Jataka Vol. I: Book I.--Ekanipāta: No. 137. Babbu-Jātaka
No. 137.
BABBU-JĀTAKA.
"Give food to one cat."--This story was told by the Master while at Jetavana,
about the precept respecting Kāṇā's mother. She was a lay-sister at Sāvatthi
known only as Kāṇā's mother, who had entered the Paths of Salvation and was of
the Elect. Her daughter Kāṇā 1 was married to a husband of the same caste in
another village, and some errand or other made her go to see her mother. A few
days went by, and her husband sent a messenger to say he wished her to come
back. The girl asked her mother whether she should go, and the mother said she
could not go back empty-handed after so long an absence, and set about making a
cake. Just then up came a Brother going his round for alms, and the mother sat
him down to the cake she had just baked. Away he went
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and told another Brother, who came up just in time to get the second cake that
was baked for the daughter to take home with her. He told a third, and the third
told a fourth, and so each fresh cake was taken by a fresh comer. The result of
this was that the daughter did not start on her way home, and the husband sent a
second and a third messenger after her. And the message he sent by the third was
that if his wife did not come back, he should get another wife. And each message
had exactly the same result. So the husband took another wife, and at the news
his former wife fell a-weeping. Knowing all this, the Master put on his robes
early in the morning and went with his alms-bowl to the house of Kāṇā's mother
and sat down on the seat set for him. Then he asked why the daughter was crying,
and, being told, spoke words of consolation to the mother, and arose and went
back to the Monastery.
Now the Brethren came to know how Kāṇā had been stopped three times from going
back to her husband owing to the action of the four Brothers; and one day they
met in the Hall of Truth and began to talk about the matter. The Master came
into the Hall [478] and asked what they were discussing, and they told him.
"Brethren," said he, "think not this is the first time those four Brothers have
brought sorrow on Kāṇā's mother by eating of her store; they did the like in
days gone by too." So saying he told this story of the past.
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Once on a time when Brahmadatta was reigning in. Benares, the Bodhisatta was
born a stone-cutter, and growing up became expert in working stones. Now in the
Kāsi country there dwelt a very rich merchant who had amassed forty crores in
gold. And when his wife died, so strong was her love of money that she was
re-born a mouse and dwelt over the treasure. And one by one the whole family
died, including the merchant himself. Likewise the village became deserted and
forlorn. At the time of our story the Bodhisatta was quarrying and shaping
stones on the site of this deserted village; and the mouse used often to see him
as she ran about to find food. At last she fell in love with him; and,
bethinking her how the secret of all her vast wealth would die with her, she
conceived the idea of enjoying it with him. So one day she came to the
Bodhisatta with a coin in her mouth. Seeing this, he spoke to her kindly, and
said, "Mother, what has brought you here with this coin?" "It is for you to lay
out for yourself, and to buy meat with for me as well, my son." Nowise loth, he
took the money and spent a halfpenny of it on meat which he brought to the
mouse, who departed and ate to her heart's content. And this went on, the mouse
giving the Bodhisatta a coin every day, and he in return supplying her with
meat. But it fell out one day that the mouse was caught by a cat.
"Don't kill me," said the mouse.
"Why not?" said the cat. "I'm as hungry as can be, and really must kill you to
allay the pangs."
"First, tell me whether you're always hungry, or only hungry today."
"Oh, every day finds me hungry again."
"Well then, if this be so, I will find you always in meat; [479] only let me
go."
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"Mind you do then," said the cat, and let the mouse go.
As a consequence of this the mouse had to divide the supplies of meat she got
from the Bodhisatta into two portions and gave one half to the cat, keeping the
other for herself.
Now, as luck would have it, the same mouse was caught another day by a second
cat and had to purchase her release on the same terms. So now the daily food was
divided into three portions. And when a third cat caught the mouse and a like
arrangement had to be made, the supply was divided into four portions. And later
a fourth cat caught her, and the food had to be divided among five, so that the
mouse, reduced to such short commons, grew so thin as to be nothing but skin and
bone. Remarking how emaciated his friend was getting, the Bodhisatta asked the
reason. Then the mouse told him all that had befallen her.
"Why didn't you tell me all this before?" said, the Bodhisatta. "Cheer up, I'll
help you out of your troubles." So he took a block of the purest crystal and
scooped out a cavity in it and made the mouse get inside. "Now stop there," said
he, "and don't fail to fiercely threaten and revile all who come near."
So the mouse crept into the crystal cell and waited. Up came one of the cats and
demanded his meat. "Away, vile grimalkin," said the mouse; "why should I supply
you? go home and eat your kittens!" Infuriated at these words, and never
suspecting the mouse to be inside the crystal, the cat sprang at the mouse to
eat her up; and so furious was its spring that it broke the walls of its chest
and its eyes started from its head. So that cat died and its carcase tumbled
down out of sight. And the like fate in turn befell all four cats. And ever
after the grateful mouse brought the Bodhisatta two or three coins instead of
one as before, and by degrees she thus gave him the whole of the hoard. In
unbroken friendship the two lived together, till their lives ended and they
passed away to fare according to their deserts.
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The story told, the boaster, as Buddha, uttered this stanza:-- [480]
Give food to one cat, Number Two appears:
A third and fourth succeed in fruitful line;
--Witness the four that by the crystal died.
His lesson ended, the Master identified the Birth by saying, "These four
Brethren were the four cats of those days, Kāṇā's mother was the mouse, and I
the stone-cutter."
[Note. See Vinaya IV. 79 for the Introductory Story.]
Footnotes
294:1 The name Kāṇā means 'one-eyed'.
Next: No. 138. Godha-Jātaka
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