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majesty's palace.''

The king ordered the honey to be given to the man and he went oflT
with it to the pleasaunce, where he first anointed with the honey the grass
at tlie spots frequented by the antelope, [158] and then hid himself.
When the antelope came and tasted the honied grass it was so snared by
the lust of taste that it would go nowhere else but only to the pleasaunce.
Marking the success of his snare, the gardener began gradually to show
himself. The appearance of the man made the antelope take to flight for
the first day or two, but growing familiar with the sight of him, it
gathered confidence and gradually came to eat grass from the man's hand.
He, noting that the creature's confidence had been won, first strewed the
path as thick as a carpet with broken boughs; then tying a gourd full
of honey on his shoulder and sticking a bunch of grass in his waist-cloth,
he kept dropping wisps of the honied grass in front of the antelope till at
last he got it right inside the palace. No sooner was the antelope inside
than they shut the door. At sight of men the antelope, in fear and
trembling for its life, dashed to and fro about the hall; and the king
coming down fi'om his chamber above, and seeing the trembling creature,
said, "So timid is the Wind-antelope that for a whole week it will not
i-evisit a spot where it has so much as seen a man ; and if it has once been
frightened anywhere, it never goes back there again all its life long. Yet,



46 The Jdtaka. Booh I.



ensnared by the lust of taste, this wild thing from the jungle has actually
come to a place like this. Truly, my friends, there is nothing viler in the
world tlian this lust of taste." And he put his teaching into this stanza : —

There's nothing worse, men say, than taste to snare,
At home or with one's friends. Lo ! taste it was
Tliat unto Saiijaya deliver'd up
The jungle-haunting antelope so wild.

And with thase words he let the antelope go back to its forest again.



[159] When the Master had ended his lesson, and had repeated what he had
said as to that Brother's having fallen into that woman's power in l>ygone
days as well as in the present time, he shewed the connexion and identified
the Birth, by saying, "In tliose days this slave-girl was Sanjaya, Direct-alms the
Less was the wind-antelope, and I myself was the King of Benares."



No. 15.

KHARADIYA-JATAKA.

" For when a deer." — This story was told by the Master while at Jetavana
about an unruly Brother. Tradition Siiys that this Brother was unruly and
would not heed admonition. Accordingly, the Master asked laim, saying, " Is it
true, as they say, that you are unruly and will not heed admonition?"

" It is true. Blessed One,'' was the reply.

" So too in bygone days," said the Master, " you were unruly and would
not heed the admonition of the wise and good, — with the result that you were
caught in a gin and met your death." And so saying, lie told this story of the
past.



Once on a time when Brahmadatta was in Benares the Bodhisatta was
born a deer and dwelt in the forest at the head of a herd of deer. His
sister brought her son to him, saying, " Brother, this is your nephew ;
teach him deer's ruses," And thus she placed her son under the Bodhisatta's
care. Said the latter to his nephew, " Come at such and such a time and
I will give you a lesson." But the nephew made no appearance at the
time appointed. And, as on that day, so on seven days did he skip his
lesson and fail to learn the ruses of deer; and at last, as he was roaming
about, he was caught in a gin. His mother came and said to the
Bodhisatta, " Brother, was not your nephew taught deer's ruses?"



No. 15. 47

" Take no thought for the unteachable rascal," said the Bodhisatta ;

[IGO] "your son failed to leai-n the ruses of deer." And so saying, having

lost all desire to advise the scapegrace even in his deadly peril, he re])eated

this stanza : —

For when a deer has twice four hoofs to run
And branching antlers armed with countless tines.
And when by seven tricks he's saved himself,
1 teach him then, Kharadiya, no more.

But the hunter killed the self-willed deer that was caught in the snare,
and departed with its flesh.



When the Master had ended this lesson in support of what he had said as to
the unruliness of the Brother in bygone days as well as in the present, he shewed
the connexion, and identified the Birth, by saying "In those days this unruly
Brother was the nei:)hew-deer, Uppala-vanna ^ was the sister, and I myself the
deer who gave the admonition."

[Note. In the gdt/id I have translated not the meaningless Mlahi of Fausboll's
text, nor the easy variant krdelii, which is substituted in the gloss, but hdftM,
the more difficult reading which occurs in some Sinhalese mss, and which is
read by Fausboll in the analogous story No. 16. This reading is also given
by Dickson in J. R. A. S. Ceylon, 1884, p. 188, from the Jataka Pela Sanne.
If h'dehi be read, the translation becomes, " I do not try to teach one who
has played truant seven times." In the J. R. A. S. Ceylon, 1884, p. 125,
Kiinte says, " I have little doubt that Ixddhi is the original form of the popular
sing-song, and h'deJu a mistake for it, and that on this mistake the grammarian
compiler has built up his silly little story about the deer who would not go
to school."]



