Jataka Vol. I: Book I.--Ekanipāta: No. 42. Kapota-Jātaka
p. 112
No. 42.
KAPOTA-JĀTAKA.
"The headstrong man."--This story was told by the Master while at Jetavana,
about a certain greedy Brother. His greediness will be related in the Ninth Book
in the Kāka-Jātaka 1.
But on this occasion the Brethren told the Master, saying, "Sir, this Brother is
greedy."
Said the Master, "Is it true [242] as they say, Brother, that you are greedy?"
"Yes, sir," was the reply.
"So too in bygone days, Brother, you were greedy, and by reason of your
greediness lost your life; also you caused the wise and good to lose their
home." And 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 pigeon. Now the Benares folk of those days, as an act of goodness, used to
hang up straw-baskets in divers places for the shelter and comfort of the birds;
and the cook of the Lord High Treasurer of Benares hung up one of these baskets
in his kitchen. In this basket the Bodhisatta took up his abode, sallying out at
daybreak in quest of food, and returning home in the evening; and so he lived
his life.
But one day a crow, flying over the kitchen, snuffed up the goodly savour from
the salt and fresh fish and meat there, and was filled with longing to taste it.
Casting about how to have his will, he perched hard by, and at evening saw the
Bodhisatta come home and go into the kitchen. "Ah!" thought he, "I can manage it
through the pigeon."
So back he came next day at dawn, and, when the Bodhisatta sallied out in quest
of food, kept following him about from place to place like his shadow. So the
Bodhisatta said, "Why do you keep with me, friend?"
"My lord," answered the crow, "your demeanour has won my admiration; and
henceforth it is my wish to follow you." "But your kind of food and mine,
friend, is not the same," said the Bodhisatta; "you will be hard put to it if
you attach yourself to me." "My lord," said the crow, "when you are seeking your
food, I will feed too, by your side." "So be it, then," said the Bodhisatta;
"only you must be earnest." And with this admonition to the crow, the Bodhisatta
ranged about pecking up grass-seeds; whilst the other went about turning over
cowdung and picking
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out the insects underneath till he had got his fill. Then back he came to the
Bodhisatta and remarked, "My lord, you give too much time to eating; excess
therein should be shunned."
And when the Bodhisatta had fed and reached home again at evening, in flew the
crow with him into the kitchen [243].
"Why, our bird has brought another home with him;" exclaimed the cook, and hung
up a second basket for the crow. And from that time onward the two birds dwelt
together in the kitchen.
Now one day the Lord High Treasurer had in a store of fish which the cook hung
up about the kitchen. Filled with greedy longing at the sight, the crow made up
his mind to stay at home next day and treat himself to this excellent fare.
So all the night long he lay groaning away; and next day, when the Bodhisatta
was starting in search of food, and cried, "Come along, friend crow," the crow
replied, "Go without me, my lord; for I have a pain in my stomach." "Friend,"
answered the Bodhisatta, "I never heard of crows having pains in their stomachs
before. True, crows feel faint in each of the three night-watches; but if they
eat a lamp-wick, their hunger is appeased for the moment 1. You must be
hankering after the fish in the kitchen here. Come now, man's food will not
agree with you. Do not give way like this, but come and seek your food with me."
"Indeed, I am not able, my lord," said the crow. "Well, your own conduct will
show," said the Bodhisatta. "Only fall not a prey to greed, but stand
steadfast." And with this exhortation, away he flew to find his daily food.
The cook took several kinds of fish, and dressed some one way, some another.
Then lifting the lids off his saucepans a little to let the steam out, he put a
colander on the top of one and went outside the door, where he stood wiping the
sweat from his brow. Just at that moment out popped the crow's head from the
basket. A glance told him that the cook was away, and, "Now or never," thought
he, "is my time. The only question is shall I choose minced meat or a big lump?"
Arguing that it takes a long time to make a full meal of minced meat, he
resolved to take a large piece of fish and sit and eat it in his basket. So out
he flew and alighted on the colander. "Click" went the colander.
"What can that be?" said the cook, running in on hearing the noise. Seeing the
crow, he cried, "Oh, there's that rascally crow wanting to eat my master's
dinner. I have to work for my master, not for that rascal! What's he to me, I
should like to know?" So, first shutting the door, he caught the crow and
plucked every feather [244] off his body. Then, he pounded up ginger with salt
and cumin, and mixed in sour butter-milk--finally sousing the crow in the pickle
and flinging him back into his
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basket. And there the crow lay groaning, overcome by the agony of his pain.
At evening the Bodhisatta came back, and saw the wretched plight of the crow.
"Ah! greedy crow," he exclaimed, "you would not heed my words, and now your own
greed has worked you woe." So saying, he repeated this stanza:--
The headstrong man who, when exhorted, pays
No heed to friends who kindly counsel give,
Shall surely perish, like the greedy crow,
Who laughed to scorn the pigeon's warning words.
Then, exclaiming "I too can no longer dwell here," the Bodhisatta flew away. But
the crow died there and then, and the cook flung him, basket and all, on the
dust-heap.
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Said the Master, "You were greedy, Brother, in bygone times, just as you are
now; and all because of your greediness the wise and good of those days had to
abandon their homes." Having ended this lesson, the Master preached the Four
Truths, at the close whereof that Brother won the Fruit of the Second Path. Then
the Master shewed the connexion and identified the Birth as follows:--"The
greedy Brother was the crow of those times, and I the pigeon."
Footnotes
112:1 This is an inadvertence of the compiler. There is no Kāka-jātaka in the
9th book, though there is in the 6th (No. 395), where it is stated that 'the
Introductory Story has already been related.' See Nos. 274 and 375.
113:1 Cf. Vol. II. p. 262.
Next: No. 43. Veḷuka-Jātaka
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