ဇာတက-အဋ္ဌကထာ (ပဉ္စ)

SA]M[KHAPALA-JATAKA. " Of comely presence," etc. This was a story told by the Master, while dwelling at Jetavana, with regard to the duties of holy days. Now on this occasion the Master, expressing approval of certain lay folk who kept holy days, said " Wise men of old, giving up the great glory of the Naga world, observed holy days," and at their request he related a story of the past. Once upon a time a king of Magadha ruled in Bajagaha. At that time the Bodhisatta was born as the son of this king's chief consort, and they gave him the name of Duyyodhana. On coming of age he acquired the liberal arts at Takkasila and returned home to see his father. And his father installed him in the kingdom [162] and adopting the religious life took up his abode in the park. Thrice a day did the Bodhisatta come to visit his father who thereby received great profit and honour. Owing to this hindrance he failed to perform even the preparatory rites that lead to mystic meditation and he thought, " I am receiving great profit and honour : so long as I live here, it will be impossible for me to destroy this lust of mine. Without saying a word to my son, I will depart elsewhere." So not telling a creature he left the park and passing beyond the borders of the realm of Magadha he built him a hut of leaves in the Mahuhsaka kingdom, near Mount Caudaka, in a bend of the river Kannapenna, where it issues out of the lake Samkhapala. There he took up his abode and performing the preparatory rites he developed the faculty of mystic meditation and subsisted on whatever he could pick up. A king of the Nagas, Saitikhapala by name, issuing forth from the Kannapenna river with a numerous company of snakes from time to time would visit the ascetic, and he instructed the Naga king in the Law. Now the son was anxious to see his father and being ignorant as to where he had gone, he set on foot an inquiry, and on finding out that he was dwelling in such and such a place he repaired thither with a large retinue to see him. Having halted a short distance oflF, accompanied by a few courtiers he set out in the direction of the hermitage. At this moment Samkhapala with a large following sat listening to the Law, but on seeing the king approaching he rose up and with a salutation to the sage he took his departure. The king saluted his father and after the usual courtesies had been exchanged he inquired, saying, " Reverend sir, what king is this that has been to see you? " Dear son, he is Samkhapala, the Naga king." The son by reason of the great magnificence of the Naga conceived a longing for the Naga world. Staying there a few days he furnished his father with a constant supply of food, and then returned to his own city. There he had an alms-hall erected at the four city gates, and by his alms-giving he made a stir throughout all India, and in aspiring to the Naga world he ever kept the moral law and observed the duty of holy days, and at the end of his life he was re-born in the Naga world as king Sarfcikhapala. [163] In course of time he grew sick of this magnificence and from that day desiring to be born as a man he kept the holy days, but dwelling as he did in the Naga world his observance of them was not a success and he deterioi-ated in morals. From that day he left the Naga world and not far from the river Kannapenna, coiled round an ant-hill between the high road and a narrow path, he there resolved to keep the holy day and took upon himself the moral law. And saying "Let those that want my skin or want my skin and flesh, let them, I say, take it all," and thus sacrificing himself by way of charity he lay on the top of the ant-hill and, stopping there on the fourteenth and fifteenth of the half-month, on the first day of each fortnight he returned to the Naga world. So one day when he lay there, having taken upon himself the obligation of the moral law, a party of sixteen men who lived in a neighbouring village, being minded to eat flesh, roamed about in the forest with weapons in their hands and when they returned without finding anything, they saw him lying on the ant-hill and thinking, " To-day we have not caught so much as a young lizard, we will kill and eat this snake-king,'' but fearing that on account of his great size, even if they caught him, he would escape from them, they thought they would pierce him with stakes just as he lay there coiled up, and after thus disabling him, effect his capture. So taking stakes in their hands they drew nigh to him. And the Bodhisatta caused his body to become as big as a trough-shaped canoe, and looked very beautiful, like a jasmine wreath deposited on the ground, with eyes like the fruit of the guHjd shrub and a head like a jayasumana' ' Pentapetes Phoenicea. flower and at the sound of the foot-steps of these sixteen men, drawing out his head from his coils, and opening his fiery eyes, he beheld them coming with stakes in their hands and thought, " To-day my desire will be fulfilled as I lie here, I will be firm in my resolution and yield myself up to them me with their javelins and cover me as a sacrifice, and when they strike with wounds, I will not open my eyes and regard them with anger." And conceiving this firm resolve through fear of breaking the moral law, [164] he tucked his head into his hood and lay down. Then coming up to him they seized him by the tail and dragged him along the ground. Again dropping him they wounded him in eight different places with sharp stakes and thrusting black bamboo sticks, thorns and all, into his open wounds, so proceeded on their way, carrying him with them by means of strings in the eight several places. The Great Being from the moment of his being wounded by the stakes never once opened his eyes nor regarded the men with anger, but as he was being dragged along by means of the eight sticks his head hung down and struck the ground. So when they found that his head was drooping, they laid him down on the high road and piercing his nostrils with a slender stake they held up his head and inserted a cord, and after fastening it at the end they once more raised his head and set out on their way. At this moment a landowner named Ajara, who dwelt in the city of Mithila in the kingdom of Videha, seated in a comfortable carriage was journeying with five hundred wagons, and seeing these lewd fellows on their way with the Bodhisatta, he gave all sixteen of them, together with an ox apiece, a handful of golden coins to each, and to all of them outer and inner garments, and to their wives ornaments to weai-, and so got them to release him. The Bodhisatta returned to the Naga palace and without any delay, issuing forth with a great retinue, he approached Ajara, and after singing the praises of the Naga palace he took him with him and returned thither. Then he bestowed great honour on him together with three hundred Naga maidens and satisfied him with heavenly delights. Alara dwelt a whole year in the Naga palace in the enjoyment of heavenly pleasures, and then saying to the Naga kir^, " My friend, I wish to become an ascetic," and taking with him everything requisite for the ascetic life he left the abode of the Nagas for the Himalaya region and taking orders dwelt there for a long time. By and bye he went on a pilgrimage and came to Benares where he took up his abode in the king's park. Next day he entered the city for alms and made his way to the door of the king's house. The king of Benares on seeing him was so charmed with his deportment that he called him to his presence, seated him on a special seat assigned to him and served him with a variety of dainty food. [165] Then seated on a low seat the king saluted him and conversing with him gave utterance to the first stanza Of comely presence and of gracious mien, A scion thou of noble rank, I ween ; Whj then renounce earth's joys and worldly gear To adopt the hermit's robe and rule severe? In what follows the connexion of the stanzas is to be understood in the way of alternate speeches by the ascetic and the king. lord of men, I well remembering The abode of that almighty Naga king. Saw the rich fruit that springs from holiness, And straight believing donned the priestly dress. Nor fear nor lust nor hate itself may make A holy man the words of truth forsake Tell me the thing that I am fain to know. And faith and peace within my heart will grow. king, on trading venture was I bound "When these lewd wretches in my path were found, A full-grown snake in captive chains was led. And home in triumj)h joyously they sped. As I came up with them, king, I cried, — Amazed I was and greatly terrified ' Where are ye dragging, sirs, this monster grim. And what, lewd fellows, will ye do with him ? [166] ' This full-grown snake that ye see fettered thus With its hiige frame will furnish food to us. Than this, Alara, thou couldst hardly wish To taste a better or more savoury dish.' 'Hence to our home we'll fly and in a trice Each with his knife cut off a dainty slice And gladly eat his flesh, for, as you know. Snakes ever find in us a deadly foe.' ' If this huge snake, late captured in the wood. Is being dragged along to serve as food, To each an ox I offer, one apiece. Should you this serpent from his chains release.' 'Beef has for us a pleasant sound, I vow. On snake's flesh we have fed full oft ere now. Thy bidding, O Alara, we will do ; Henceforth let friendship reign betwixt us two.' Then they released him from the cord that passed Kight through his nose and knotted held him fast. The serpent-king set free from durance vile Turned him .towards the east, then paused awhile. And facing still the east, prepared to fly, Looked back upon me with a tearful eye. While I pursuing him upon his way Stretched forth clasped hands, as one about to pray. ' Speed thou, my friSnd, like one in haste that goes. Lest once again thou fall amongst thy foes. Of such like ruffians shun the very sight, Or thou'mayst suffer to thine own despite.' Then to a charming limpid pool he sped —Canes and rose apples both its banks o'erspread [167] Right glad at heart, no further fear he knew. But plunged in azure depths was lost to view. No sooner vanished had the snake, than he Revealed full clearly his divinity, In kindly acts he played a filial part, And with his grateful speeches touched my heart. 'Thou dearer than my parents didst restore My life, true friend e'en to thy inmost core. Through thee my former bliss has been regained, Then come, Alara, see where once I reigned, A dwelling stored with food, like Indra's town Masakkasara, place of high renown.' [168] The serpent-king, sire, after he had spoken these words, still further singing the praises of his dwelling place, repeated a couple of stanzas What charming spots in my domain are seen. Soft to the tread and clothed in evergreen Nor dust nor gravel in our path we find. And there do happy souls leave grief behind. Midst level courts that sapphire walls surround Fair mango groves on every side abound, Whereon ripe clusters of rich fruit appear Through all the changing seasons of the y&ir. [169] Amidst these groves a fabric wrought of gold And fixed with silver bolts thou mayst behold, A dwelling bright in splendour, to outvie The lightning flash that gleams athwart the sky. Fashioned with gems and gold, divinely fair. And decked with paintings manifold and rare, 'Tis thronged with nymphs magnificently dressed. All wearing golden chains upon their breast. Then in hot haste did Samkhapala climb The terraced height, on which in power sublime Uplifted on a thousand piers was seen The palace of his wedded wife and queen. Quickly anon one of that maiden band Bearing a precious jewel in her hand, A turquoise rare with magic power replete, And all unbidden oflered me a seat. The snake then grasped my arm and led me where There stood a noble and right royal chair, ' Pray, let jour Honour sit here by my side, As parent dear to me art thou,' he cried. A second nymph then quick at his command Came with a bowl of water in her hand, And bathed my feet, kind service tendering As did the queen for her dear lord the king. [170] Then yet another maiden in a 'trice Served in a golden dish some curried rice. Flavoured with many a sauce, that haply might With dainty cravings tempt the appetite. With strains of music then— for such they knew Was their lord's wish —they fain were to subdue My will, nor did the king himself e'er fail My soul with heavenly longings to a.ssail. Drawing nigh to me he thus repeated another stanza : Three hundred wives, Alara, here have I, Slim-waisted all, in beauty they outvie The lotus flower. Behold, they only live To do thy will : accept the boon I give. Alara said [171] One year with heavenly pleasures was I blest When to the king this question I addressed, 'How, Naga, is this palace fair thy home, And how to be thy portion did it come? Was this fair place by accident atta.ined, Wrought by thyself, or gift from angels