No. 16.



TIPALLATTHA-MIGA-JATAKA.

" In all three postures." — This story was told by the Master while dwelling
in the Badarika Monastery in Kosambi, about the Elder Raliula whose heart
was set on observing the rules of the Brotherhood.

Once when the Master was dwelling in the Aggalava Temple hard by the
town of Ajavl, many female lay-disciples and Sisters used to flock thither
to hear the Truth preached. The preaching w^as in the daytime, l)ut as time

1 See the interesting Life of this therl in Mrs Bode's 'Women Leaders of the
Buddhist Reformation' (.J. R. A. S. 1893, pp. 540—552), where it is explained that
Uppala-vanua "came by that name because she had a skin like the colour in the heart
of the dark-bhie lotus."



48 The Jdtaha. Booh I.

wore on, the women did not attend, and there were only Brethren and men
disciples present. Then the preaching took place in the evening ; and at
the close the Elder Brethren retired each to his own chamber. But the younger
ones with the lay-disciples lay down to rest in the Service-hall. When they
fell asleep, loud was the snoring and snorting and gnashing of teeth as they
lay. [161] After a short slumber some got up, and reported to the Blessed
One the impropriety which they had witnessed. Said he, " If a Brother sleeps
in the company of Novices, it is a Pacittiya offence (requiring confession and
absolution)." And after delivering this precejjt he went away to Kosambi.

Thereon the Brethren said to the Reverend Bahula, "Sir, the Blessed One has
laid down this precept, and now you will please find quarters of your own." Now,
before this, the Brethren, out of respect for the father and because of the anxious
desire of the son to observe the rules of the Brotherhood, had welcomed the youth
as if the place were his ; — they had fitted up a little bed for him, and had given
him a cloth to make a pillow with. But on the day of our story they would not
even give him house-room, so fearful were they of transgressing. The excellent
Rahula went neither to the Buddha as being his father, nor to Sariputta, Captain
of the Faith, as being his preceptor, nor to the Great Moggallana as being his
teacher, nor to the Elder Ananda as being his uncle ; but betook himself to the
Buddha's jakes and took up his abode there as though in a heavenly mansion.
Now in a Buddha's jakes the door is always closely shut : the levelled floor is of
perfumed earth ; flowers and garlands are festooned round the walls ; and all
night long a lamp burns there. But it was not this splendour which prompted
Rahula to take up his residence here. Nay, it was simply because the Brethren
had told him to find quarters for himself, and because he reverenced instruction
and yearned to observe the rules of the Order. Indeed, from time to time the
Brethren, to test him, when they saw him coming from quite a distance, used to
throw down a hand- broom or a little dust-sweepings, and then ask who had
thrown it down, after Rahula had come in. "Well, Rahula came that way,"
would be the i-emark, but never did the future Elder say he knew nothing about
it. On the contrary, he used to remove the litter and humbly ask pardon of the
Brother, nor go away till he was assured that he was pardoned; — so anxious was
he to observe the rules. And it was solely this anxiety which made him take up
his dwelling in the jakes.

Now, though day had not yet dawned, the Master halted at the door of
the jakes and coughed 'Ahem.' 'Ahem,' responded the Reverend Rahula. "Who
is there?" said the Buddha. "It is I, Rahula," was the reply; and out came
the young man and bowed low. " Why have you been sleeping here, Rahula ? "
" Because I had nowhere to go to. Up till now, sir, the Brethren have been
very kind to me ; but such is their present fear of erring [162] that they won't
give me shelter any more. Consequently, I took up my abode here, because
I thought it a spot where I should not come into contact with anybody else."

Then thought the Master to himself, "If they treat even Rahula like this,
what will they not do to other youths whom they admit to the Orderl" And
his heart was moved within him for the Truth. So, at an early hour he had the
Brethren assembled, and questioned the Captain of the Faith thus, "I suppose
you at all events, Sariputta, know where Rahula is now quartered? '

"No, sir, I do not."

