now on the first day of a festival some goldsmiths had a tent erected in a certain spot where a crowd was gathered, and bringing fish, meat, strong drink, perfumes, wreaths and the like, they started a drinking bout. Then a certain goldsmith, who was addicted to drink, in vomiting said, “ Praise be to Saccatapavi.” On a certain wise man amongst them saying, “Alas! blind fool, you are paying honour to a fickle-minded woman—Oh! you are a fool,” he replied, ‘ Friend, speak not thus, nor be guilty of a deed that leads to hell.” Then the wise man said, “ You fool, hold your tongue, Lay a wager with me for a thousand crowns and on the seventh day from this, seated in this very spot, I will deliver into your hands Saccatapavi in splendid apparel and made merry with strong drink [428] and I too will have a good drink myself with her: so unstable are womenkind.” He said, “You will not be able to do so,” and took his wager for a thousand crowns. So he told the other goldsmiths, and early next morning, disguised as an ascetic, our wise man made his way into the cemetery, and not far from her place of abode stood worshipping the Sun. She saw him as she was setting out to collect alms, and thought, ‘Surely this must be an ascetic with miraculous powers. I dwell on one

1 setasamani. Amongst the Jains is an order of white-robed ascetics called svetambaras. Compare our White Friars. Tea Wee eat ren side of the cemetery, but he in the centre of it: his heart must be full of a holy calm. I will pay my respects to him.” So she drew nigh to him and saluted him, but he neither looked nor spoke. On the next day he acted in the same way. But on the third day when she saluted him, he looked down and said, “ Depart.” On the fourth day he spoke kindly to her and said, “Are you not tired begging for alms?” She thought, “I have had a kind greeting,” and departed well pleased. On the fifth day she received a still kinder greeting and after sitting awhile she saluted him and went hef ways. But on the sixth day she came and saluted him as he sat there. He said, “Sister, what in the world is this great noise of song and music in Benares to-day?” She answered, ‘‘ Holy Sir, do you not know that a festival is proclaimed in the city and this is the sound of those that make merry there?” Pretending not to know he said, “‘ Yes, this doubtless is the noise I hear.” Then he asked, ‘““ How many meals, Sister, do you omit to take?” ‘Four, Sir,” she said, “and how many do you omit?” ‘Seven, Sister,” but in this he spoke falsely, for he used to eat all day and night.

Then he asked, ‘‘ How many years is it since you took religious vows?” And when she said, “‘Twelve, and how many since you took orders?” he answered, “This is the sixth year.” Then he asked, “Sister, have you attained to a holy calm?” ‘I have not, Sir. Have you?” ‘Neither have we,” he said. “We get, Sister, neither the joy of sensual pleasure, nor the bliss of renunciation, What is it to us that hell is hot? Let us follow in the way of the multitude: I will become a house-holder, and as I own the treasure which belonged to my mother, I shall come to no harm.” On hearing