gained? I ask thee, Naga king, the truth to tell. How didst thou come in this fair place to dwell ?' Then followed stanzas uttered by the two' alternately • 'Twas by no chance or natural law attained. Not wrought by me, no boon from angels gained ; But to my own good actions, thou must know, And to ray merits these fair halls I owe. What holy vow, what life so chaste and pure "W^hat store of merit could such bliss secure? Tell me, serpent-king, for I am fain To know how this fair mansion thou couldst gain. I once was king of Magadha, my name Duyyodhana, a prince of mighty fame ; [172] I held my life as vile and insecure, Without all power in ripeness to mature. I meat and drink religiously supplied, And alms bestowed on all, both far and wide, My house was like an inn, where all that came. Sages and saints, refreshed their weary frame. Bound by such vows, such was the life I passed, And such the store of merit I amassed, Whereby this mansion was at length attained. And food and drink in ample measure gained. This life, however bright for many a day With dance and song, yet lasted not for aye, Weak creatures harry thee for all thy might And feeble beings put the strong to flight. Why, armed to the teeth in such unequal fray. To those vile beggars shouldst thou fall a prey 1 By what o'ermastering dread wert thou undone? Where had the virus of thy poison gone ? Why, armed to the teeth and powerful as thou wert. From such poor creatures didst thou suffer hurt? By no o'ermastering dread was I undone, Nor could my powers be crushed by any one. The worth of goodness is by all confessed ; Its bounds, hke the sea shore, are ne'er transgressed. ' The two interlocutors are the Naga king and Alara. Two times each moon I kept a holy day 'Twas then, Alara, that there crossed my way Twice eight lewd fellows, bearing in their hand A rope and knotted noose of finest strand. [173] The ruffians pierced my nose, and through the slit Passing the cord, dragged me along by it. Such pain I had to bear ah cruel fate ! For holding holy days inviolate. Seeing in that lone path, stretched at full length, A thing of beauty and enormous strength, 'Why, wise and glorious one,' I cried, 'dost thou Take on thyself this strict ascetic vow ? Neither for child nor wealth is my desire Nor yet to length of days do I aspire But midst the world of men I fain would live. And to this end heroically strive. With hair and beard well-trimmed, thy sturdy frame Adorned with gorgeous robes, an eye of flame. Bathed in red sandal oil thou seemst to shine Afar, e'en as some minstrel king divine. With heavenly gifts miraculously blest And of whate'er thy heart may crave possest, I ask thee, serpent-king, the truth to tell. Why dost thou in man's world prefer to dwell ? Nowhere but in the world of men, I ween. May purity and self-restraint be seen : If only once midst men I draw my breath, I'll put an end to further birth and death. Ever supplied with bountiful good cheer, With thee, O king, I've sojourned for a year. Now must I say farewell and flee away. Absent from home no longer can I stay. My wife and children and our menial band Are ever trained to wait at thy command : [174] No one, I trust, has ofiered thee a slight For dear art thou, Alara, to my sight. Kind parents' presence fills a home with joy. Yet more than they some fondly cherished boy : But greatest bliss of all have I found here, For thou, O king, hast ever held me dear. I have a jewel rare with blood-red spot, That brings great wealth to such as have it not. Take it and go to thine own home, and when Thou hast grown rich, pray, send it back again. [175] Alara, having spoken these words proceeded as follows: "Then, O sire, I addressed the serpent-king and said, 'I have no need of riches, sir. But I am anxious to take orders,' [176] and having begged for everything requisite for the ascetic life, I left the Naga palace together with the king, and after sending him back I entered the Himalaya country and took orders." And after these words he delivered a religious discourse to the king -of Benares and repeated yet another couple of stanzas Desires of man are transient, nor can they The higher law of ripening change obey Seeing what woes from sinful passion spring, Faith led me on to be ordained, Icing. Men fall like fruit, to perish straight away, All bodies, young and old alike, decay : In holy orders only find I rest. The true' and universal is the best. [177] On hearing this the king repeated another stanza : The wise and learned, such as meditate On mighty themes, we all should cultivate-; Hearkening, Alara, to the snake and thee, Lo I perform all deeds of piety. ! Then the ascetic, putting forth his strength, uttered a concluding stanza : The wise and learned, such as meditate On mighty themes, we all should cultivate : Hearkening, monarch, to the snake and me. Do thou perform all deeds of piety. Thus did he give the king religious instruction, and after dwelling in the .same spot four months of the rainy season he again returned to the Himalaya, and as long as he lived, cultivated the four Perfect States till he passed to the Brahma heaven, and Saiiikhapala, so long as he lived, observed holy days, and the kiug, after a life spent in charity and other good works, fared according to his deeds. The Master at the end of this discourse identified the Birth "At that : time the father who became an ascetic was Kassapa, the king of Benares was Ananda, Alara was Sariputta and Samkhapala was myself."

" Good friends," etc. This story the Master while residing at Jetavana told concerning the perfect exercise of self-abnegation. The introductory story corresponds with that of the Mahanaradakassapa^ Birth. Once upon a time what is now Benares was a city called Sudassana and in it dwelt king Brahmadatta. His chief consort gave birth to the ' apannaka, cf. vol. i. p. 95, Apannaka-Jataha. ' 2 Vol. VI. No. 544. Bodhisatta. His face was glorious as the full moon, and therefore he was named Somakumara. When he arrived at years of discretion, owing Soma juice and his habit of pouring libations of it, to his fondness for men knew him as Sutasoma (Soma-distiller). When he was of age, he was instructed in the liberal arts at Takkasila, and on his return home he was presented with a white umbrella by his father and ruled his kingdom righteously and owned a vast dominion, and he had sixteen thousand wives with CandadevI as chief consort. By and bye when he was blest with a numerous family, he grew discontented with domestic life and retired into a forest, desiring to embrace the ascetic rule. One day he summoned his barber and thus addressed him, " When you see a grey hair on my head, you are to tell me." The barber agreed to do so and by and bye he espied a grey hair and told him of it. The king said, " Then, sir barber, pull it out and place it in my hand." The barber plucked it out with a pair of golden tweezers and laid it in his hand. The Great Being, when he saw it, exclaimed, " My body is a prey to old age," and in a fright he took the grey hair and descending from the terrace [178] he seated himself on a throne placed in the sight of the people. Then he summoned eighty thousand councillors headed by his general and sixty thousand brahmins headed by his chaplain and many others of his subjects and citizens and said to them, " A grey hair has appeared on my head ; I am an old man, and you are to know that I am become an ascetic," and he repeated the first stanza : Good friends and citizens assembled here. Hearken, my trusty counsellors, to me. Now that grey hairs upon my head appear, Henceforth it is my will a monk to be. On hearing this each one of them in a fit of dejection repeated this stanza : Such random' words as these in uttering Thou mak'st an arrow quiver in my heart: Remember thy seven hundred wives, O king ; What will become of them, shouldst thou depart 1 Then the Great Being spoke the third stanza Their sorrows soon another will console, For they are young in years and fair to see. But I am bent upon a heavenly goal And so right fain am I a monk to be. His counsellors, being unable to answer the king, went to his mother and told her about it. She came in hot haste [179] and asking him, "Is this true what they say, dear son, that you long to be an ascetic?" she i-epeated two stanzas: ' ablmmma, out of one's range or sphere, unfit, improper. Ill-fated was the day, alas! that I Was hailed as mother to a son like thee, For heedless of my tears and bitter cry. Thou art resolved, king, a monk to be. Accursed was the day, alas that I, ! Sutasoma dear, gave birth to thee. For heedless of my tears and bitter cry. Thou art resolved, king, a monk to be. While his mother thus lamented, the Bodhisatta uttered not a word. She remained apart all by herself, weeping. Then they told his father. And he came and repeated a single stanza : What is this Law that leads thee to become Eager to quit thy kingdom and thy home? With thy old parents left behind to dwell Here all alone, seek'st thou a hermit's cell ? On hearing this the Great Being held his peace. Then his father said, " My dear Sutasoma, even though you have no affection for your parents, you have many young sons and daughters. They will not be able to live without you. At the very moment when they are grown up, will you become an ascetic?" and he repeated the seventh stanza [180] But thou hast many a child, I ween. And all of tender years. When thou no longer mayst be seen, What sorrow will be theirs ! Hearing this the Great Being repeated a stanza : Yes, I have many a child, I ween. Of tender years are they, With them full long though I have been, 1 now must part for aye. Thus did the Great Being declare the Law to his father. And when he heard his exposition of the Law, he held his peace. Then they told hundred wives. And they, descending from the palace his seven tower, came into his presence, and embracing his feet they made lamentation and repeated this stanza : Thy heart in sorrow, sure, must break Or pity is to thee unknown, That thou canst holy orders take. And leave us here to weep alone. The Great Being, on hearing their lamentation as they threw themselves at his feet and cried aloud, repeated yet another stanza : My heart in sorrow may not break, [181] Though I feel pity for your pain, But holy orders I must take, That I may heavenly bliss attain. Then they told his queen consort, and she being heavy with child, though her time was well nigh come, approached the Great Being and saluting him stood respectfully on one side and repeated three stanzas Ill-fatedwas the day, alas that I ! Sutasoma dear, espoused thee, For heedless of my tears and bitter cry Thou art resolved, king, a monk to be^ Accursed was the day, alas that I ! Sutasoma dear, espoused thee, For thou wouldst leave me in my throes to die, Determined as thou art a monk to be. The hour of my delivery is nigh. And I would fain my lord should stay with me Until my child is born, before that I See the sad day that I ain- reft of thee. Then the Great Being repeated a stanza : The hour of thy delivery is nigh. Until the babe is born, I'll stay with thee, [182] Then will I leave the royal imp and fly Far from the world a holy monk to be. On hearing his words she was no longer able to control her grief, and holding her heart with both her hands, said, " Henceforth, my lord, our glory is no more." Then wiping away her tears she loudly lamented. The Great Being to console her repeated a stanza : My queen, with eye like ebon flower. Dear Canda, weep not thou for me, But climb once more thy palace tower 1 go without one care for thee. Being unable to bear his words she mounted the palace tower and sat there weeping. Then the Bodhisatta's elder son seeing it said, "Why does my mother sit here weeping?" and he repeated this stanza in the form of a question : Who has annoyed thee, mother dear. Why dost thou weep and stare at me ? Whom of my kin that I see here Must I, all impious, slay for thee? Then the queen uttered this stanza No harm, dear son, may touch his head. Who lives to work such woe for me : [183] For know it was thy sire who said, 'I go without one care for thee.' Hearing her words he said, " Dear mother, what is this that you say ? If this be so, we shall be helpless," and making lamentation he spoke this stanza : I who once ranged the park to see Wild elephants engage in fight. If my dear sire a monk should be. What should I do, poor luckless wight? Then his younger brother who was seven years old, when he saw them both weeping, drew nigh to his mother and said, "My dear ones, why do ye weep 1 " and hearing the cause he said, " Well, cease to weep ; I will not allow him to become an ascetic," and he comforted them both, and with his nurse, coming down from the palace tower, he went to his father and said, "Dear father, they tell me you are leaving us against our will and say you will be an ascetic I will not allow you to become ; an