Khuddaka Nikaya - Jataka - Dukanipata - Catumatta Jataka

Jataka Vol. II: Book II. Dukanipāta: No. 187. Catumaṭṭa-Jātaka



No. 187.
CATUMAṬṬA-JĀTAKA.
"Sit and sing," etc.--This story the Master told while staying at Jetavana,
about an old Brother. Once, we are told, two of the chief disciples were sitting
together, questioning and answering; when up came au old Brother, and
p. 74
made a third. [107] Taking a seat, he said, "I have a question too, Sirs, which
I should like to ask you: and if you have any difficulty, you may put it to me."
The Elders were disgusted; they rose up and left him. The congregation who
listened to the discourse of the Elders, after the meeting broke up, came to the
Master; he asked what brought them there untimely and they told him what had
happened. He replied, "This is not the first time, Brethren, that Sāriputta and
Moggallāna have been disgusted with this man, and left him without a word; it
was just the same in olden days." And he proceeded to tell a story of the past.
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Once upon a time, when Brahmadatta was king of Benares, the Bodhisatta became a
tree-sprite that lived in a forest. Two young Geese flew down from Mount
Cittakūṭa and perched upon this tree. They flew about in search of food,
returned thither again, and after resting flew back to their mountain home. As
time went on and on, the sprite struck up a friendship with them. Coming and
going, they were great friends, and used to talk of religion to one another
before they parted.
It happened one day as the birds sat on the treetop, talking with the
Bodhisatta, that a Jackal, halting at the foot of the tree, addressed the young
Geese in the words of the following stanza:
"Sit and sing upon the tree
If in private you would be.
Sit upon the ground, and sing
Verses to the beasts' own king!"
Filled with disgust, the young Geese took wing and flew back to Cittakūṭa. When
they were gone, the Bodhisatta repeated the second stanza for the Jackal's
benefit:--
"Fairwing here to fairwing sings,
God to god sweet converse brings;
Perfect beauty 1, you must then
Back into your hole again!"
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[108] When the Master had ended this discourse, he identified the Birth:--"In
those times the old man was the Jackal, Sāriputta and Moggallāna the two young
Geese, and I myself was the tree-sprite."



Footnotes
74:1 Lit. 'lovely in four points,' i.e. as the schol. explains 'in form, in
birth, in voice, in quality': said sarcastically.



Next: No. 188. Sīhakoṭṭhuka-Jātaka