Jataka Vol. II: Book III. Tika-Nipāta: No. 284. Siri Jataka
No. 284.
SIRI-JĀTAKA.
"Whatever riches they who strive," etc.--This story the Master told about a
brahmin who stole good luck. [410] The circumstances of this birth-tale are
given above in the Khadiraṅga Birth 1. As before, the heretical spirit that
lived in the gate tower of Anāthapiṇḍika's house, doing penance, brought four
and fifty crores of gold and filled the store-rooms, and became a friend of the
great man. He led her before the Master. The Master discoursed to her. She
heard, and entered on the stream of conversion. Thenceforward the great man's
honour was great as before. Now there was living in Sāvatthi a brahmin, versed
in lucky marks, who thought on this wise. "Anāthapiṇḍika was poor, and then
became famous. What if I make as though I went to see him, and steal his luck?"
So to the house he went, and was welcomed hospitably. After exchanging
civilities, the host asked why he had come. The brahmin was looking about to see
where the man's luck lay. Now Anāthapiṇḍika had a white cock, white as a scoured
shell, which he kept in a golden cage, and in the comb of this cock lay the
great man's luck. The brahmin looked about and spied where the luck lay. "Noble
sir," said he, "I teach magic charms to five hundred young fellows. We are
plagued by a cock that crows at the wrong time. Your cock crows at the right
time. For him I have come; will you give him to me?" "Yes," said the other: and
at the instant the word was uttered, the hick left the cockscomb, and settled in
a jewel put away in the pillow. The brahmin observed that the luck had gone into
this jewel, and asked for it too. As soon as the owner agreed to give it, the
luck left the jewel, and settled in a club for self-defence which lay upon the
pillow. The brahmin saw it and asked again. "Take it, and take your leave," said
the owner; and in an instant the luck left the club, and settled on the head of
the owner's chief wife, who was named the Lady Puññalakkhaṇā. The thievish
brahmin thought, when he saw this, "This is an inalienable article which I
cannot ask for." Then he told the great man, "Noble sir," said he, "I came to
your house to steal your luck. The luck was in the comb of your
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cock. But when you gave me the cock, the luck passed into this jewel; when you
gave me the jewel it passed into your stick; when you gave the stick to me, it
went out of it [411] and passed into the head of the Lady Puññalakkhaṇā. Surely
this is inalienable, I can never get it. It is impossible to steal your
luck--keep it, then!" and rising from his seat, he departed. Anāthapiṇḍika
determined to tell the Master; so he came to the monastery, and after
respectfully greeting him, sat on one side, and told the Buddha all about it.
The Master listened, and said, "Goodman, now-a-days the luck of one man does not
go to another. But formerly the luck belonging to those of small wit went to the
wise;" and he told him an old-world tale.
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Once on a time, when Brahmadatta reigned in Benares, the Bodhisatta was born
into a Brahmin family in the realm of Kāsi. On growing up, he was educated at
Takkasilā, and lived among his family; but when his parents died, much
distressed he retired to the life of a recluse in Himalaya, and there he
cultivated the Faculties and the Attainments.
A long time passed, and he came down to inhabited parts for salt and savouring,
and took up his quarters in the gardens of the king of Benares. Next day, on his
begging rounds, he came to the door of an elephant-trainer. This man took a
fancy to his ways and manners, fed him, and gave him lodging in his own grounds,
waiting upon him continually.
Now it happened just then that a man whose business it was to gather firewood
failed to get back to town from the woods in time. He lay down for the night in
a temple, placing a bundle of sticks under his head for a pillow. At this temple
there were a number of cocks quite free, which had perched close by on a tree.
Towards morning, one of them, who was roosting high, let fall a dropping on the
back of a bird below. "Who dropt that on me?" cried this one. "I did," cried the
first. "And why?" "Didn't think," said the other; and then did it again.
Hereupon they both began to abuse each other, crying--"What power have you? what
power have you?" At last the lower one said, "Anybody who kills me, and eats my
flesh roasted on the coals, [412] gets a thousand pieces of money in the
morning!" And the one above answered--"Pooh, pooh, don't boast about a little
thing like that! Anybody who eats my fleshy parts will become king; if he eats
my outside, he'll become commander-in-chief or chief queen, according as he's
man or woman; if he eats the flesh by my bones, he'll get the post of royal
Treasurer, if he be a householder; or, if a holy man, will become the king's
favourite!