"Sariputta, Rahula was living this day in the jakes. Sariputta, if you treat
Rahula like this, what will not be your treatment of other youths whom you
admit to the Order? Such treatment will not retain those who join us. In
future, keep your Novices in your own quarters for a day or two, and only
on the third day let them lodge out, taking care to acquaint yourself with their
lodging." With this rider, the Master laid down the precept.

Gathering together in the Hall of Truth, the Brethren spoke of the goodness
of Rahula. " See, sirs, how anxious was Rahula to observe the rules. When
told to find his own lodging, he did not say, 'I am the son of the Buddha;
what have you to do with quarters ? Yoio turn out ! ' No ; not a single Brother
did he oust, but quartered himself in the jakes."



No. 16. 49

As they were talking thus, the Master came to the Hall and took his seat on
his throne of state, saying, "What is the subject of your talk, Brethren?"

"Sir," was the reply, "we were talking of the anxiety of Rahula to keep
the rules, nothing else."

Then said the Master, "This anxiety Rahula has shewn not only now,
but also in the past, when he had been born an animal." And so saying, he told
this story of the past.



Once on a time a certain king of Magadha was reigning in Rajagaha;
and in those days the Bodhisatta, liaving been born a stag, was living in
the forest at the head of a herd of deer. Now his sister brought her son
to him, saying, " Brother, teach your nephew here the ruses of deer."
"Certainly," said the Bodhisatta; "go away now, my boy, and come back
at such and such a time to be taught." Punctually at the time his uncle
mentioned, the young stag was there and received instruction in the ruses
of deer.

One day as he was ranging the woods he was caught in a snare and
littered the plaintive cry of a captive. Away fled the herd and told the
mother of her son's capture. She came to her brother and asked him
whether his nephew had been taught the ruses of deer. " Fear not; [163]
your son is not at fault," said the Bodhisatta. " He has learnt thoroughly
deer's ruses, and will come back straightway to your great rejoicing."
And so saying, he repeated this stanza : —

In all three postures — on his back or sides —

Your son is versed ; he's trained to use eight hoofs*,

And save at midnight never slakes his thirst;

As he lies couched on earth, he lifeless seems.

And only with his under-nostril breathes.

Six tricks 2 my nephew knows to cheat his foes.

[1G4] Thus did the Bodhisatta console his sister by shewing her how
thoroughly her son had mastered the ruses of deer. Meantime the young
stag on being caught in the snare did not struggle, but lay down at full
length^ on his side, with his legs stretched out taut and rigid. He pawed
up the ground round his hoofs so as to shower the grass and earth about ;
relieved nature ; let his head fall ; lolled out his tongue ; beslavered his
body all over; swelled himself out by drawing in the wind ; turned up his
eyes ; breathed only with the lower nostril, holding his breath with the
upper one ; and made himself generally so rigid and so stiff" as to look like
a corpse. Even the blue-bottles swarmed round him ; and here and there
crows settled.

' This the commentator explains as having two hoofs on each foot, referring to
the cloven hoof of the deer.

- I.e. the three mentioned in line 1, and the three mentioned in lines 2, 3, and 5,
respectively.

3 See infra p. 62, 1. 10.

C. J. 4



50 The Jdtaka. Book I.

The hunter came up and smacked the stag on the belly with his hand,
remarking, " He must have been caught early this morning ; he's going
l)ad already." So saying, the man loosed the stag from his bonds, saying
to himself, " I'll cut him up here where he lies, and take the flesh home
with me." But as the man guilelessly set to work to gather sticks and
leaves (to make a fire with), the young stag rose to his feet, shook himself,
stretched out his neck, and, like a little cloud scudding before a mighty
wind, sped swiftly back to his mother.



After repeating what he had said as to Rahula's having shewn no less anxiety
in time past to keep rules than in the present, the Master made the connexion
and identified the Birth by saying, "Rilhula was the young stag of those days,
Uppala-vanna his mother, and I the stag his uncle."

[^Note. According to Feer (J. As. 1876, p. 516) this Jataka is also called
SiH'hcikdmu in the Bigandet ms. The substance of the Introductory Story
occurs in the Vinaya, Vol. iv. page 16.]



No. 17.

MALUTA-JATAKA.

" In light or dark." — This story was told by the Master while at Jetavana
about two Brethren who had joined the Brotherhood in their old age. Tradition
says [165] that they were living in a forest-dwelling in the Kosala country, and
that one was named the Elder Dark and the other the Elder Light. Now one
day Light said to Dark, "Sir, at what time does what is called cold appear?"
"It appears in the dark half of the month." And one day Dark said to Light,
"Sir, at what time does what is called cold appear?" "It appears in the liglit
half of the month."

