Jataka Vol. I: Book I.--Ekanipāta: No. 98. Kūṭavāṇija-Jātaka
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No. 98.
KŪṬAVĀṆIJA-JĀTAKA.
[404] "Wise rightly, Wisest wrongly."--This story was told by the Master while
at Jetavana, about a cheating merchant. There were two merchants in partnership
at Sāvatthi, we are told, who travelled with their merchandise and came back
with the proceeds. And the cheating merchant thought to himself, "My partner has
been badly fed and badly lodged for so many days past that he will die of
indigestion now he has got home again and can feast to his heart's content on
dainties manifold. My plan is to divide what we have made into three portions,
giving one to his orphans and keeping two for myself." And with this object he
made some excuse day by day for putting off the division of the profits.
Finding that it was in vain to press for a division, the honest partner went to
the Master at the monastery, made his salutation, and was received kindly. "It
is a very long time," said the Buddha, "since you came last to see me." And
hereupon the merchant told the Master what had befallen him.
"This is not the first time, lay-follower," said the Master, "that this man has
been a cheating merchant; he was no less a cheat in times past. As he tries to
defraud you now, so did he try to defraud the wise and good of other days." So
saying, at the merchant's request, the Master told this story of the past.
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Once on a time when Brahmadatta was reigning in Benares, the Bodhisatta was born
into a merchant's family and on name-day was named 'Wise.' When he grew up he
entered into partnership with another merchant named 'Wisest,' and traded with
him. And these two took five hundred waggons of merchandise from Benares to the
country-districts, where they disposed of their wares, returning afterwards with
the proceeds to the city. When the time for dividing came, Wisest said, "I must
have a double share." "Why so?" asked Wise. "Because while you are only Wise, I
am Wisest. And Wise ought to have only one share to Wisest's two." "But we both
had an equal interest in the stock-in-trade and in the oxen and waggons. Why
should you have two shares?" "Because I am Wisest." And so they talked away till
they fell to quarrelling.
"Ah!" thought Wisest, "I have a plan." And he made his father hide in [405] a
hollow tree, enjoining the old man to say, when the two came, "Wisest should
have a double portion." This arranged, he went to the Bodhisatta and proposed to
him to refer the claim for a double share to the competent decision of the
Tree-Sprite. Then he made his appeal in these words: "Lord Tree-Sprite, decide
our cause!" Hereupon the father, who was hidden in the tree, in a changed voice
asked them to state the
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case. The cheat addressed the tree as follows: "Lord, here stands Wise, and here
stand I Wisest. We have been partners in trade. Declare what share each should
receive."
"Wise should receive one share, and Wisest two," was the response.
Hearing this decision, the Bodhisatta resolved to find out whether it was indeed
a Tree-Sprite or not. So he filled the hollow trunk with straw and set it on
fire. And Wisest's father was half roasted by the rising flames and clambered up
by clutching hold of a bough. Falling to the ground, he uttered this stanza:--
Wise rightly, Wisest wrongly got his name;
Through Wisest, I'm nigh roasted in the flame.
Then the two merchants made an equal division and each took half, and at their
deaths passed away to fare according to their deserts.
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"Thus you see," said the Master, "that your partner was as great a cheat in past
times as now." Having ended his story, he identified the Birth by saying, "The
cheating merchant of to-day was the cheating merchant in the story, and I the
honest merchant named Wise."
Next: No. 99. Parosahassa-Jātaka
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