ascetic," and clasping his father firmly by the neck he uttered this stanza : My mother, lo is weeping and ! My brother fain would keep thee still, I too will hold thee by the hand Nor let thee go against our will. The Great Being thought, " This child is a source of danger to me by what means am I to get rid of him ? " then looking at his nurse he said, " Good nurse, behold this jewel ornament : this is yours : [184] only take away the child, that he be not a hindrance to me," and being unable by himself to get rid of the child who held him by the hand, he promised her a bribe and repeated this stanza : Up nurse and let the little boy Disport him in some other place. Lest haply he should mar my joy And hinder in my heavenward race. She took the bribe and comforting the child she went with him to another place, and thus lamenting repeated this stanza : What now if I reject outright — need I it not —this jewel bright ? For should my lord a hermit be, What use would jewels be to me? Then his commander-in-chief thought, " This king, methinks, has come to the conclusion that he has but little treasure in his house; I will let him know he has a great quantity," so standing up he saluted him and repeated this stanza Thy coffers filled with treasures vast, Great wealth hast thou, O king, amassed : The world is all subdued by thee. Take thou thy ease no hermit be. ; Hearing this, the Great Being repeated this stanza : My coffers filled with treasures vast. Great wealth has been by me amassed : The whole world is subdued by me I leave it all a monk to be. [185] When he had departed on hearing this, a rich merchant named Kulavaddhana stood up and saluting the king repeated this stanza Great wealth have I, O king, amassed. Beyond all power of reckoning vast Behold I give it all to thee. Take thou thy ease; no hermit be. On hearing this the Great Being repeated a stan/a Kulav%,ddhana, I know, Thy wealth on me thou wouldst bestow, But I a heavenly goal would win, So I renounce this world of sin. As soon as Kulavaddhana had heard this and was gone, he thus addressed his younger brother Somadatta, " Dear brother, I am as discontented as a wild cock in a cage, my dislike to household life gets the better of me thisvery day will I become a hermit; do you undertake to rule this kingdom," and handing it over to him he repeated this stanza Somadatta, sure I feel Strange loathing o'er my senses steal At thought of my besetting sins : To-day my hermit life begins. On hearing these words Somadatta too longed to be a hermit and to make this clear he repeated another stanza Dear Sutasoma, go and dwell As pleaseth thee in hermit cell 1 too a hermit fain would be, For hfe were nought apart from thee. Then in refusing this Sutasoma repeated a half-stanza : Thou mayst not go, or through the land Home life would all come to a stand i. [186] On hearing this the people threw themselves down at the feet of the Great Being and, lamenting, said Should Sutasoma go away, What would become of us, we pray ? Then the Great Being said, " Well, grieve not though I have been : long with you, I shall now have to part from you there is no permanence ; in any existing thing," and teaching the Law to the people, he said. Like water through a sieve ^, our day So brief alas fast slips away ! : With life thus circumscribed, I ween. No room for carelessness is seen. Like water through a sieve, our day So brief alas fast slips away ! With life thus circumscribed all round. Only the fool is careless found. Bound fast by lusts, wherein they fell, Such men enlarge the bounds of Hell, Crowd the brute world and realm of ghosts, And multiply the demon hosts. ' Lit. "There is no cooking," or as the commentary explains, "no one kindles a fire in the oven." 2 camgavdra. The word is rendered by B. D. in Mil. ii. p. 278 (S. B. E.) as " dyers' straining-cloth." Cf. Majjh. Nik. i. 144, and Neumann's translation i. p. 239, where he renders it geflecht, basket-work. [187] Thus did the Great Being instruct the people in the Law, and climbing to the top -of the Palace of Flowers he stood on the seventh storey, and with a sword he out off his top-knot and cried, " I am now nothing to you ; choose ye a king of your own," and with these words he thi-ew his top-knot, turban and all, into the midst of the people. The people seized hold of it, and as they rolled over and over on the ground they loudly lamented, and a cloud of dust rose at this spot to a great height, and the people stepping back stood and looked at it, and said, " The king must have cut off his top-knot and thrown it, turban and all, into the midst of the crowd, and therefore it is that a cloud of dust has risen near the palace," and lamenting they uttered this stanza : Yon cloud of dust see how it towers Hard by the royal House of Flowers Famed King of Eight, methinks, our lord Has shorn his locks off with a sword. But the Great Being sent an attendant and had all the requisites for an ascetic brought to him, and had a barber to remove his hair and beard, and throwing his magnificent robe on a couch he cut off strips of dyed cloth,and putting on these yellow patches he fastened an earthen bowl on the top of his left shoulder and with a mendicant staff in his hand he paced backwards and forwards on the topmost storey, and then descending from the palace tower he stepped out into the street, but no one recognised him as he went. Then his seven hundred royal wives ascending the tower and not finding him, but seeing only the bundle of his adornments, came down and told the other sixteen thousand women, saying, " Mighty Sutasoma, your dear lord, has become an ascetic," and loudly lamenting they went out. At this moment [188] the people learned that he had become an ascetic, and the whole city was greatly stirred, and the people said, " They tell us, our king has become a monk," and they assembled at the palace dooi-, and crying, " The king must be here or there," they ran to all the places frequented by him, and not finding the king they wandered to and fro, uttering their lament in these stanzas 'Here are his golden palace-towers All hung with wreaths of scented flowers. Where girt with many a lady fair Our king would oftentimes repair. Here wreathed with flowers and wrought of gold His gabled-hall one may behold. Where, all his kinsfolk by his side, Our king would range in all his pride. ' It Beems unnecessary to translate all the sixteen stanzas in the text, differing, as they do, from one another for the most part by a single word, usually the name of a tree or flower. J. v. 7 This is his garden bright with flowers Through all the season's changing hours, Where girt, &c. His lake o'erspread with lotus blue, Haunt of wild birds, here comes in view, Where, all his kinsfolk, &c. [190] Thus did the people utter lamentation in these various places, and then returning to the palace yard they repeated this stanza King Sutasoma, sad to tell, Has left his throne for hermit cell. And, clad in yellow, goes his way Like some lone elephant astray. Then they went forth leaving all their household gear, and taking their children by the hand they repaired to the Bodhisatta, and with them went their parents and young children and sixteen thousand dancing girls. The whole city had the appearance of a deserted and behind them place, followed the country folk. The Bodhisatta with a company covering twelve leagues set out in the direction of the Himalayas. Then Sakka, taking note of his Renunciation of the World, addressing Vissakamma said, "Friend Vissakamma, king Sutasoma is retiring from the world. [191] He ought to have a place to dwell in there wUl be a huge gathering : of them." And he sent him, saying, " Go and have a hermitage erected, thirty leagues long and five leagues broad, on the banks of the Ganges in the Himalayan country.'' He did so, and, providing in this hermitage all that was requisite for the ascetic life, he made a foot-path straight t<J it and then returned to the angel-world. The Great Being entered the hermitage by this path, and, after he himself was first of all ordained, he admitted the rest to orders, and by arid bye a great number was ordained, insomuch that a space of thirty leagues was filled with them. Now how the hermitage was built by Vissakamma, and how a great number took orders and how the Bodhisatta's hermitage was arranged — all this is to be understood in the way related in the Hatthipala' Birth. In this case if a thought of desire or any other false thought sprang up in the mind of any one whatsoever, the Great Being approached him through the air, and sitting cross-legged in space be by way of admonition addressed him in a couple of stanzas CaU not to mind love's sports of yore While still a smiling face you wore. Lest that Fair City of Delight Should waken lust and slay you quite. Indulge without or stint or stay Good will to men by night and day. So shall ye win the angel home Where all that do good deeds shall come. 1 Vol. IV. No. 509. [192] And this company of saints abiding by his admonition became destined to the Brahma world, and the story is to be told exactly as it is in the Hatthipala Birth. The Master having concluded this discourse said, " Not only now, Brethren, but formerly also the Tathagata made the Great Renunciation," and he identified the Birth. "At that time the father and mother were members of the Great King's Court, Canda was the mother of Rahula, the elder son was Sariputta, the younger son was Rahula, the nurse was Khujjuttara, Kulavaddhana, the rich merchant, was Kaasapa, the commander-in-chief was Moggallana, prince Somadatta was Ananda, King Sutasoma was myself"

NALINIKA-JlTAKA. [193] ^'Lo! the luTid," etc. This story the Master told while residing at Jetavana concerning the temptation of a Brother by the wife of his unregenerate days. And in telling the story he asked the Brother by whom he had been led astray. " By a former wife," said he. " Verily, Brother," the Master said, " she worketh mischief for you. Of old it was owing to her that you fell away from mystic meditation and w^re mightily destroyed." And so saying he told a story of the past. Once upon a time, when Brahmadatta ruled in Benares, the Bodhisatta was born of a wealthy family in the brahmins of the North, and when he had come of age and had been trained in all the arts, he adopted the ascetic life, and after developing supernatural powers by the exercise of mystic meditation he took up his abode in the Himalayas. Exactly in the same way as related in the 'Alambusa Birth a doe conceived by him and brought foith a son who was called Isisinga. Now when he was grown up, his father admitted him to holy orders and had him instructed in the rites inducing mystic meditation. In no long time he developed by this means supernatural faculties and enjoyed the bliss of ecstasy in the region of the Himalayas, and by mortification of the senses he became a sage of such severe austerity that the abode of Sakka was shaken by the power of his virtue. Sakka by reflection discovered the cause of it, and thinking, " I will find a way to break down his virtue," for the space of three years he stopped rain from falling in the kingdom of Kasi, and the country became as it were scorched up, and when no crops came to perfection, the people under the stress of famine gathered themselves together in the palace yard and reproached the king. Taking his stand at an open window, he asked what was the matter. [194] "Your Majesty," they said, "for three years no rain has fallen from heaven, and the whole kingdom is burned up and the people ai-e suffering greatly ; cause rain to fall. Sire." The king, taking upon him moral vows and observing a fast, yet failed to bring down the rain. It was then that Sakka at midnight entered the royal chamber 1 Vol. V. No. 523. and illuminating it all round was seen to stand in mid air. The king on seeing him asked, "Who art thou?" " I am Sakka," he said. "Wherefore art thou comeT' "Does rain fall in your realm, Sire?" "No, it does not rain." "Do you know why it does not rain?""I do not know." "In the Himalaya country. Sire, dwells an ascetic named Isisinga, who from the mortilication of his senses is severely austere. He constantly, when it begins to rain, looks up at the sky in a rage and so the rain ceases." " What then is to be done now ? " " Shoiild his virtue be broken down, it will rain.'' "But who is able to overcome his virtue?" "Your daughter, Sire, Nalinika can do it. Summon her here and bid her go to such and such a place and make a breach in the virtue of the ascetic." And, having thus admonished the king, Sakka returned to his own abode. On the morrow the king took counsel with his courtiers and summoning his daughter addressed her in the iirst stanza : Lo the land lies scorched and ruined and my realm sinks to decay ! : Go, Nalinika, and, prithee, bring this brahmin 'neath thy sway. On hearing this she repeated a second stanza : How shall I