Jataka Vol. I: Book I.--Ekanipāta: No. 57. Vānarinda-Jātaka
p. 142
No. 57.
VĀNARINDA-JĀTAKA.
"Whoso, O monkey-king."--This story was told by the Master, while at the
Bamboo-grove, about Devadatta's going about to kill him. Being informed of
Devadatta's murderous intent, the Master said, "This is not the first time,
Brethren, that Devadatta has gone about seeking to kill me; he did just the same
in bygone days, but failed to work his wicked will." 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 came to
life again as a monkey. When full-grown, he was as big as a mare's foal and
enormously strong. He lived alone on the banks of a river, in the middle of
which was an island whereon grew mangoes and bread-fruits, and other
fruit-trees. And in mid-stream, half-way between the island and the river-bank,
a solitary rock rose out of the water. Being as strong as an elephant, the
Bodhisatta used to leap from the bank on to this rock and thence on to the
island. Here he would eat his fill of the fruits that grew on the island,
returning at evening by the way he came. And such was his life from day to day.
Now there lived in those days in that river a crocodile and his mate; and she,
being with young, was led by the sight of the Bodhisatta journeying to and fro
to conceive [279] a longing for the monkey's heart to eat. So she begged her
lord to catch the monkey for her. Promising that she should have her fancy, the
crocodile went off and took his stand on the rock, meaning to catch the monkey
on his evening journey home.
After ranging about the island all day, the Bodhisatta looked out at evening
towards the rock and wondered why the rock stood so high out of the water. For
the story goes that the Bodhisatta always marked the exact height of the water
in the river, and of the rock in the water. So, when he saw that, though the
water stood at the same level, the rock seemed to stand higher out of the water,
he suspected that a crocodile might be lurking there to catch him. And, in order
to find out the facts of the case, he shouted, as though addressing the rock,
"Hi! rock!" And, as no reply came back, he shouted three times, "Hi! rock!" And
p. 143
as the rock still kept silence, the monkey called out, "How comes it, friend
rock, that you won't answer me to-day?"
"Oh!" thought the crocodile; "so the rock's in the habit of answering the
monkey. I must answer for the rock to-day." Accordingly, he shouted, "Yes,
monkey; what is it?" "Who are you?" said the Bodhisatta. "I'm a crocodile."
"What are you sitting on that rock for? "To catch you and eat your heart." As
there was no other way back, the only thing to be done was to outwit the
crocodile. So the Bodhisatta cried out, "There's no help for it then but to give
myself up to you. Open your mouth and catch me when I jump."
Now you must know that when crocodiles open their mouths, their eyes shut 1. So,
when this crocodile unsuspiciously opened his mouth, his eyes shut. And there he
waited with closed eyes and open jaws! Seeing this, the wily monkey made a jump
on to the crocodile's head, and thence, with a spring like lightning, gained the
bank. When the cleverness of this feat dawned on the crocodile, he said,
"Monkey, he that in this world [280] possesses the four virtues overcomes his
foes. And you, methinks, possess all four." And, so saying, he repeated this
stanza:--
Whose, O monkey-king, like you, combines
Truth, foresight, fixed resolve, and fearlessness,
Shall see his routed foemen turn and flee.
And with this praise of the Bodhisatta, the crocodile betook himself to his own
dwelling-place.
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Said the Master, "This is not the first time then, Brethren, that Devadatta has
gone about seeking to kill me; he did just the sane in bygone days too." And,
having ended his lesson, the Master shewed the connexion and identified the
Birth by saying, "Devadatta was the crocodile of those days, the brahmin-girl
Ciñcā 2 was the crocodile's wife, and I myself the Monkey-King."
[Note. Cf. No. 224 (Kumbhīla-jātaka). A Chinese version is given by Beal in the
'Romantic Legend' p. 231, and a Japanese version in Griffin's 'Fairy Tales from
Japan.']
Footnotes
143:1 This assertion is not in accord with the facts of natural history.
143:2 Her identification here as the crocodile's wicked wife is due to the fact
that Ciñcā, who was a "female ascetic of rare beauty," was suborned by Gotama's
enemies to simulate pregnancy and charge him with the paternity. How the deceit
was exposed, is told in Dhammapada, pp. 338-340.
Next: No. 58. Tayodhamma-Jātaka
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