Ambacora-Jataka, Bharhut
Once, a wicked ascetic built a hermitage in a mango grove on the bank of the river Ganga. He was an ascetic for the name’s sake as his real motive was the greed for donations and gifts. Further, he devoted most of his time in guarding the mangoes; and enjoying and eating them.
Those days, the Bodhisatta was born as Sakka, the king of heaven. One day, when he was viewing the affairs on the earth, he saw the wicked ascetic resorting to all sorts of evil practices. So, he decided to teach him a lesson.
That day, when the ascetic had gone to the village for alms, Sakka by his supernatural power knocked down the mangoes from the orchard and made it appear as if it were plundered by the thieves.
Upon return from the village, the false ascetic was much aggrieved at the sight of his orchard and looked for the thieves all around. At that moment the four daughters of a Varanasi merchant were passing by. The ascetic caught them in suspicion and accused them as the thieves.
Each of the four women then solemnly swore of their innocence. The wicked ascetic then set them free as he could not find any evidence against them. Thus, insulted and humiliated all four maidens went away sobbing.
Sakka, however, did not like the behaviour of the wicked ascetic towards those women. So, he appeared before him in a terrible form to teach him a lesson. Thus, frightened by Sakka the wicked ascetic fled from the orchard for ever.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| 062 - The Foot-Print Reader |
|
Padmanakusalamanava-Jataka, Mathura
Yaksini (with the head of a horse) with her son Padakusalamanava, Ajanta
Once a queen owing to her false oath was born as a yaksini. She had a well-demarcated territory to exercise her powers. She could kill and eat people within her territory. One day, she caught hold a rich and handsome Brahmin and fell in love with him. She brought him home and married him. But whenever she went outside she chained him in her abode lest he would run away. In course of time, the Bodhisatta was born out of her womb. When growing the yakkhini empowered him with a charm to read or trace the foot-step of any person even after the lapse of twelve years.
When the son grew old enough to note the captivity of his father he felt sorry for him. Having discovered the extent of the power of his yakkhini mother, which was effective only within a certain range, he, one day, meticulously engineered a plot and escaped out of the forest with his father and began a new life in a new city.
As the boy had the ability to trace the foot-steps of any person even after the lapse of twelve years he easily entered the service of the king of Varanasi. One day, the king and his chaplain stole some public treasury and hid it in a tank. Next morning, they asked the boy to find the same. The boy easily took the people to the tank by tracing the foot-steps in the air. The people were amazed. When insisted to reveal the names of the thieves he first declined as he knew that the thieves were none other than the king and his chaplain. None the less, when pressed long by the people, he divulged the names of the two. This infuriated the mob, which in frenzy killed the king and the chaplain. The Bodhisatta was then crowned as the king.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| 063 - The Story of Sutasoma |
Once, the Bodhisatta was born as a prince in the royal house of the Kurus in Indraprastha. His comely face was like moon (Soma). He was, therefore, called Sutasoma. Good conduct, learning, charity, mercy, modesty and wisdom and so on were his virtues for which he was declared as the heir-apparent. |
|
Kalmasapasada's mother
| Once in a gorgeous spring day he visited the royal garden with his wives and maids. There the women charmed him with their delightful songs, music, dances and amorous and playful gesticulations. In the meanwhile a hermit named Nanda came to the spot. The prince received him with the due reverence and offered him a place to sit and deliver some religious discourse. However, in the middle of the discourse a ferocious cannibal (born of king Sudasa and a lioness) known as Kalmasapasada attacked the garden and abducted the prince. The cannibal was under a vow to sacrifice one hundred princes to please a goblin, who was his benefactor. Further, before attacking Sutasoma he had already held one hundred princes as captives for the sacrifice. |
Though captured, Sutasoma was not terrified. He was rather remorseful for not having presented any gift to the hermit whose discourses he had enjoyed so much. Afflicted with those thoughts: his eyes filled with tears. When the beastly being saw tears in his eyes, he thought that the prince was scared. So, he laughed aloud and remarked, “Why do you bewail, O Prince! Is it not that you are frightened of the death ?” The prince said, “No, I am not scared of the death. I am sad because I just lost an opportunity to hear the complete sermon of the revered ascetic and to offer him some gifts. Will you, therefore, allow me to visit the palace for a short-while?” Kalmasapasada did not trust the prince’s statement, yet he allowed him to fulfil his last wish.
The prince was true to his word. He gave handsome gifts to the ascetic and took his wise lessons and returned to the cannibal.
Upon his return the man-eater was surprised and said, “You are true to your words but you lack political wisdom”.
“No, you are wrong. On contrary, I am better skilled in political wisdom because I know that resorting to such artfulness eventually leads to the fall of a man from the righteousness and perennial bliss; and leads to all sorts of suffering. I am now ready for death”, said the king in his composure.