endure this hardship, how, midst elephants astray. Through the glades of yonder forest shall I safely guide my way ? Then the king repeated two stanzas : Seek thy happy home, my daughter, and from thence without delay In a car of wood so deftly framed ride thou upon thy way. [195] Horses, elephants, and footmen go, begirt with brave array. And with charm of beauty quickly thou shalt bring him 'neath thy sway. Thus for the protection of his realm did he talk with his daughter even of such things as should not be spoken of in words. And she readily lent an ear to his proposals. Then, after giving her all that she required, he sent her away with his ministers. They went to the frontier and, after pitching their camp there, they had the princess conveyed by a road pointed out to them by some foresters, and at break of day, entering the Himalaya country, they arrived at a spot close to the ascetic's hermitage. At this very moment the Bodhisatta, leaving his son behind in the hermitage, had gone into the forest to gather wild fruits. The foresters themselves approached the hermitage and, standing where they could see it, they pointed it out to Nalinika and repeated two stanzas With plantain marked, midst bhurja trees so green, Lo Isisinga's pretty hut is seen. ! Yon smoke, methinks, arises from the flame Nursed by that sage of wonder-working fame. And the king's ministers at the very moment when the Bodhisatta had gone into the forest surrounded the hermitage and set a watch over it, and making the princess adopt the disguise of an ascetic, [196] and arraying The Jataka. Book XVIIl. her in an outer and inner garment of beautiful bark adorned with all manner of ornaments, they bade her take in her hand a painted ball tied to a string and sent her into the hermitage grounds, while they themselves stood on guard outside. So playing with her ball she entered the cloister. Now at that moment Isisiiiga was seated on a bench at the door of his hut of leaves, and when he saw her coming he was terrified and got up and went and hid himself in the hut. And she drew nigh to the door and continued playing with her ball; The Master, to make this point and more beside clear, repeated three stanzas Bedecked with gems as she drew nigh, a bright and lovely maid. Poor Isisinga sought in fear his cell's protecting shade. And while before the hermit's door with ball the -damsel plays, Her lovely limbs she doth expose all naked to his gaze. But when he saw her sporting thus, forth from his cell he broke. And, rushing from the leafy hut, words such as these, he spoke. Fruit of what tree may this. Sir, be, that howe'er far 'tis tost 'Twillstill return to thee again and never more is lost? Then she telling him of the tree spoke this stanza : Mquut Gandhamadana, the home wherein I dwell, can boast Of many a tree with fruit maybe such that though far 'tis tost, 'Twill still return to me again and never more is lost. [197] Thus did she speak falsely, but he believed her, and thinking it was an ascetic he greeted her kindly and uttered this stanza : Pray, holy sir, come in and take a seat. Accept some food and water for thy feet. And resting here awhile enjoy with me Such roots and berries as I offer thee. [199]' [Being an ingenuovis youth and never having seen a woman before he was led to believe the extraordinary story she told him, and 1 Nalinika, pretending slie has been wounded by a bear, practises on the simplicity of the ascetic youth with much the same guile as Venus employs to win Adonis. Compare The Passionate Pilgrim, Once, quoth she, did I see a fair sweet youth, Here hi these brakes, deep-wounded with a boar, Deep in the thigh... Malone in his Shakspeare, vol. x. p. 324, points out that Babelais, La Fontaine and other writers have sported with the same thought. Cf. Rabelais, n. chap, xv, The lion and the old woman. through her seductions] his virtue was overcome and his mystic meditation broken off. After disporting himself with her till he was tired, he at length sallied forth and finding his way down to the tank he bathed and, when his fatigue had passed off, he returned and sat in his hut. And once more, still believing her to be an ascetic, he asked where she dwelt, and spoke this stanza By what road hither hast thou come, And dost thou love thy woodland home ? Can roots and berries hunger stay, And how escap'st thou beasts of prey ? Then Nalinika recited four stanzas ; North of this the Khema flows Straight from Himalayan snows On its banic, a, charming spot. May be ^een my hermit cot. Mango, tilak, sal full-grown. Cassia, trumpet-flower full-blown All with song of elves resound : Here my home, Sir, may be found. Here with dates and roots, I ween. Every kind of fruit is seen : [200] 'Tis a gay and fragi'ant spot That has fallen to my lot. Roots and berries here abound, Sweet and fair and luscious found. But I fear, should robbers come. They'll despoil my happy home. The ascetic, on hearing this, to put her off till his father should return, spoke this stanza My father foraging for fruit is gone The sun is sinking, he'll be here anon. When back from his fruit-gathering he is come, We'll start together for thy hermit-home. Then she thought: "This boy because he has been brought up in a forest does not know that I am a woman, but his father will know it as soon as ever he sees me, and will ask me what business I have here and striking me with the end of his carrying-pole, he will break my head. 1 must be off before he returns and the object of my coming is already accomplished," and telling him how he was to find his way to her house she repeated another stanza : [201] Alas!I fear I may no longer stay. But many a royal saint lives on the way Ask one of them to point you out the road; He'll gladly act as guide to my abode. Wheu she had thus devised a plau for her escape, she left the hermitage, and bidding the youth, as he was wistfully looking after her, to stay where he was, she returned to the ministers by the same road by which she had come there, and they took her with them to their encampment and by several stages reached Benares. And Sakka that very day was so delighted that he caused rain to fall throughout the whole kingdom. But directly she had left the ascetic, Isisinga, a fever seized upon his frame and all of a tremble he entered the hut of leaves and putting on his upper robe of bark he lay there groaning. In the evening his father returned and missing his son he said, "Where in the world is he gone?" And he put down his carrying-pole and went into the hut, and when he found him lying there he said, "What ails you, my dear son?" And chafing his back he uttered three stanzas No wood is out, no water fetched, no fire alight. I pray Tell me, thou silly lad, why thus thou dream'st the live-long day. Until to-day the wood was ever cut. The fire alight, and pot thereon was put, My seat arranged, the water fetched. In sooth Thou found'st thy pleasure in the task, good youth. To-day no wood is cleft, no water brought. No fire alight cooked food in vain is sought. ; To-day no welcome hast thou given to me: What hast thou lost? What sorrow troubles thee? [202] On hearing his father's words, in explaining the matter, he said: Here, Sire, to-day a holy youth has been, A handsome, dapper boy, of winsome mien: Not over tall nor yet too short was he, Dai'k was his hair, as black as black could be. Smooth-cheeked and beardless was this stripling wight, And on his neck was hung a jewel bright Two lovely swellings on his fair breast lay, Like balls of burnished gold, of purest ray. His face was wondrous fair, and from each ear A curved ring depending did appear ;_ These and the fillet on his head gave' out Flashes of light, whene'er he moved about. Yet other ornaments the youth did wear, Or blue or red, upon his dress and hair; Jingling, whene'er he moved, they rang again Like little birds ^ that chirp in time of rain. No robe of bark, sign of ascetic grim. No girdle made of munja grass for him. [203] His garments shimmer, clinging to the thigh. Bright as a flash of lightning in the sky. 1 ciritlka is found as the name of a bird in Garaka, i. 27. 46, p. 174 of Calcatta, 1877 edition. Fruits of what tree beneath his waist are bound, — Smooth and without or stalk or prickle found — Stitched in his robe, in order loose but thick. They strike each other with a sounding 'click.' The tresses on his head were wondrous fair, Hundreds of curls perfuming all the air These locks just parted in the midst had he Dressed e'en as his would that my hair might be. But when his locks he did perchance unbind And loose in all their beauty to the wind, Their fragrance filled our home midst forest trees, Like scent of lotus borne along the breeze. His very dust was fair to look upon. His person quite unlike that of thy son : It breathed forth odours wafted everywhere. Like shrubs ablossom in the summer air. His fruit so bright and fair, of varied hue. Afar from him upon the ground he threw. Yet back to him 'twould evermore return: What fruit it is I fain from thee would learn. His teeth in even rows, so pure and white. Vie with the choicest pearls, a lovely sight Whene'er he opes his lips, how charming 'tis No food like ours, roots and vile potherbs, his! His voice so soft and smooth, yet firm and clear In gentle accents fell upon the ear; [204] It pierced me to the heart :so sweet a note Ne'er issued from melodious cuckoo's throat. Its tone I thought subdued, pitched far too low For one rehearsing holy lore, I trow — — Howbeit so great his kindness I would fain Renew my friendship with this youth again. His warm arms flashing in their gold array. Like gleams of lightning aU around me play. With down, as eye-salve soft, were they o'erspread. Round were his fingers, blushing coral-red. Smooth were his limbs, his tresses long untied. Long too his nails with tips all crimson dyed : With his soft arms around me clinging tight The fair boy ministered to my delight. His hands were white as cotton, gleaming bright Like golden mirror that reflects the light At their soft touch I felt a burning thrill, And though he's gone, the memory fires me still. No load of grain he brought, nor ever could Be won with his own hands to chop our wood. Nor would he with his axe hew down a tree Nor carry a sharp stake, to pleasure me. |i£ ^ ^ ^ ^ 4^ ^ [205] This rumpled couch with leaves of creepers made Bears witness to the merry pranks we played : Then in yon lake our weary limbs we lave And once more seek indoors the rest we crave. To-day no holy texts can I recite, No fire for sacrifice is found alight Yea, from all roots and berries I'll abstain Till I behold this pious youth again. Tell me, dear father, for thou know'st it well, Where in the world this holy youth may dwell And thither with all speed, pray, let us fly. Or at thy door my death will surely lie. I've heard him speak of glades, with flowerets gay. And thronged with birds that sing the live-long day, 'Tis thither with all speed I fain would fly Or here at once I'll lay me down and die. [207] The Great Being on hearing the boy talk such nonsense knew at once that through some woman he had lost his virtue, and by way of admonition he repeated six stanzas : An ancient home for sages long has stood Within the sunlit precincts of this wood ; [208] In haunts of angels and of nymphs divine. This feeling of unrest should ne'er be thine. Friendships exist and then they cease to be ; Each one shows love to his own family ; But they poor creatures are who do not know To whom their origin and love they owe. Friendship is formed by constant intercourse ; When this is broken, friendship fails perforce. Shouldst thou set eyes upon this youth once more, Or converse hold with him, as heretofore. Just as a flood sweeps ofi' the ripened corn. So will the power of virtue be o'er-borne'. Demons there be that through the wide earth run In varied form disguised. Beware, my son ! He that is wise should not consort with such Virtue herself is blasted ^ at their touch. [209] On hearing what his father had to say the youth thought, "She was a female yakkha, he says," and he was terrified and put away the thought of her from him. Then he asked his father's pardon, saying, "Forgive me, dear father, I will not leave this spot. " And his father comforted him, saying, "Come, my boy, cultivate charity, pity, symp^hy and equanimity," and he proclaimed to him the attainment of the Perfect States. And the son walked accordingly therein and once more developed mystic meditation. The Master, having finished his lesson, revealed the Truths and identified the Birth : — At the conclusion of the Truths the back-sliding Brother was established in the fruition of the First Path: "At that time the wife of his imregenerate days was Nalinika, the back-sliding Bi'other was Isisinga, and I myself was the father." ^ The fifth stanza is a repetition of the preceding one and is omitted in the English. Beading natsati.