As the pair of them together could not solve the question, they went to the
Master and with due salutation asked, saying, "Sir, at what time does what is
called cold appear ?"

After the Master had heard what they had to say, he said, "Brethren, in
bygone days also, I answered for you this same cpiestion ; but your previous
existences have become confused in your minds ^." And so saying, he told this
story of the past.



1 The compound bhavasaihkhepagatattd occurs here and in the next Jataka, and
also Vol. I. p. 463 and Vol. ii. p. 137. The meaning of the word appears to be that
by re-birth events in previous existences have become jumbled up together so that no
distinct memory remains. A Buddha has the power of remembering the whole of his
past existences.



No. 18. 51

Once on a time at the foot of a certain mountain there were living
together in one and the same cave two friends, a lion and a tiger. The
Bodhisatta too was living at the foot of the same hill, as a hermit.

Now one day a dispute arose between the two friends about the cold.
The tiger said it was cold in the dark half of the month, whilst the lion
maintained that it was cold in the light half. As the two of them
together could not settle the question, they put it to the Bodhisatta. He
repeated this stanza : —

In light or dark half, whensoe'er the wind

Doth blow, 'tis cold. For cold is caused by wind.

And, therefore, I decide you both are right.

Thus did the Bodhisatta make peace between those friends.



[166] When the Master had ended his lesson in support of what he had said
as to his having answered the same question in bygone days, he preached the
Four Truths, at the close whereof both of the Elders won the Fruit of the First
Path. The Master shewed tlie connexion and identified the Birth, by saying,
"Dark was the tiger of those days, Light the lion, and I njyself the ascetic who
answered the question."



No. 18.



MATAKABHATTA-JATAKA.

"If folk Imt kneiv."—'Vh.m story was told by the Master while at Jetavana
about Feasts for the Dead. For at this time the folk were jiutting to death
goats, sheep, and other animals, and offering them up as what is called a Feast
for the Dead, for the sake of their departed kinsmen. Finding them thus
engaged, the Brethren asked the Master, saying, "Just now, sir, the folk are
taking the lives of many living creatures and oftering them up as what is called
a Feast for the Dead. Can it be, sir, that there is any good in this ?"

" No, Brethren," replied the Master ; " not even when life is taken with the
object of providing a Feast for the Dead, diies any good arise therefrom. In
bygone days the wise, preaching the Truth from mid-air, and shewing the evil
consequences of the practice, made the whole continent renounce it. But now,
when their previous existences have become confused in their minds, the practice
has sprung up afresh." And, so saying, he told this story of the past.



Once on a time when Brahmadatta was reigning in Benares, a brahmin,
who was versed in the Three Vedas and world-famed as a teacher, being
minded to offer a Feast for the Dead, had a goat fetched and said to his

4—2



52 The Jataha. Booh I.

pupils, " My sons, take this goat clown to the river and bathe it ; then
hang a garland round its neck, give it a pottle of grain to eat, groom it a
bit, and bring it back."

"Very good," said they, and down to the river they took the goat,
where they bathed and groomed the creature and set it on the bank.
The goat, becoming conscious of the deeds of its past lives, was overjoyed
at the thought that on this very day it would be freed from all its misery,
and laughed aloud like the smashing of a pot. Then at the thought that
the brahmin by slaying it would bear the misery which it had borne, the
goat felt a great compassion for the brahmin, and wept with a loud voice.
" Friend goat," said the young brahmins [167], "your voice has been loud
both in laughter and in weeping ; what made you laugh and what made
you weep 1 "

" Ask me your question before your master."

So with the goat they came to their master and told him of the matter.
After hearing their story, the master asked the goat why it laughed and
why it wept. Hereupon the animal, recalling its past deeds by its power
of remembering its former existences, spoke thus to the brahmin : — " In
times past, brahmin, I, like you, was a brahmin versed in the mystic texts
of the Vedas, and I, to offer a Feast for the Dead, killed a goat for my
offering. All through killing that single goat, I have had my head cut off
five hundred times all but one. This is my five hundredth and last birth ;
and I laughed aloud when I thought that this very day I should be freed
from my misery. On the other hand, I wept when I thought how, whilst
T, who for killing a goat had been doomed to lose my head five hundred
times, was to-day being freed from my misery, you, as a penalty for
killing me, would be doomed to lose your head, like me, five hundred
times. Thus it was out of compassion for you that I wept." "Fear not,
goat," said the brahmin ; " I will not kill you." " What is this you say,
brahmin ? " said the goat. " Whether you kill me or not, I cannot escape
death to-day." " Fear not, goat; I will go about with you to guard you."
" Weak is your protection, brahmin, and strong is the force of my
evil-doing."