Deeply Impressed by the prince’s sense of the righteousness the cannibal said, “I am pleased with you. You can ask for some boon from me.”
The prince laughed in reply and said, “what boon you can bestow on others? You are yourself a slave of Passion and chained by animal-like evil karmas. Your righteousness is destroyed every moment. So, how can you show any favour to any one ? It is now time for you to satisfy your cannibalistic passion by killing me.”
Though born of a lioness, Kalmasapasada was a son of a man, who was rather a reputed virtuous king known as Sudasa. So, these words of the prince made him feel ashamed; and opened his eyes. The man in him was, thus, aroused. And he finally pledged to lead a virtuous life. So, he freed all the captive princes and became a disciple of Sutasoma.
Later, Sutasoma helped Kalmasapasada regain his kingdom, which he ruled lawfully.
[Angulimala was Kalmasapasada in his previous existence; the ascetic Nanda was Kassapa Buddha].
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| 064 - The Story of Sudasa |
Once, Sudasa a king of Varanasi went on a hunting expedition in a dense forest; and lost his way. Tired and separated from his men he dismounted from his horse and slept under a tree. Charmed by his physical beauty and masculinity a lioness started licking his face and his horse watched her in horror. When the king woke up and saw the lioness in a seductive gesture, he accepted her invitation and married her. In course of time she bore him a son, who was called Kalmasapadasa. (The story of Kalmasapasada is narrated in the Sutasoma Jataka). Since then he enjoyed living in the forest with his lioness espouse.
One day, he thought of returning to his kingdom. So, he looked for the way, back to his city and eventually succeeded. He came to the fringe of the forest near Varanasi and asked the lioness to wait for him; and himself went to his kingdom and announced his return. When his return was being celebrated he engineered a plot to let the lioness sneak inside the palace. Thus he brought his family back home safely.
The lioness sneaking inside the palace, Ajanta
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
Bhimasena Jataka, Ajanta
Once there lived a dwarf who had mastered the Vedas and eighteen other branches of Studies under the guidance of the greatest teacher of the time in Taxila. As he was also a great archer he was called "The Little Bowman".
|
The Little Bowman
| The Little Bowman had the ambition to become the royal archer but because of his short stature nowhere was he found "suitable". Yet, without being discouraged he thought, "Why not I find out a person big in size to enter into the royal service, behind whom I shall actually act as a bow man !" Very soon, he found a well-built weaver, who he approached and proposed, "What is your name friend?" |
"Bhimasena", the weaver replied.
"Weave no more, O friend! I shall soon make you very rich. No country has an archer like me. Yet, no king employs me because I am a dwarf. But you have a look that attracts every king to employ you. So I take you to the king where you would pretend that you are a great archer. I would discharge the duty of the archer by hiding behind you. The king will surely employ you and pay you handsome salary. Thus, we shall both prosper."
The weaver agreed and they both went to the king. Bhimasena was employed as a royal archer and the little man became his page.
One day, the local people came to the king and complained the menace of a local man-eater tiger. The king called Bhimasena and entrusted him with the responsibility to kill the tiger. As Bhimasena had no experience of hunting he was very disturbed by the royal command. Little Bowman then advised him,
"Go to the place where the tiger lives but don't approach the tiger alone. You rather muster up the local folks with bows and arrows and proceed to the spot. After reaching there you stay behind some thicket and let the people advance and kill the tiger. When the tiger be killed you then make a sudden appearance and nag them for having killed the tiger, which you wanted to catch alive to follow the royal order. You then ask the people to bring the culprit, who had defied the royal order. The people would then keep their lips tight and no one would come forward to tell who had killed the tiger. Thus, the king would presume that you are the one, who had killed the tiger."
Bhimasena behind the dwarf
Likewise, Little Bowman kept on helping Bhimasena. But the latter in course of time became ungrateful, haughty and insulting to Little Bowman. This made the dwarf think of teaching a lesson to the spurious archer at an appropriate time.
A few months later, when a hostile neighbouring king launched a vigorous campaign and attacked, the patron king ordered the Bhimasena to go and shoot the enemy troops. Obeying the command of the king, he marched to the battle-field on an elephant's back. And behind him sat the little page. But when he looked at the advancing enemy troops he was terrified and fell down on the heaps of the elephant's dung.
Little Bowman, who was sitting behind him, then availed the opportunity of taking the command. He first shouted at Bhimasena, "O Bhimasena! You boast too much. You swear that you can kill the enemy king but when the time comes you can't even stay on the elephant's back. Now, you go and wash yourself clean. I will save you and this kingdom."
