Khuddaka Nikaya - Jataka - Ekanipata - Varuni Jataka

Jataka Vol. I: Book I.--Ekanipāta: No. 47. Vāruṇi-Jātaka



p. 120
No. 47.
VĀRUṆI-JĀTAKA.
"’Tis knowledge."--This story was told by the Master while at Jetavana about one
who spoiled spirits.. Tradition says that Anātha-piṇḍika had a friend who kept a
tavern. This friend got ready a supply of strong spirits which he sold for gold
and for silver 1, and his tavern was crowded. He gave orders to his apprentice
to sell for cash only, and went off himself to bathe. This apprentice, while
serving out the grog to his customers, observed them sending out for salt and
jagghery and eating it as a whet. Thought he to himself; "There can't be any
salt in our liquor; I'll put some in." So he put a pound of salt in a bowl of
grog, and served it out to the customers. And they no sooner took a mouthful,
than they spat it out again, saying, "What have you been up to?" "I saw you
sending for salt after drinking our liquor, so I mixed some salt in." "And
that's how you've spoilt good liquor, you booby," cried the customers, and with
abuse they got up one after another and flung out of the tavern. When the keeper
of the tavern came home, and did not see [252] a single customer about, he asked
where they had all got to. So the apprentice told him what had happened. Rating
him for his folly, the man went off and told Anātha-piṇḍika. And the latter,
thinking the story a good one to tell, repaired to Jetavana, where after due
obeisance he told the Master all about it.
"This is not the first time, layman," said the Master, "that this apprentice has
spoiled spirits. He did just the same once before." Then at Anātha-piṇḍika's
request, he told this story of the past.
_____________________________
Once on a time when Brahmadatta was reigning in Benares, the Bodhisatta was the
Treasurer of Benares, and had a tavern-keeper who lived under his protection.
This man having got ready a supply of strong spirits, which he left his
apprentice 2 to sell while he himself went off to bathe, during his absence his
apprentice mixed salt with the liquor, and spoiled it just in the same way. When
on his return the young man's guide and master 2 came to know what had been
done, he told the story to the Treasurer. 'Truly,' said the latter, the ignorant
and foolish, with every desire to do good, only succeed in doing harm.' And he
recited this stanza:--
’Tis knowledge crowns endeavour with success;
For fools are thwarted by their foolishness,
-Witness Koṇḍañña's salted bowl of grog.
In these lines the Bodhisatta taught the truth.
_____________________________
p. 121
Said the Master, "Layman, this same person spoiled spirits in the past as now."
Then he shewed the connexion and identified the Birth by saying, "He who spoiled
the spirits now was also the spoiler of the spirits in those bygone days, and I
myself was then the Treasurer of Benares."



Footnotes
120:1 Apparently regarded as a 'Jewish' proceeding, as opposed to normal barter.
120:2 With a dry humour, the Pāli applies to the publican and his apprentice the
terms normally applied to a religious teacher and his pupil.



Next: No. 48. Vedabbha-Jātaka