Jataka Vol. I: Book I.--Ekanipāta: No. 122. Dummedha-Jātaka
No. 122.
[444] DUMMEDHA-JĀTAKA.
"Exalted station breeds a fool great woe."--This story was told by the Master
while at the Bamboo-grove, about Devadatta. For the Brethren had met together in
the Hall of Truth, and were talking of how the sight of the Buddha's perfections
and all the distinctive signs of Buddhahood 1 maddened Devadatta; and how in his
jealousy he could not bear to hear the praises of the Buddha's utter wisdom.
Entering the Hall, the Master asked what was the subject of their converse. And
when they told him, he said, "Brethren, as now, so in former times Devadatta was
maddened by hearing my praises." So saying, he told this story of the past.
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Once on a time when King Magadha was ruling in Rājagaha in Magadha, the
Bodhisatta was born an elephant. He was white all over and graced with all the
beauty of form described above 2. And because of his beauty the king made him
his state elephant.
One festal day the king adorned the city like a city of the devas and, mounted
on the elephant in all its trappings, made a solemn procession round the city
attended by a great retinue. And all along the route the people were moved by
the sight of that peerless elephant to exclaim, "Oh what a stately gait! what
proportions! what beauty! what grace! such a white elephant is worthy of an
universal monarch." All this praise of his
p. 270
elephant awoke the king's jealousy and he resolved to have it cast over a
precipice and killed. So he summoned the mahout and asked whether he called that
a trained elephant.
"Indeed he is well trained, sire," said the mahout. "No, he is very badly
trained." "Sire, he is well trained." [445] "If he is so well trained, can you
get him to climb to the summit of Mount Vepulla?" "Yes, sire." "Away with you,
then," said the king. And he got down from the elephant, making the mahout mount
instead, and went himself to the foot of the mountain, whilst the mahout rode on
the elephant's back up to the top of Mount Vepulla. The king with his courtiers
also climbed the mountain, and had the elephant halted at the brink of a
precipice. "Now," said he to the man, "if he is so well trained as you say, make
him stand on three legs."
And the mahout on the elephant's back just touched the animal with his goad by
way of sign and called to him, "Hi! my beauty, stand on three legs." "Now make
him stand on his two fore-legs," said the king. And the Great Being raised his
hind-legs and stood on his fore-legs alone. "Now on the hind-legs," said the
king, and the obedient elephant raised his fore-legs till he stood on his
hind-legs alone. "Now on one leg," said the king, and the elephant stood on one
leg.
Seeing that the elephant did not fall over the precipice, the king cried, "Now
if you can, make him stand in the air."
Then thought the mahout to himself, "All India cannot shew the match of this
elephant for excellence of training. Surely the king must want to make him
tumble over the precipice and meet his death." So he whispered in the elephant's
ear, "My son, the king wants you to fall over and get killed. He is not worthy
of you. If you have power to journey through the air, rise up with me upon your
back and fly through the air to Benares."
And the Great Being, endowed as he was with the marvellous powers which flow
from Merit, straightway rose up into the air. Then said the mahout, "Sire, this
elephant, possessed as he is with the marvellous powers which flow from Merit,
is too good for such a worthless fool as you: none but a wise and good king is
worthy to be his master. When those who are so worthless as you get an elephant
like this, they don't know his value, and so they lose their elephant, and all
the rest of their glory and splendour." So saying the mahout, seated on the
elephant's neck, recited this stanza:--
Exalted station breeds a fool great woe;
He proves his own and others' mortal foe.
[446] "And now, goodbye," said he to the king as he ended this rebuke; and
rising in the air, he passed to Benares and halted in mid-air
p. 271
over the royal courtyard. And there was a great stir in the city and all cried
out, "Look at the state-elephant that has come through the air for our king and
is hovering over the royal courtyard." And with all haste the news was conveyed
to the king too, who came out and said, "If your coming is for my behoof, alight
on the earth." And the Bodhisatta descended from the air. Then the mahout got
down and bowed before the king, and in answer to the king's enquiries told the
whole story of their leaving Rājagaha. "It was very good of you," said the king,
"to come here"; and in his joy he had the city decorated and the elephant
installed in his state-stable. Then he divided his kingdom into three portions,
and made over one to the Bodhisatta, one to the mahout, and one he kept himself.
And his power grew from the day of the Bodhisatta's coming till all India owned
his sovereign sway. As Emperor of India, he was charitable and did other good
works till he passed away to fare according to his deserts.
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His lesson ended, the Master identified the Birth by saying "Devadatta was in
those days the king of Magadha, Sāriputta the king of Benares, Ānanda the
mahout, and I the elephant."
[Note. Cf. Milinda-pañho, 201.]
Footnotes
269:1 See p. 2, and (e.g.) the Sela Sutta (No. 33 of the Sutta Nipāta and No. 92
of the Majjhima Nikāya).
269:2 Apparently the reference is to p. 175.
Next: No. 123. Naṅgalīsa-Jātaka
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