Khuddaka Nikaya - Jataka - Dukanipata - Dutiya-Palayi Jataka

Jataka Vol. II: Book II. Dukanipāta: No. 230. Dutiya-Palāyi-Jātaka



p. 153
No. 230.
DUTIYA-PALĀYI-JĀTAKA.
"Countless are my banners," etc.--[219] This story the Master told whilst living
at Jetavana, about this same gadabout mendicant.
At that time, the Master, with a large company round him, sitting on the
beautifully adorned throne of the truth, upon a vermilion dais, was discoursing
like a young lion roaring with a lion's roar. The mendicant, seeing the Buddha's
form like the form of Brahma, his face like the glory of the full moon, and his
forehead like a plate of gold, turned round where he had come, in the midst of
the crowd, and ran off, saying, "Who could overcome a man like this?"
The crowd went in chase, then came back and told the Master. He said, "Not only
now has this mendicant fled at the mere sight of my golden face; he did the same
before." And he told an old-world tale.
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Once on a time, the Bodhisatta was king in Benares, and in Takkasilā reigned a
certain king of Gandhāra. This king, desiring to capture Benares, went and
compassed the city about with a complete army of four divisions. And taking his
stand at the city gate, he looked upon his army, and said he, "Who shall be able
to conquer so great an army as this?" and describing his army, he uttered the
first stanza:--
"Countless are my banners: rival none they own:
Flocks of crows can never stem the rolling sea--
Never can the storm-blast beat a mountain down:--
So, of all the living none can conquer me!"
[220] Then the Bodhisatta disclosed his own glorious countenance, in fashion as
the full moon; and threatening him, thus spoke: "Fool, babble not vainly! Now
will I destroy your host, as a maddened elephant crushes a thicket of reeds!"
and he repeated the second stanza:
"Fool! and hast thou never yet a rival found?
Thou art hot with fever, if thou seekst to wound
Solitary savage elephants like me!
As they crush a reed-stalk so will I crush thee!"
When the king of Gandhāra heard him threaten thus, [221] he looked up, and
beholding his wide forehead like a plate of gold, for fear of being captured
himself he turned and ran away, and came again even unto his own city.
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This discourse ended, the Master identified the Birth:--"The vagrant gadabout
was at that time the king of Gandhāra, and the king of Benares was I myself."



Next: No. 231. Upāhana-Jātaka