UMMADANTi- JATAKA I. " Whose hmise is this," etc. This story the Master, while residing at Jetavana, told about a back-sliding Brother. The story rvins that one day, as he was going his rounds in Savatthi for alms, he saw a woman of surpassing beauty, magnificently attired, and fell in love with her, and on returning home to his monastery he was unable to divert his thoughts from her. From that time, as it were, pierced with love's shafts and sick with desire he became as lean as a wild deer, with his veins standing out on his body, and as sallow as sallow could be. He no longer took delight inuny one of the Four Postures, or found pleasure in his own thoughts, but giving up all the services due to a teacher he abandoned the use of instruction, inquiry and meditation. His fellow-monks said, "Sir, once you were calm in mind and serene of countenance, but now it is not so. [210] What can be the cause?" they asked. "Sirs,"he answered, "I have no pleasure in anything." Then they bade him be happy, saying, "To be born a Buddha is a hard matter: so also is the hearing of the True Faith, and the attaining to birth as a human being. But you have attained to this, and, yearning to put an end to sorrow, you left your weeping kinsfolk and becoming a believer adopted the ascetic life. Why then do you now fall under the sway of passion? These evil passions are common to all ignorant creatures, from live worms upwards, and such of these passions as are material in their origin, they too are insipid. Desires are full of sorrow and despair misery in this case ever increases more and more. Desire is like a : skeleton or a piece of meat. Desire is like a torch made of a wisp of hay or a light from embers. Desire vanishes like a dream or a loan, or the fruit of a tree. Desire is as biting as a sharp-pointed spear, or as a serpent's head. But you, verily, after embracing so glorious a faith as this and becoming an ascetic, have now fallen under the sway of such harmful passions." When by their admonitions they failed to make him grasp their teaching, they brought him before the Master in the Hall of Truth. And when he said, "Why, Brethren, have you brought this Brother here against his will?" they answered, "They tell us, he is a backslider." The Master asked if it were true, and on his confessing that it was so, the Master said, "Brother, sages of old, though ruling a kingdom, whenever lust sprang up in their hearts, passed under its sway for a time, but checked their roving thoughts and were guilty of no improper conduct." And with these words he related a story of the past. Once upon a time in the city of Aritthapura in the kingdom of the Sivis reigned a king named Sivi. The Bodhisatta came to life as the son of his chief queen, and they called him prince Sivi. His commander-in-chief also had a son born to him, and they named him Ahiparaka. The two boys grew up'as friends and at the age of sixteen they went to Takkasila, and, after completing their education, they returned home. The king made over his kingdom to his son, who appointed Ahiparaka to the post of ' Compare Jdtaka-Mdld, xiii, and Buddhaghosha's Parables, eh. xxix, Story of Bahandama Uppalavanna. commauder-in-chief, and ruled his kingdom righteously. In that same city dwelt a rich merchant, named Tirltavaccha, worth eighty crores, and he had a daughter, a very fair and gracious lady, bearing on her person every mark of auspicious fortune, and on her naming-day she was called Ummadanti. When sixteen years old she was as beautiful as a heavenly nymph, of more than mortal loveliness. All worldlings who beheld her could not contain themselves, [211] but were intoxicated with passion, as it were with strong drink, and were quite unable to recover their self-control. So her father, Tirltavaccha, drew nigh to the king and said, "Sire, at home I have a treasure of a daughter, a fit mate even for a king. Send for your fortune-tellers, who can read the lineaments of the body, and have her tested by them and then deal with her according to your good pleasure." The king agreed and sent his brahmins, and they repaired to the merchant's house, and being received with great honour and hospitality partook of some rice-milk. At this moment Ummadanti came into their presence, magnificently attired. On catching sight of her they completely lost their self-control, just as if they were intoxicated with passion, and forgot that tliey had left their meal unfinished. Some of them took a morsel and thinking they would eat it put it on their heads. Some let it fall on their hips. Others threw it against the wall. Eveiy one was beside himself. When she saw them thus, she said, "They tell me, these fellows are to test the character of my marks,'' and she ordered them to be taken by the scruff of their neck and thrust out. And they were sorely annoyed and returned to the palace in a great rage with Ummadanti, and they said, "Sire, this woman is no mate for you: she is a witch." The king thought, "They tell me, she is a witch," and he did not send for her. On hearing what had happened she said, "I am not taken to wife by the king, because they say I am a witch witches forsooth are just like me. : Very well, should I ever see the king, I shall know what to do." And she conceived a grudge against him. So her father gave her iu marriage to Ahiparaka, and she was her husband's darling and delight. Now as the result of what act of hers had she become so beautiful ? By the gift of a scarlet robe. Once upon a time, they say, she was born in a poor family in Benares and on some festal day seeing certain holy women, magnificently clad in robes dyed scarlet with safflower and disporting themselves, she told her parents that she too would like to wear a similar robe and take her pleasure. And when they said, "My dear, we are poor people whence : are we to get you such a robe?" "well then," said she, "suffer me to earn wages in a wealthy household, and as soon as they recognise my merit, they will make me a present of a robe." [212] And having gained their consent she approached a certain family and proposed to let her service to them for a scarlet robe. They said, "After you have worked three years for us, we will recognise your merits by giving you one." She readily agreed, and set about her work. Recognising her merit before the three years had expired, they gave her together with a thick safflowerdyed robe yet another garment, and sent her ofi', saying, "Go with your companions, and, after bathing, dress yourself in these robes." So she went with her companions and bathed, leaving the scarlet robe on the bank. At this moment a disciple of the Kassapa Buddha, who had been robbed of his garments and had put on pieces of a broken bough to serve as outer and inner robes, arrived at this spot. On seeing him she thought, " This holy man must have been robbed of his garment. In former times I too, from not having a robe offered to me, found it difficult to procure one,'' and she determined to divide the garment in two and give him the half of it. So she went up out of the water and put on her old dress and saying, "Stay, holy sir,'' she saluted the elder, and tearing her robe in two gave the half of it to him. Then he stood on one side in a sheltered spot and, throwing away his branch-garment, he made himself with one side of the robe an inner garment and with the other side an outer garment and stepped out into the open, and his whole person by the splendour of the robe was all ablaze, like the newly-risen sun. On seeing this she thought, "This holy man at first was not radiant, but now he shines like a newly-risen sun. I will give him this too." So she gave him the other half of the robe, and put up this prayer, "Holy sir, I would fain in some future stage of existence be of such surpassing beauty, that no one who sees me may have power to control himself, and that no other woman may be more beautiful." The elder returned her his thanks and went his way. After a period of transmigration in the world of gods, she was at this time born in Aritthapura and was as beautiful as she was described. Now in this city they proclaimed the Kattika festival, and on the day of full moon they decorated the city. Ahiparaka, on setting out for the post he had to guard, addressing her, said, [213] "Lady Ummadanti, to-day is the Kattika festival; the king, in marching in solemn procession round the city, will first of all come to the door of this house. Be sure you do not shew yourself to him, for on seeing you he will not be able to control his thoughts." As he was leaving her, she said to him, " I will see to it." And as soon as he was off, she gave an order to her handmaid to let her know when the king came to the door. So at sunset, when the full moon had risen and torches were blazing in every quarter of the city, which was decorated as it were some city of the gods, the king areayed in all his splendour, mounted on a magnificent car drawn by thoroughbreds and escorted by a crowd of courtiers,making a circuit of the city with great pomp, came first of all to the door of Ahiparaka's house. Now this house enclosed by a wall in colour like vermilion, furnished with gates and tower, was a beautiful and charming place. At this moment the maid brought her mistress word of the king's amval, and Ummadanti bade her take a basket of flowers, and standing near the window she threw the flowers over the king with all the charm of a sylph. And looking up at her the king was maddened with passion and quite unable to control his thoughts, and he failed to recognise the house as that of Ahiparaka. So addressing his charioteer, he repeated two stanzas in the form of a question Whose house is this, Sunanda, tell me true. All girt about with wall of golden hue ? What vision fair is this, like meteor bright. Or sunbeam striking on some mountain height ? A daughter of the house perchance is she. Herself its mistress, or son's wife maybe 1 Your answer quickly in a single word Is she imwed^ or owns she still a lord? [214] Then, in answering the king, he repeated two stanzas : All that your Highness asks I know fidl well. And of her parents on both sides can tell As to her husband, night and day, king. He serves thy cause with zeal in everything. A powerfiil minister of thine is he. Vast wealth he owns and great prosperity She's wife of Ahiparaka the famed. And at her birth was Ummadanti named. On hearing this the king, in praising her name, repeated yet another stanza : Alas how ominous a name is here ! Given to this maiden by her parents dear; Since Ummadanti fixed her gaze on me, Lo a mad haunted man I grew to be. ! On seeing how agitated he was she closed the window and went straight to her fair chamber. And from the moment when the king set eyes on her, he had no more thought ofmaking solemn procession round the city. Addressing his charioteer he said, " Friend Sunanda, stop the chariot [215] this is not a festival suitable for us; it is fit only for Ahiparaka, my commander-in-chief, and the throne also is better suited for him," and stopping the chariot he climbed up to his palace and, as he lay chattering upon the royal couch, he said, A lily maid, with eyes soft as a doe's. In the full moon's clear light before me rose, Beholding her in robe of dove-like hue, Methought two moons at once came into view. Darting one glance from her bright, lovely eyes, The temptress took me captive by surprise. Like woodland elf upon some mountain height. Her graceful motion won my heart at sight. ' avilvata, i.e. avydvrita, not chosen in marriage. So dark and tall and fair the maid, with jewels in her ears, Clad in a single garment, like a timid doe, appears. With long-tressed hair and nails all staindd red. O'er her soft arms rich sandal essence shed. With tapering fingers and a gracious air. When will she smile on me, my charmer fair? When will Tirlti's slender-waisted maid, A gold adornment on her breast displayed. With her soft arms embracing cling to me. E'en as a creeper to some forest