He raised the battle cry and dashed into the fight. Soon, he broke the enemy camp and captured the enemy king alive and brought him before his king. This made the king very pleased. He honoured him and appointed him as the chief of the royal army in recognition of his gallantry. Little Bowman then sent back the weaver to his native place and offered him some allowances.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Once, the prince of Varanasi went to Taxila for his education and training. Upon his return his father died and he succeeded him as the king on the throne of Varanasi. As he was a dainty eater people called him ‘King Dainty’. Further, he was so extravagant in eating that he spent one hundred thousand pieces on one dish. He also had the habit to invite the people and made them watch what he ate. For this he had a pavilion built in front of his palace door and in its the middle he got one golden dais constructed, where he sat and ate. Thus, when he ate, the people could watch him. One day, when he was sitting and eating in front of the people, a man suddenly jumped on the dais and shouted, “I am an envoy! I am an envoy!!” As he introduced himself as an envoy, no body could dare to prevent him. The man then scooped at one of the dishes, much to offend the by standers. Considering his act to be rude, the soldiers drew out their sword to slay him. But the king refrained them and allowed the man to eat to his satisfaction. The man enjoyed all the sumptuous dishes. When the man finished his meals, the king himself offered him his drinking water and betel nut. Next, he asked him, whose envoy was he; and what message was he carrying.
The man said,
O king! I am the envoy and messenger of Belly
So, O lord of chariots don’t be angry
For the belly’s sake men go very far
Even approaching an enemy they find no bar.
The king was pleased with this reply. He admitted the veracity of the statement. Truly, the people are dictated for most of their actions by their bellies.
Satisfied with the answer the King gave him hundred cows in reward and retired to his chamber.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Once there lived a drummer near Varanasi. Hearing that a festival was being celebrated in the city of Varanasi, he went there along with his son to play drums before the crowd. Thus, he earned a great deal of money.
On his way back he had to cross a dense forest infested with bandits. His son, however, overjoyed with his earnings kept on playing the drum incessantly. The father, however, cautioned him against the possible attraction of the bandits by the excessive drumming. He instead advised him for the occasional drumming, which could keep the robbers away by thinking that some local chieftain was on a journey along with his armed men.
The son did not listen to the advice of his father and kept on drumming in his joyous mood. Soon the robbers noticed the sound and caught them. They then beat them and ripped them off what they had.
Thus what was gained by the skilful drumming
Was lost by the excessive drumming.
It is therefore said that excessiveness is bad; and restraint is a virtue.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
068 - The King, Who Knew The Language Of Animals
|
Once a king saw some young boys pelting stones on a Naga serpent. He prevented the boys from killing the snake. Thus, he saved its life. The snake, which was the king of the Naga-World, thanked him and favoured him with a supernatural gift by which he could understand the language of any animal. But he warned him that the divulgence of the secret would cost him his life.
One day, when the king was sitting in his garden and enjoying the breakfast, a small portion of the sweet fell on the ground. Soon he heard an ant shouting, “My God, what a big wagon-ful of sweet has fallen; and there is none to consume it. Ah! I can enjoy all, now.” Hearing this the king smiled and chuckled. The queen, who was sitting next to him, was curious to note the changing countenance of the king. She asked him to tell her the reason for the smile. But the king kept silent; as the divulgence of the secret would cost him his life. The queen felt offended and thought that there was something wrong about her look, which the king did not want to tell in public.
At night, when the king was taking rest in his bed-chamber, the queen repeated the same question and demanded the answer. The king then told her that the divulgence of that secret would cost him his life. Nonetheless, the queen persisted by winging and throwing tantrums. Still when the king kept silence, she attacked his self-respect by calling him a “liar” and muttered that all his expressions of endearment like -“Darling, you are dearer to me than my very life” - were nothing but a pack of lies. The king, however, could not bear the attacks on his self-respect and eventually conceded to divulge the secret on the following day in the royal garden; and made up his mind to sacrifice his life.
The queen begging forgiveness, Ajanta
Sakka, the lord of the heaven, overheard the king’s resolve and decided to save him, because the king was righteous. So, he picked up one of his nymphets from the heaven and descended on the earth to save the King.
Next day, when the king and his retinues were on the way to the royal park, Sakka in the form of a donkey, and the nymphet in the form of a goat, stood conversing on one side of the path. The king overheard the goat saying to the donkey, “You are a fool but not as big a fool as is the king.” Having heard so, the king was curious to know as to why was he being called a “bigger fool”. So, he asked the goat “Why do you think that I am a bigger fool than a donkey?”
The goat replied, “look O king! Today you are going to die to please your wife; but tomorrow when your wife inherits all your wealth to enjoy it with a new mate would she ever think of you?”
This statement of the goat opened the eyes of the king and he realised his folly. He was then considered to rescind his decision to die to please his queen. He wanted to come out of the mess and not to sacrifice his precious life. So, he said to the goat “Pray, then tell me to break the impasse as I am now committed to tell her the charm”.
