Jataka Vol. II: Book II. Dukanipāta: No. 152. Sigāla-Jātaka
No. 152.
SIGĀLA-JĀTAKA.
"Who rashly undertakes," etc.--This story the Master told while staying in his
gabled chamber, about a barber who lived at Vesāli.
This man, as we are told, used to do shaving and hairdressing and cross-plaiting
for the royal household, kings and queens, princes and princesses, indeed he did
all of that kind that had to be done. He was a true believer, sheltered in the
Three Refuges 1, resolved to keep the Five Precepts; and from time to time he
would listen to the Master's discoursing.
One day he set out to do his work in the palace, taking his son with him. The
young fellow, seeing a Licchavi girl drest up fine and grand, like a nymph, fell
in love for desire of her. He said to his father, as they left the palace in
company, "There is a girl--if I get her, I shall live; but if I don't, there's
nothing but death for me." He would not touch a morsel of food, but lay down
hugging the bedstead. His father found him and said, "Why, son, don't set your
mind on forbidden fruit. You are a nobody--a barber's son; this Licchavi girl is
a highborn lady. You're no match for her. I'll find you somebody else; a girl of
your own place and station." But the lad would not listen to him. Then came
mother, brother, and sister, aunt and uncle, all his kinsfolk, and all his
friends and companions, trying to pacify him; but pacify him they could not. So
he pined and pined away, and lay there until he died.
Then the father performed his obsequies, and did what is usual to do for the
spirits of the dead. [6] By and by, when the first edge of grief had worn off,
he thought he would wait upon the Master. Taking a large present of flowers,
scents, and perfumes, he repaired to Mahāvana, and did reverence to the Master,
saluted him, and sat down on one side. "Why have you kept out of sight all this
time, layman?" the Master asked. Then the man told him what had happened. Said
the Master, "Ah, layman, ’tis not the first time he has perished by setting his
heart on what he must not have; this is only what he has done before." Then at
the layman's request, he told a story of the olden time.
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p. 5
Once upon a time, while Brahmadatta was king of Benares, the Bodhisatta came
into the world as a young Lion in the region of Himalaya. Of the same family
there were some younger brothers, and one sister; and all of them lived in a
Golden Cave.
Now hard by this cave was a Cave of Crystal on a silver hill, where a Jackal
lived. By and by the Lions lost their parents by the stroke of death. Then they
used to leave the Lioness, their sister, behind in the cave, while they ranged
for food; which when they obtained, they would bring it back for her to eat.
Now the Jackal had caught sight of this Lioness, and fell in love with her; but
while the old Lion and Lioness lived, he could win no access. Now, when the
seven brothers went to seek food, out he came from his Crystal Cave, and made
all haste to the Golden Cave; where, taking his stand before the young Lioness,
he addressed her slily with these seductive and tempting words:
"O Lioness, I am a fourfoot creature, and so are you. Therefore do you be my
mate, and I will be your husband! We will live together in friendship and amity,
and you shall love me always!"
Now on hearing this the Lioness thought to herself, "This Jackal here is mean
amongst beasts, vile, and like a man of low caste: but I am esteemed to be one
of royal issue. That he to me should so speak is unseemly and evil. How can I
live after hearing such things said? I will hold my breath until I shall
die."--Then, bethinking her awhile, "Nay," quoth she, "to die so would not be
comely. My brothers will soon be home again; I will [7] tell them first, and
then I will put an end to myself."
The Jackal, finding that no answer came, felt sure she cared nothing for him; so
back he went to his Crystal Cave, and lay down in much misery.
Now one of the young Lions, having killed a buffalo, or an elephant, or what
not, himself ate some of it, and brought back a share for his sister, which he
gave her, inviting her to eat. "No, brother," says she, "not a bite will I eat;
for I must die!" "Why must that be?" he asked. And she told him what had
happened. "Where is this Jackal now?" he asked. She saw him lying in the Crystal
Cave, and thinking he was up in the sky 1, she said, "Why, brother, cannot you
see him there on Silver Mountain, lying up in the sky?" The young Lion, unaware
that the Jackal lay in a Crystal Cave, and deeming that he was truly in the sky,
made a spring, as lions do, to kill him, and struck against the crystal: which
burst his heart asunder, and falling to the foot of the mountain, he perished
straightway.
p. 6
Then came in another, to whom the Lioness told the same tale. This Lion did even
as the first, and fell dead by the mountain foot.
When six of the brother Lions had perished in this way, last of all entered the
Bodhisatta. When she had told her story, he enquired where was the Jackal now?
"There he is," said she, "up in the sky, above Silver Mountain!" The Bodhisatta
thought--"Jackals lying in the sky? nonsense. I know what it is: he is lying in
a Crystal Cave." So he repaired to the mountain's foot, and there he saw his six
brothers lying dead. "I see how it is," thought he; "these were all foolish, and
lacked the fulness of wisdom; not knowing that this is the Crystal Cave, they
beat their hearts out against it, and were killed. This is what comes of acting
in rashness without due reflection;" and he repeated the first stanza:--
"Who rashly undertakes an enterprise,
Not counting all the issue may arise,
Like one who burns his mouth in eating food
Falls victim to the plans he did devise."
[8] After repeating these lines, the Lion continued: "My brothers wanted to kill
this Jackal, but knew not how to lay their plans cleverly; so they leapt up too
quickly at him, and so came by their death. This I will not do; but I will make
the Jackal burst his own heart as he lies there in the Crystal Cave." So he
espied out the path whereby the Jackal used to go up and down, and turning that
way he roared thrice the lions roar, that earth and heaven together were all one
great roaring! The Jackal lying in the Crystal Cave was frightened and
astounded, so that his heart burst; and he perished on the spot incontinently.
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The Master continued, "Thus did this Jackal perish on hearing the Lion roar."
And becoming perfectly enlightened, he repeated the second stanza:--
On Daddara the Lion gave a roar,
And made Mount Daddara resound again.
Hard by a Jackal lived; he feared full sore
To hear the sound, and burst his heart in twain.
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[9] Thus did our Lion do this Jackal to death. Then he laid his brothers
together in one grave, and told the sister they were dead, and comforted her;
and he lived the rest of his days in the Golden Cave, until he passed away to
the place which his merits had earned for him.
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p. 7
When the Master had ended this discourse, he revealed the Truths, and identified
the Birth:--at the conclusion of the Truths, the layman was established in the
Fruit of the First Path:--"The barber's son of to-day was then the Jackal; the
Licchavi girl was the young Lioness; the six younger Lions are now six Elders;
and I myself am the eldest Lion."
Footnotes
4:1 Buddha, the Law, and the Order of Brethren.
5:1 i.e. because of the transparency.
Next: No. 153 Sūkara-Jātaka
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