Setting the goat at liberty, the brahmin said to his disciples, " Let us
not allow anyone to kill this goat;" and, accompanied by the young men,
he followed the animal closely about. The moment the goat was set free,
it reached out its neck to browse on the leaves of a bush growing near
the top of a rock. And that very instant a thunderbolt struck the rock,
rending off a mass which hit the goat on the outstretched neck and tore
off its head. And people came crowding round.

[168] In those days the Bodhisatta had been born a Tree-Fairy in that
selfsame spot. By his supernatural powers he now seated himself cross-
legged in mid-air while all the crowd looked on. Thinking to himself, ' If



No. 19. 53

these creatures only knew the fruit of evil-doing, perhaps they would
desist from killing,' in his sweet voice he taught them the Truth in this
stanza :—

If folk but knew the penalty would be
Birth unto sorrow, living things would cease
From taking life. Stern is the slayer's doom.

Thus did the Great Being preach the Truth, scaring his hearers with
the fear of hell; and the people, hearing him, were so terrified at
the fear of hell that they left ofi" taking life. And the Bodhisatta after
establishing the multitude in the Commandments by preaching the Truth
to them, passed away to fare according to his deserts. The people, too,
remained steadfast in the teaching of the Bodhisatta and spent their lives
in charity and other good works, so that in the end they thronged the City
of the Devas.



His lesson ended, the Master shewed the connexion, and identified the Birth
by saying, "In those days I was the Tree-fairy."



No. 19.

AYACITABHATTA-JATAKA.

[169] ^'Take thought of life hereafter." This story was told by the
]\Iaster while at Jetavana about the offering of a sacrifice imder vow to gods.
Tradition says that in those days folk when going a journey on business, used to
slay living creatures and ofter them as a sacrifice to gods, and set out on their
way, after making this vow, — "If we come stifely back with a profit, we will give
you another sacrifice." And when they did come safely back with a profit, the
idea that this was all due to gods made them slay a number of living creatm-es
and ofter them up as a sacrifice to obtain a release from their vow.

When the Brethi^en became aware of this, they asked the Blessed One, saying,
"Can there be any good in this, sir /"

The Blessed One told this story of the past.



Once on a time in the Kasi country the squire of a certain little village
had promised a sacrifice to the Fairy of a banyan-tree which stood at the
entrance to the village. Afterwards when he returned, he slew a number



54 The Jataka. Book I.

of creatures and betook himself to the tree to get released from his vow.
But the Tree-Fairy, standing in the fork of its tree, repeated this stanza : —

Take thought of life hereafter when you seek
'Release'; for this release is bondage strict.
Not thus the wise and good release themselves ;
For this, the fool's release, in bondage ends.

Thenceforth, men refrained from such taking of life, and by walking in
righteousness thronged thereafter the city of the Devas.



His lesson ended, the Master shewed the connexion and ideutihed the Birtli,
by saying, " I was the Tree-fairy of those days."

[Note. Feer mentions a second title, PCmavadha- Jataka (J. As. 1876, p.
516).]



No. 20.

NALAPANA-JATAKA.

[170] ^^ I found the footprints." This story was told by the Master whilst
journeying on an alms-pilgrimage through Kosala, when he had come to the
village of Nalaka-jmna (Cane-drink) and was dwelling at Ketaka-vana near the
Pool of Nalaka-pana, about cane-sticks. In those days the Brethren, after
bathing in the Pool of Nalaka-pana, made the novices get them cane-sticks for
needle-cases \ but, tincbng them hollow throughout, went to the Master and said,
" Sir, we had cane-sticks got in order to pi'ovide needle-cases ; and from top to
bottom they are quite hollow. Now how can that be?"

" Bretln-en," said the Master, "such was my ordinance in times gone by."
And, so saying, he told this story of the past.



h\ past times, we are told, there was a thick forest on this spot. And
in the lake here dwelt a water-ogre who used to devour everyone who went
down into the water. In those days the Bodhisatta had come to life as the
king of the monkeys, and was as big as the fawn of a red deer ; he lived in



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