The stick-picker heard all this, and pondered. "Now if I become king, there'll
be no need of a thousand pieces of money." Quietly he climbed the tree, caught
the topmost. cock and killed him: he fastened
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him in a fold of his dress, saying to himself--"Now I'll be king!" As soon as
the gates were opened, in he walked. He plucked the fowl, and cleaned it, and
gave it to his wife, bidding her make the meat nice for eating. She got ready
the meat with some rice, and set it before him, bidding her lord eat.
"Goodwife," said he, "there's great virtue in this meat. By eating it I shall
become king, and you my queen!" So they took the meat and rice down to the
Ganges bank, intending to bathe before eating it. Then, putting meat and rice
down upon the bank, in they went to bathe.
Just then a breeze stirred up the water, which washed away the meat. Down the
river it floated, till it came in sight of an elephant-trainer, a great
personage, who was giving his elephants a bath lower down. "What have we here?"
said he, and picked it up. "It's fowl and rice, my lord," was the reply. He bade
wrap it up, and seal it, and sent it home to his wife, with a message to open it
for him when he returned.
The stick-picker also ran off, with his belly puffed out with sand and water
which he had swallowed.
Now a certain ascetic, who had divine vision, the favourite chaplain of the
elephant-trainer, was thinking to himself, "My patron friend does not leave his
post with the elephants. When will he attain promotion?" As he thus pondered, he
saw this man by his divine insight, and perceived what was a-doing. He went on
before, and sat in the patron's house.
When the master returned, [413] he greeted him respectfully and sat down on one
side. Then, sending for the parcel, he ordered food and water to be brought for
the ascetic. The ascetic did not accept the food which was offered him; but
said, "I will divide this food." The master gave him leave. Then separating the
meat into portions, he gave to the elephant-trainer the fleshy parts, the
outside to his wife, and took the flesh about the bones for his own share. After
the meal was over, he said, "On the third day from this you will become king.
Take care what you do!" and away he went.
On the third day a neighbouring king came and beleaguered Benares. The king told
his elephant-trainer to dress in the royal robes, bidding him go mount his
elephant and fight. He himself put on a disguise, and mingled with the ranks;
swift came an arrow, and pierced him, so that he perished then and there. The
trainer, learning that the king was dead, sent for a great quantity of money,
and heat the drum, proclaiming, "Let those who want money, advance, and fight!"
The warrior host in a twinkling slew the hostile king.
After the king's obsequies the courtiers deliberated who was to be
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made king. Said they, "While our king was yet alive, he put his royal robes upon
the elephant-trainer. This very man has fought and won the kingdom. To him the
kingdom shall be given!" And they consecrated him king, and his wife they made
the chief queen. The Bodhisatta became his confidant.
_____________________________
After this discourse the Master, in his perfect wisdom, gave utterance to the
two stanzas following:
"Whatever riches they who strive amain
Without the aid of luck can ever gain,
All that, by favour of the goddess Luck,
Both skilled and unskilled equally obtain.
"All the world over many meet our sight,
Not only good, but creatures different quite,
Whose lot it is fruition to possess
Of wealth in store which is not theirs by right."
[414] After this the Master added, "Good air, these beings have no other
resource but their merit won in previous births; this enables you to obtain
treasures in places where there is no mine." Then he recited the following
scripture 1.
"There is a treasury of all good things
Which both to gods and men their wishes brings.
Fine looks, voice, figure, form, and sovranty
With all its pomp, lies in that treasury.
Lordship and government, imperial bliss,
The crown of heaven, within that treasure is.
All human happiness, the joys of heaven,
Nirvana's self, from out that store is given.
True ties of friendship, wisdom's liberty,
Firm self-control, lies in that treasury.
Salvation, understanding, training fit
To make Pacceka Buddhas come from it.
Thus hath this merit a virtue magical;
The wise and stedfast praise it one and all."
(415] Lastly the Fowl repeated the third stanza, explaining the treasures in
which lay the luck of Anāthapiṇḍika,
"A fowl, a gem, a club, a wife--
All these with lucky marks were rife.
For all these treasures, be it known,
A good and sinless man did own."
Then he identified the Birth: "Elder Ānanda was the King, and the family priest
was the Very Buddha."
Footnotes
279:1 No. 40, vol. i. page 100.
282:1 Khud. Pātha, p
Next: No. 285. Maṇisūkara-Jātaka
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