tree? When will she stained with dye of lac so bright. With swelling bosom, maiden lily-white. Exchange a kiss with me, as oft a glass Will from one toper to another pass? Soon as I saw her standing thus, so fair to outward view. No longer master of myself, reason away I threw. When UmmadantI I beheld, with jewelled ear-rings bright, Like one amerced right heavily,. I slept not day nor night. [216] Should Sakka grant a boon to me, my choice were quickly ta'en, I would be Ahiparaka one night or haply twain. And Ummadanti thus enjoyed, he might o'er Sivi reiga Then those councillors told Ahiparaka, saying, " Master, the king on making a solemn procession around the city went to the door of your house [217] and then turning back climbed up to his palace." So Ahiparaka went home and addressing Ummadanti asked her if she had shown herself to the king. " My lord," she said, " a certain pot-bellied fellow with huge teeth, standing up in his chariot, came here. I do not know whether he was a king or a prince, but I was told he was a lord of some kind, and standing at the open window I threw flowers over him. Meanwhile he turned back and went off." On hearing this he said, " You have ruined me," and early next morning ascending to the king's- house he stood at the door of the royal chamber and, hearing the king rambling about Ummadanti, he thought, " He has fallen in love with Ummadanti ; if he does not get her, he will die it is my duty to restore him to life, if it can : be done without sin on the part of the king or myself." So he went home and summoned a stout-hearted knave of a serving-man and said, " Friend, in such and such a place is a hollow tree that is a sacred shrine. Without saying a word to anyone, go there at sunset and seat yourself inside the tree. Then I shall come and make an offering there, and in worshipping the deities I shall put up this prayer ; ' king of heaven, our king, while a festival was going on, without taking any part in it, has gone into his royal closet and lies there chattering idly ; we do not know why he does so. The king has been a great benefactor of the gods and year by year has spent a thousand pieces of money in sacrifices. Tell us why the king talks thus foolishly and grant us the boon of the king's life.' Thus will I pray and at this moment you are to remember to repeat these words, 'O commander-in-chief, your king is not sick, but he is infatuated with your wife Ummadanti. If he shall get her, he will live otherwise he ; will die. If you wish him to live, give up Uramadanti to him.' This is what you are to say.'' And having thus schooled him he sent him away. So the servant went next day and seated himself inside the tree and when the general came to the place and put up his prayer, he repeated his lesson. The general said, " It is well," and with an obeisance to the deity he went and told the king's ministers, and entering the city he climbed up to the palace and knocked at the door of the royal closet. [218] The king having recovered his senses asked who it was. " It is I, Ahiparaka, my lord." Then he opened the king's door and going in he saluted the king and repeated a stanza While kneeling at a sacred shrine, O king, A yakkha came and told me a strange thing. How Ummadanti had enslaved thy will: Take her and so thy heart's desire fulfil. Then the king asked, " Friend Ahiparaka, do even the yakkhas know that I have been talking foolishly owing to my infatuation for Ummadanti?" "Yes, my lord," he said. The king thought, "My vileness is known throughout the world," and he felt ashamed. And taking his stand in righteousness he uttered another stanza Fallen from grace no godhead shall I win. And all the world will hear of my great sin Think too how great thy grief of mind would be, Shouldst thou no more thy Ummadanti see. The remaining stanzas are repeated by the two alternately. Except thyself and me, king, no one In the whole world will know the deed that's done: Lo Ummadanti is my gift to thee. ! Thy passion sated, send her back to me. The sinner thinks, 'No mortal man has been A witness of my guilty deed, I ween,' [219] Yet all he does will fall within the ken Of ghostly beings and of holy men. Who in this world, supposing thou shouldst say, ' I loved her not,' would any credence pay ? Think too how great thy grief of mind would be, Shouldst thou no more thy Ummadanti see. She was, great king, as dear to me as life, In very sooth a well-belovdd wife; Yet, sire, to Ummadanti straight repair, E'en as a lion to his rocky lair. The sage howe'er oppressed by his own woe, Will scarce an act that wins him bliss forego. E'en the dull fool intoxicate with bliss Would ne'er be guilty of a sin like this. A fostering parent, king, I own in thee, Husband and lord, yea god art thou to me, Thy slaves my wife and child, and I thy thrall, Sivi, do thy pleasure with us all. Whoso shall wrong his neighbour nor repent, Saying, 'See here a lord omnipotent,' Will ne'er be found to live out half his days. And gods will view his conduct with dispraise. Should righteous men accept as gift a thing Freely bestowed by others, then, king. They who receive and they who grant have done A deed whereby the fruit of bliss is won. Who in this world, supposing thou shouldst say, would any credence pay? 'I love her not,' [220] Think too how great thy grief of mind would be, Shouldst thou no more thy UmmadantI see. She was, great king, as dear to me as life. In very sooth a well-belovdd wife; Lo! Ummadants is my gift to thee. Thy passion sated, send her back to me. Who rids himself of pain at others' cost. Rejoicing still though others' joy be lost, Not he, but one that feels another's woe As 'twere his own, true righteousness can know. She was, great king, as dear to me as life, In very sooth a well-belovdd wife, 1 give what most I prize, nor give in vain. They that thus give receive as much again. I might destroy myself for fleshly appetite. Yet would I never dare by wrong destroy the right. Shouldst thou, noble prince, thy love foreswear Because she is my wife, lo I declare! Henceforth she is divorced and free to all. Thy slave to summon at thy beck and call. If thou, mine Ancient', to thy detriment, Shouldst put away thy wife, though innocent, Thou wotddst, methinks, have heavy blame to bear And ne'er a single soul to speak thee fair. With all such blame, my king, I could away, With censure, praise, or be it what it may. Let it fall on me, Sivi, as it will, Only do thou thy pleasure first fulfil. [221] He who esteem or blame regardeth not. For praise or censure careth not a jot From him will glory and good fortune fly. As floods subside, leaving land high and dry. Whate'er of bliss or pain from hence may spring, O'erstepping right, or fit one's heart to wring, I'll welcome, if it joyous be or sad. As Earth puts up with all, both good and bad. 1 Katta, a king's minister or officer. Cf. Jdtaka vi. 259, 24, 268, 6, and 313, 22. The commentary explains the word as a doer of euoh things as ought to be done.' ' Compare the use of eiepyh-ris as a title of honour, Hdt. viii. 85. J. V. 8 I would not have another suffering From wrongful act that may his bosom wring, I'llbear the burden of my griefs alone, Steadfast in right, vexing the peace of none. A meritorious act to heaven will lead, Be thou no obstacle to such a deed; I UmmadantI a free offering send, As kings on brahmin priests much treasure spend. Truly to me great kindness hast thou shown, Thy wife and thou are both my friends, I own. Brahmins and gods ahke would blame me sore. And curses rest on me for evermore. Townsmen and countryfolk in this, I trust. Will ne'er, Sivi king, call thee unjust. Since Ummadanti is my gift to thee. Thy passion sated, send her back to me. Truly to me great kindness hast thou shown, Thou and thy wife are both my friends, I own, Good men's right acts are famed both far and wide, Hard to o'erstep is Eight, like Ocean's tide. Worshipful master, waiting to bestow • Whate'er I crave, kind benefactor, thou [222] E«payest sevenfold all I offer thee; Take Ummadanti; my free gift is she. Mine Ancient, Ahiparaka, in sooth, Eight hast thou followed, even from thy youth ; Who else of living men, I prithee, would Early and late have striven to do me good? O noble prince, thou art of peerless fame. Wise, knowing right and walking in the same, Shielded by right, mayst thou, king, live long. And, lord of right, teach me to shun the wrong. Come, hearken, Ahiparaka, to these my words and then I'll teach thee ways of righteousness as practised by good men. A king delighting in the law is blest, And of all men a learned one is best. Ne'er to betray a friend is good, I wis. But evil to eschew is perfect bliss. 'Neath the mild sway of righteous king. Like shade from sun-stroke sheltering, His subjects all may dwell in peace, Eejoicing in their wealth's increase. No evil deed shall my approval win. However heedless it remains a sin: But such as sin 'gainst knowledge I detest; List to my parable; mark it and digest. iThe bull through floods a devious course wiU take, The herd of kine all straggling in his wake. So if a leader tortuous paths pursue, To base ends will he guide the vulgar crew, And the whole realm an age of license rue. ' These lines occur in Jataka, vol. iii. p. 74 (English version). But if the bull a course direct shall steer, The herd of kine straight follow in his rear. So should their chief to righteous ways be true, The common folk injustice will eschew, And through the realm shall holy peace ensue. [223] I woiildnot by an unjust act e'en heaven itself attain, No, not if, Ahiparaka, the whole world I should gain. Whatever things of price 'mongst men esteemed good, Oxen and slaves and gold, garments and sandal wood. Brood mares, rich treasure, jewels bright And all that sun and moon watch over day and night. Not for all this would I injustice do, I amongst Sivis bom, a leader true. Father and chief and guardian of our land, As champion of its rights I take my stand, So will I reign on righteousness intent, To mine own will no more subservient. Auspicious is thy rule, great king, mayst thou continue long To guide the state with happy fate and in thy wisdom strong. Great joy is ours, king, that thou such zeal for right hast shown. Princes of might, neglecting right, ere now have lost a crown. ^To parents dear, warrior king, do righteously; and so By following a righteous line to heaven thou, sire, shalt go. To wife and children, warrior king, do righteously; and so By following a, righteous line to heaven thou, sire, shalt go. To friends and courtiers, warrior king, do righteously; and so By following a righteous line to heaven thou, sire, shalt go. In war and travel, warrior king, do righteously; and so By following a righteous line to heaven thou, sire, shalt go. In town and village, warrior king, do righteously; and so By following a righteous line to heaven thou, sire, shalt go. In every land and realm, king, do righteously; and so By following a righteous line to heaven thou, sire, shalt go. To brahmins and ascetics all, do righteously; and so By following a righteous line to heaven thou, sire, shalt go. To beasts and birds, warrior king, do righteously; and so By following a righteous line to heaven thou, sire, shalt go. Do righteously, warrior king; from this all blessings flow; By following a righteous course to heaven thou, sire, shalt go. With watchful vigilance, king, on paths of goodness go The brahmins, Indra, and the gods have won their godhead so. [227] When the king had thus been taught the law by his commanderin-chief Ahiparaka, he got rid of his infatuation for XJmmadanti. The Master, having ended his lesson, revealed the Truth, and identified the Birth. At the^nd of the Truths the Brother was established in the First Path. At that time Ananda was the charioteer Sunanda, Sariputta was Ahiparaka, Uppalavanna was UmmadantI, the followers of Buddha were the rest of the courtiers, and I myself was king Sivi. 1 Jdtaka, vol. iv. p. 263 (English version).