The goat said, “If you want to come out of the mess then go and tell her that you are ready to reveal her the secret on the condition that she agrees to receive one hundred lashes on her back”.
When the king reached the garden, he said to the queen, “O my darling! I am now ready to tell you the secret on the condition that you be ready to receive one hundred lashes in return”.
The queen considered the condition a joke and nodded in agreement.
The king then waived at one of his guards to lash her with all his power. And no sooner than she received two lashes she wailed and shouted “No! No! For God’s sake do not lash me! I don’t want to know the secret, now”.
The king then said scornfully, “ You wanted to know the secret at the cost of my life; but now you don’t want to know because you have to save your skin. You deserve a few more lashes.” But before he could order his man to give her a few more lashes, the king’s trustworthy minister intervened and requested him to forgive her.
Thus, the queen was not lashed further, yet she never received the same honour and dignity.
(Sakka is identified with the Bodhisatta in the above tale).
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Once, there lived a hermit with his five hundred disciples in the Himalayan mountains. He belonged to a wealthy brahmin family and had renounced the worldly life because of his realisation of the transience of the worldly pleasure.
One day, the ascetic along with his followers visited Varanasi to beg for alms and to spend the rainy season there. There, he and his followers were extended the royal hospitality and served food and shelter in the royal park. At the conclusion of the rainy season when the ascetic begged for his leave from the king the latter requested him to stay there longer by sending back all his followers. The ascetic accepted the royal invitation; and entrusted the responsibility on his chief disciple for the care and instructions of all his followers.
Back to the Himalaya, the chief disciple discharged his duty rather meticulously. Further, having thus spent there for several months, he one day came back to the royal park in Varanasi to pay homage to his guru. There, he apprised him of the activities of his followers in the Himalayas and sought necessary guidance for future course of action.
|
The ascetic and his followers
|
When the chief disciple was engrossed in discussion with the guru, the king, too, arrived there. The chief disciple was, however, unmindful of the king’s arrival and did not stand up to greet and honour him. The king instead heard him uttering, “Oh, what a great pleasure ! Oh, what a great pleasure !!” The king thought the disciple was greedy and was expressing his gratification after eating some royal dishes, which are scarcely available in forests. So, he gave a contemptuous look at the visiting ascetic.
|
The guru, however, read the mind of the king. So, to appease the king he introduced the chief disciple and revealed his earlier identity. He told the king that the disciple was the monarch of a kingdom, which happened to be much mightier than the kingdom of Varanasi. Further, the utterances of “great pleasure”, which he had just made, were the expressions of the pleasure of the life of a recluse, which he had never experience during the days of his sovereignty. The king then realised his distrust in the chief disciple and felt ashamed and apologised.
(The guru was the Bodhisatta; and the chief disciple was Bhaddiya).
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
Sama-Jataka, Sanchi
|
Once two beings of Brahma-loka (higher divine world) were born as boy and girl. They were called Dukulaka and Parika, respectively. Their parents were bosom friends. When the two children attained maturity their parents married them. As the two were the beings of higher world they did not indulge in any physical relationship. Detached from the earthly life they lived in a hermitage as ascetics. Nonetheless, persuaded by Sakka Dukulaka touched the navel of Parika at a proper time, which made the latter conceive a baby. The baby was born with golden colour. So, he was given the name of Suvannasama; but was often called Sama.
Once, Sama’s parents took shelter under a tree when there was heavy rain pour. The water, which dripped from their body fell on a snake living in the ant-hill on which they were standing. This made the snake furious and exhale the venomous breath, which made them blind. Having not found his parents back till late in the evening, Sama himself went outside to look for them; and finally brought them home. Since then he looked after them.
|
Once Piliyakkha, the king of Varanasi was out on a hunting expedition in the forest around the hermitage. There, he heard the sound of water, which was being drawn by Sama for his parents. Mistaking Sama as a goblin, he shot him with a poisoned arrow. Now, a yakkhini Bahusodari, who happened to be the mother of Sama seven births before, saw Sama being killed, descended and stood in the mid air. She then frightened the king and ordered him to go and inform the blind parents of his misdeed.
Despite the news of the son’s death the blind parents remained calm and did not show any resentment. They instead requested the king to escort them to their dead son. After reaching near the body of Sama, Parika performed the Sacchakiriya (Act of Truth) which evaporated the poison and made him well. Then the yakkhini performed the similar kiriya for the blind parents. And the parents, too, were cured and regained their eye-sight.
(Bodhisatta is identified with Sama; Dukuluka with Kassapa; Parika with Bhadda Kapilani; Piliyaka with Ananda; and the yakkhini Bahusodari with Uppalavanna).
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