MAHABODHI- JATAKA ^ " What mean these things," etc. This story the Master, while residing at Jetavana, told concerning the Perfection of Wisdom. The incident will be found related in the Mahaummagga^. Now on this occasion the Master said, "Not now only, but formerly also, the Tathagata was wise and crushed all disputants," and with these words he told a story of the past. Once upon a time in the reign of Brahmadatta the Bodhisatta was bom at Benares in the kingdom of Kasi, in the family of a North brahmin magnate, worth eighty crores, and they named him young Bodhi. When he came of age, he was instructed in all learning at Takkasila, and returning home he dwelt in the midst of household cares. By and bye renouncing evil desires he retired to the Himalaya region [228] and took up the ascetic life of a wandering mendicant, and dwelt there for a long time,, living .on roots and wild berries. At the rainy season he came down from the Himalayas and going on his begging rounds he gradually approached Benares. There he took up his abode in the royal park, and on the following day going his round in the city for alms, in his character of a mendicant, he drew nigh to the palace gate. The king standing at his window saw him, and, being delighted with his calm demeanour, he introduced him into his palace and seated him on the royal couch. After a little friendly talk, the king listened to an exposition of the Law and then offered him a variety of dainty food. The Great Being accepted the food and thought, " Verily this king's court is full of hatred and abounds in enemies. Who, I wonder, will rid me of a fear that has sprung up in my mind 1 " And observing a tawny hound, a favourite of the king's, standing near him, he took a lump of food and made a show of wishing to give it to the dog. The king being aware of this had the dog's dish brought and bade him take the food and give it to the dog. The Great Being did so and then finished his own meal. And the king, gaining his consent to the arrangement, had a hut of leaves built for him in the royal park within the city, and, assigning to him all that an ascetic required, he let him dwell there. And two or three times every day the king came to pay his respects to him. And at meal times the Great Being continued to 1 Compare Jdtaka-Mdld, xxiii. The Story of the Mahabodhi, and Digha Nikdya, u. Sdmanna-Phala (Dialogues of the Buddha translated by B. Davids, p. 65). " Jdtaka, vol. vi. No. 546. sit on the royal couch and to share the royal food. And so twelve years passed. Now the king had five councillors who taught him his temporal and spiritual duties.One of them denied the existence of Cause (Karma). Another believed everything was the act of a Supreme Being. A third professed the doctrine of previous actions. A fourth believed in annihilation at death. A fifth held the Kshatriya doctrine. He who denied the Cause taught the people that beings in this world were purified by rebirth. He who believed in the action of a Supreme Being taught that the world was created by him. He who believed in the consequences of previous acts taught that sorrow or joy that befalls man here is the result of some previous action. The believer in annihilation taught that no one passes hence to another world, but that this world annihilated. He who is professed the Kshatriya creed taught that one's own interest is to be desired even at the cost of killing one's parents.- These men were appointed to sit in judgment in the king's court, [229] and being greedy of bribes they dispossessed the rightful owner of property. Now one day a certain man, being worsted in a false action at law, saw the Great Being go into the palace for alms, and he saluted him and poured his grievance into his ears, saying, " Holy Sir, why do you, who take your meals in the king's palace, regard with indifference^ the action of his lord justices who by taking bribes ruin all men 1 Just now these five councillors, taking a bribe at the hands of a man who brought a false action, have wrongfully dispossessed me of my property." So the Great Being moved by pity for him went to the court, and giving a righteous judgment reinstated him in his property. The people with one consent loudly applauded his action. The king hearing the noise asked what it meant, and on being told what it was, when the Great Being had finished his meal, he took a seat beside him and asked, " Is it true, Reverend Sir, as they say, that you have decided a lawsuit?" "It is true. Sire." The king said, "It will be to the advantage of the people, if you decide cases henceforth you are to sit : in judgment." "Sire," he replied, "we are ascetics; this is not our business." " Sir, you ought to do it in pity to -the people. You need not judge the whole day, but when you come here from the park, go at early dawn to the place of judgment and decide four cases ; then return to the park and after partaking of food decide four more cases, and in this way the people will derive benefit." After being repeatedly importuned, he agreed to it and henceforth he acted accordingly. Tho.se who brought fraudulent actions found no further opportunity, and the councillors not getting any bribes were in evil plight and thought, " Ever since this mendicant Bodhi began to sit in judgment, we get nothing at all." And calling him the king's enemy they said, " Come, let us slander him to the king and bring about his death." So drawing nigh to the king they said, ' ajjhupekkhati. Compare Jataka, i. 147, Cullavagga, iv. 4. 8. " Sire, the mendicant Bodhi wishes you harm." The king did not believe them and said, " Nay, he is a good and learned man he would not do so." ; " Sire," they replied, " all the citizens are his creatures : [230] we are the only five people he cannot get under his thumb. If you do not believe us, when he next comes here, take note of his following.'' The king agreed to do so, and standing at his window he watched for his coming, and, seeing the crowd of suitors who followed Bodhi without his knowledge, the king thought they were his retinue, and being prejudiced against him he summoned his councillors and asked, "What are we to do?" "Have him arrested. Sire," they said. " Unless we see some gross offence on his part," he said, "how are we to arrest him!" "Well then diminish the honour that is usually paid to him, and when he sees this falling off of respect, being a wise mendicant, he will without saying a word to anyone run away of his own accord." The king fell in with this suggestion and gradually diminished the respect paid to him. On the first day after this they seated him on a bare couch. He noticed it and at once knew that he had been slandered to the king, and returning to the park he was minded to take his departure that very day, but he thought, " When I know for certain, I will depart," and he did not go away. So the next day when he was seated on the bare couch, they came with food prepared for the king and other food as well, and gave him a mixture of the two. On the third day they did not suffer him to approach the dais, but placing him at the head of the stairs they offered him mixed food. He 'took it and retiring to the park made his meal there. On the fourth day they placed him on the terrace below and gave him broth made of rice dust, and this too he took to the park and made his meal there. The king said, " Though the honours paid to him are diminished, yet Great Bodhi, the mendicant, does not go away. What are we to do 1 " " Sire," they said, "it is not for alms he comes here; but he is seeking sovereignty. If he were coming merely for the alms, he would have run away the very first day he was slighted." " What then are we to do ? " " Have him slain tomorrow. Sire." He, said, " It is well," and placing swords in the hands of these very men he said, " Tomorrow, when he comes and stands inside the door, cut off his head and make mincemeat of him, and without saying a word to anyone throw his body on a dunghill, and then take a bath and return here." They readily agreed and said, "Tomorrow we will come and do so," [231] and having arranged matters with one another they departed to their several homes. The king too after his evening meal lay down on the royal couch and called to mind the virtues of the Great Being. Then straightway sorrow fell upon him and the sweat poured from his body, and getting no comfort in his bed he rolled about from side to side. Now his chief queen lay beside him but he exchanged not a single word with her. So she asked him, saying, " How is it. Sire, that you do not say a word to me f Have I in any way offended you ? " " No, lady," he said, " but they tell me the mendicant Bodhi has become an enemy of ours. I have ordered five of my councillors to slay him tomorrow. After killing him they will cut him in pieces and cast his body on a dunghill. But for twelve years he has taught us many a truth. No single offence in him has ever been clearly seen by me before, but at the instigation of others I have ordered him to be put to death, and this is why I grieve.'' Then she comforted him, saying, " If, Sire, he is your enemy, why do you grieve at killing him 1 Your own safety must be attended to, even if the enemy you slay is your own son. Do not take it to heart." He was reassured by her words and fell asleep. At that moment the well-bred tawny hound hearing the talk thought, " Tomorrow by my own power I must save this man's life." So early next morning the dog went down from the terrace and coming to the big door he lay with his head on the threshold, watching the road by which the G-reat Being came. But those councillors with swords in their hands came early in the morning and took their stand inside the door. And Bodhi duly observing the time came from the park and approached the palace door. Then the hound seeing him opened his mouth and showed his four big teeth and thought, "Why, holy Sir, do you not seek your alms elsewhere in India 1 Our king has posted five councillors armed with swords inside the door to slay you. Do not come accepting death as your fate', but be off with all speed," and he gave a loud bark. From his knowledge of the meaning of all sounds Bodhi understood the matter and returned to the park [232] and took everything that was necessary for his journey. But the king standing at his window, when he found he was not coming, thought, " If this man is my enemy, he will return to the park and gather together all his forces and will be prepared for action, but if otherwise, he will certainly take all that he requires and be ready to go away. I will find out what he is about." And going to the park he found the Great Being coming out of his hut of leaves and with all his requisites at the end of his cloister walk, ready to start, and saluting him he stood on one side and uttered the first stanza : What mean these things, umbrella, shoes, skin-robe and staff in hand ? What of this cloak and bowl and hook ? I fain would understand Why in hot haste thou wouldst depart and to what far-off land. On hearing this the Great Being thought, "I suppose he does not understand what he has done. I will let him know." And he repeated two stanzas These twelve long years I've dwelt, king, within thy royal park And never once before to-day this hound was known to bark. To-day he shows his teeth so white, defiant now and proud. And hearing what thou toldst the queen, to warn me, bays aloud. 1 Jdtaka, iv. 417, "with death written on the brow." Then the king acknowledged his sin, and asking to be forgiven he repeated the fourth stanza [233] The sin was mine: thee, holy sir, my purpose was to slay; But now I favour thee once more, and fain would have thee stay. Hearing this the Great Being said, " Of a truth, Sire, wise men do not dwell with one who without having seen a thing with his own eyes follows the lead of others," and so saying he exposed his misconduct and spoke thus : My food of old was pure and white, next motley 'twas in hue. Now it is brown as brown can be. 'Tis time that I withdrew. First on the dais, then upstairs and last below I dine; Before I'm thrust out neck and crop, my place I will resign. Affect thou not a faithless friend like a dry well is he ; : However deep one digs it out, the stream will muddy be. A faithful friend aye cultivate, a faithless one eschew, As one athirst hastes to a pool, a faithful friend pursue. Cling to the friend that clings to thee, his love with love requite; One who forsakes a faithful friend is deemed a sorry wight. Who cleaves not to a steadfast friend, nor love requites with love, Vilest of men is he, nor ranks the monkey tribe above. To meet too often is as bad as not to meet at all To ask a boon a whit too soon this too makes love to paU. Visit a friend but not too oft, nor yet prolong thy stay At the right moment favours beg: so love will ne'er decay. Who stay too long find oftentimes that friend is changed to foe; So ere I lose thy friendship I will take my leave and go.. [234] The king said : Though I with folded hands beseech, thou wilt not lend an ear, Thou hast no word for us to whom thy service would be dear, I crave one favour come again and pay a visit here. : The Bodhisatta said If nothingcomes to snap our life, king, if thou and I Still live,fosterer of thy realm, perhaps I'U hither fly. And we -may see each other yet, as days and nights go by. [235] Thus spoke the Great Being and preached the Truth to the king, saying, " Be vigilant, O Sire." And leaving the park, after going a round for alms in a district of his own, he departed from Benares and by degrees reached a place in the Himalayas, and after dwelling some time there he descended from the hills and settled in a forest near a frontier village. As soon as he was gone, those councillors once more sat in judgment, robbing the people, and they thought, " Should Great Bodhi, the mendicant, return, we shall lose our livelihood. What are we to do to prevent his coming back ?" Then this occurred to them: "Such people as these cannot leave any object to which they are attached. What can be the object here to which he is attached ? " Then feeling sure it must be the king's chief consort, they thought, " This is the reason why he would return here. We will be beforehand' with them and put her to death.'' And they repeated this to the king, saying, " Sire, to-day a certain report is current in the city." " What report 1 " he said. " Great Bodhi the mendicant and the queen send messages to and fro, one to the other." " With what objects ? " His message to the queen, they say, is this, ' Will you be able by your own power to put the king to death and to grant me the white umbrella?' Her message to him is, The king's death, verily, is my charge you are ' : to come quickly.' " They constantly repeated this till the king believed it and asked, "What then is to be done?" They answered, "We must put the queen to death." And without investigatiug the truth of the matter he said, " Well then put her to death and cutting up her body piecemeal ; throw it on the dunghill." They did so, and the news of her death was noised abrbad throughout the city. Then her four sous said, "Our mother though innocent has been put to death by this man,'' and they became the king's enemies. And the king was greatly terrified. The Great Being in due course heard what had happened and thought, " Excepting myself there is no one that can pacify these princes and induce them to forgive their father; I will save the king's life and deliver these princes from their evil purpose." So next day he entered a frontier village and after eating the flesh of a monkey given to him by the inhabitants [236] he begged for its skin which he had dried in his hei-mit's hut till it had lost all smell and then made it into an inner and outer robe which he laid upon his shoulder. Why did he do so ? That he might say, "It is very helpful to me.'' Taking the skin with him he gradually made his way to Benares and drawing nigh to the young princes he said to them, " To murder one's own father is a terrible thing you must not do this. No mortal is : exempt from decay and death. I have come here to reconcile you when ; I send a message, you are to come to me." After having thus exhorted the youths, he entered the park within the city and seated himself upon a stone slab, spreading the monkey-skin over it. When the keeper of the park saw this, he went in haste to tell the king. The king on hearing it was filled with joy, and taking those councillors with him went and saluted the Great Being, and sitting down began to converse pleasantly with him. The Great Being without any exchange of friendly greeting went on stroking his monkey-skin. The king said, " Sir, without making any provision' for me you continue to rub your monkey-skin. Is this more helpful to you than I am ?" "Yes, Sire, this monkey is of the greatest service to me. I travelled about sitting on its back. It carried my water-pot for me. It swept out my dwelling- 1 patigacc'eva, v.l. patikacc'eva. Eefer to Trenckner's Milindapanha, note 48^^, pp. 421, 422. It has here the force of the Latin ultra. 2 Another reading is ahathetva, " without addressing a word to me." place. It performed various duties of a minor kind for me. Through its simplicity I ate its flesh and having had its skin dried I spread it out and sit and lie on it : so it is very useful to me.'' Thus did he, in order to refute these heretics, attribute the acts of a monkey to the monkey-skin, and with this object he spoke as he did. From his having formerly dressed in its skin he said, "I travelled about sitting on its back.'' From placing it on his shoulder and from having thus carried his drinking vessel he said, " It carried my drinking vessel." From the fact of having swept the ground with the skin he said, "It sweeps out my dwelling place." When he lies down, because his back is touched by this skin, and when he steps upon it, because it touches his feet, he says, " It performed such and such various duties for me " when he was hungry, because he : took and ate its flesh, he says, [237] " Being such a simple creature, I ate its flesh." On hearing this those councillors thought, " This man is guilty of murder. Consider, pray, the act of this ascetic : he says he killed a monkey, ate its flesh and goes about with its skin," and clapping their hands they ridiculed him. The Great Being, on seeing them do this, said, "These fellows do not know that I am come' with this skin to refute their heresies : I will not tell them." And addressing the one that denied the Cause, he asked, saying, "Why, sir, do you blame me?" "Because you have been guilty of an act of treachery to a friend and of murder." Then the Great Being said, " If one should believe in you and in your doctrine and act accordingly, what evil has been done ? " And refuting his heresy he said If this thy creed, 'AH acts of men, or good or base. From natural causes spring, I hold, in every case,' Where in involuntary acts can sin find place? If such the creed thou holdst and this be doctrine true, Then was my action right when I that monkey slew. Oouldst thou but only see how sinful is thy creed, Thou wouldst no longer then with reason blame my deed. [238] Thus did the Great Being rebuke him and reduce him to silence. The king, feeling annoyed at the rebuke before the assembly, collapsed' and sat down. And the Great Being, after refuting his heresy, addressed the one who believed that everything is brought about by a Supreme Being and said, "Why, sir, do you blame me, if you really fall back upon the doctrine that everything is the creation of a Supreme Being?" And he repeated this verse If there exists some Lord all powerful to fulfil In every creature bliss or woe, and action good or ill. That Lord is stained with sin. Man does but work his will. If such the creed thou holdst and this be doctrine true. Then was my action right when I that monkey slew. ' pattahkhandha, see note on p. 10. Couldst thou but only see how sinful is thy creed, Thou wouldst no longer then with reason blame my deed. Thus did he, like one knocking down a mango with a club stick taken from the mango tree, refute the man who believed in the action of some Supreme Being by his very own doctrine, and then he thus addressed the believer in all things having happened before, saying, " Why, sir, do you blame me if you believe in the truth of the doctrine that everything has happened before 1 " And he repeated this verse : From former action still both bliss and woe begin ; This monkey pays his debt, to wit, his former sin : Each act's a debt discharged. Where then does guilt come in ? [239] If such the creed thou holdst and this be doctrine true, Then was my action right when I that monkey slew. Oouldst thou but only see how sinful is thy creed. Thou wouldst no longer then with reason blame my deed. Having thus refuted the heresy of this man too, he turned to the believer in annihilation' and said, "You, sir, maintain that there is no reward and the like, believing that all mortals suflFer annihilation here, and that no one goes to a future world. Why then do you blame me 1 And rebuking him he said : Each living creature's form four elements compose To these component parts dissolved each body goes. The dead exist no more, the living still live on Should this world be destroyed, both wise and fools are gone : Amidst a ruined world guilt-stain defileth none. If such the creed thou holdst and this be doctrine true, Then was my action right when I that monkey slew. Couldst thou but only see" how sinful is thy creed, Thou wouldst no longer then with reason blame my deed. [240] Thus did he refute the heresy of this one too and then addressing him who held the Kshatriya doctrine, he said, " You, sir, maintain that a man must serve his own interests, even should he have to kill his own father and mother. Why, if you go about professing this belief, do you blame me 1 " And he repeated this verse : The Kshatriyas say, poor simple fools that think themselves so wise, A man may kill his parents, if occasion justifies. Or elder brother, children, wife, should need of it arise. Thus did he withstand the views of this man too, and to reveal his own view he said : 'From a tree beneath whose shade a man would sit and rest, off 'Twere treachery to lop a branch. False friends we both detest. 1 ucchedavdda. Compare Vinaya Texts, n. Ill, Dliamma Sangani, p. 268 of translation, and Buddhist Suttas, p. 149 (S.B.E. xi.) and KatM Vatthu, Pakarana Atthakathd, p. 6 (P. T. S. J. 1889). But if occasion should arise, then extirpate that tree.' That monkey then, to serve my needs, was rightly slain by me. If such the creed thou holdst and this be doctrine true. Then was my action right when I that monkey slew. Couldst thou but only see how sinful is thy creed. Thou wouldst no longer then with reason blame my deed. [241] Thus did he refute the doctrine of this man too, and now that all these five heretics were dumbfounded and bewildered', addressing the king he said, whom you go about are "Sire, these fellows with big thieves who plunder your realm. Oh fool that you are, a man by ! consorting with fellows such as these both in this present world and that which is to come would meet with great sorrow," and so saying he taught the king the Truth and said : This man avers, 'There is no cause.' Another, 'One is Lord of all.' Some hold, 'Each deed was done of old.' Others, 'AH worlds to ruin fall.' These and the Kshatriya heretics are fools who think that they are wise. Bad men are they who sin themselves and others wickedly advise. Evil communications aye result in pains and penalties. Now by way of illustration, enlarging on the text of his sermon, he said A wolf disguised as ram of old Drew unsuspected nigh the fold. The 2 panic-stricken flock it slew. Then scampered off to pastures new. Thus monks and brahmins often use A cloak, the credulous to abuse. Some on bare ground all dirty lie. Some fast, some squat in agony. [242] Some may not drink, some eat by rule, As saint each poses, wicked fool. An evil race of men are they, and fools who think that they'are wise. All such not only sin themselves, but others wickedly advise. Evil communications aye result in pains and penalties. Who say, 'No Force exists in anything,' Deny the Cause of all, disparaging Their own and others' acts as vanity, king, An evil race of men are they, and fools who think that they are wise. All such not only sin themselves, but others wickedly advise, Evil communications aye result in pains and penalties. If Force exists not anywhere nor acts be good or ill. Why should a king keep artisans, to profit by their skill? It is because Force does exist and actions good or ill. That kings keep ever artisans and profit by their skill. ' nipjpapibhdna, cf. appatibhdna, Cullavagga, iv. 4. 8. ' Beading vittaiayitva for citrasayitva. If for a hundred years or more no rain or snow should fall, Our race, amidst a ruined world, would perish one and all. But as rains fall and snow withal, the changing year ensures, That harvest ripens and our land for ages long endures. 'The bull through floods a devious course will take &c. Who plucketh fruit before it has well ripened on the tree. Destroys its seed and never knows how sweet the fruit may be. [243] So he that by unrighteous rule his country has destroyed. The sweets that spring from righteousness has never once enjoyed. But he that lets the fruit he plucks first ripen on the tree. Preserves its seed and knows full well how sweet the fruit may be. So he too by his righteous rule that has preserved the land. How sweet the fruits of justice are can fully understand. The warrior king that o'er the land unrighteous sway shall wield Will suffer loss in plant and herb, whate'er the ground shall yield. So should he spoil his citizens so apt by trade to gain, A failing source of revenue will his exchequer drain. And should he vex his soldiers bold, so skilled to rule the fight, His army wiU fall off' from him and shear him of his might. So should he wrong or sage or saint, he meets his due reward, And through his sin, howe'er high born, from heaven will be debaired. And should a wife by wicked king, though innocent, be slain. He suffers in his children and in hell is racked with pain. Be just to town and country folk and treat thy soldiers well. Be kind to wife and children and let saints in safety dwell. A monarch such as this, Sire, if free from passion found. Like Indra, lord of Asuras, strikes terror all around. [245] The Great Being having thus taught the Truth to the king summoned the four young princes and admonished them, explaining to them the king's action, and he said, "Ask the king's pardon," and having persuaded the king to forgive them, he said, " Sire, henceforth do not accept the statement of slanderers without weighing their words, and be not guilty of any similar deed of violence, and as for you young princes, act not treacherously towards the king," and he thus admonished them all. Then the king said to him, " Holy Sir, it was owing to these men that I sinned against you and the queen, and through accepting their statement I wrought this evil deed. [246] I will put all five of them to death." " Sire, you must not do this." "Then I will order their feet and hands to be cut off." The king assented, saying, " It " This too you must not do." is them of all their property and disgracing them in well," and he stript various ways, by fastening their hair into five locks'', by putting them into These lines are to be found in Jataka, vol. iii. p. 74 (English) and vol. v. p. 113. ' Compare Kathd Sarit Sagara, xii. 168, Tawney's translation, vol. i. p. 80, " where as a mark of disgrace a woman's head is so shaved that five locks are left. Jataka vi. 135 shows that the cula was sometimes » mark of slavery. In Jataka v. p. 249 a little boy of poor parents is described as wearing his hair in this fashion. fetters and chains and by sprinkling cow-dung over them, he drove them out of his kingdom. And the Bodhisatta after staying there a few days and admonishing the king, bidding him be vigilant, set off for the Himalayas and developed supernatural power arising out of mystic meditation, and so long as he lived, cultivating the Perfect States, he became a denizen of the Brahma world. The Master here ended his lesson and saying, " Not now only. Brethren, but formerly also, the Tathagata was wise and crushed all disputants," he thus identified the Birth: "At that time the five heretics i were Purana Kassapa, Makkhali Gosala, Pakudha Kaccana, Ajita Kesakambali, Nigantha Nathaputta, the tawny dog was Ananda, and the wandering mendicant Mahabodhi was I myself. 1 For these heretics see Hardy's Manual, p. 300, and Vinaya Texts, ii. 111. Some of their names are found elsewhere with different forms, Purana, Kakudha Kacoayana and Kataputia.