Jataka Vol. II: Book III. Tika-Nipāta: No. 291. Bhadra-Ghata Jataka
No. 291.
BHADRA-GHAṬA-JĀTAKA.
[431] "A ne’er-do-well did once," etc.--This story the Master told at Jetavana,
about a nephew of Anāthapiṇḍika. This person had squandered an inheritance of
forty crores of gold. Then the visited his uncle, who gave him a thousand, and
bade him trade with it. The man squandered this, and then came again; and
p. 294
once more he was given five hundred. Having squandered this like the rest, next
time his uncle gave him two coarse garments; and when he had worn these out, and
once more applied, his uncle had him taken by the neck and turned out of doors.
The fellow was helpless, and fell down by a side-wall and died. They dragged him
outside and threw him down there. Anāthapiṇḍika went and told the Buddha what
had happened to his nephew. Said the Master, "How could you expect to satisfy
the man whom I long ago failed to satisfy, even when I gave him the Wishing
Cup?" and at his request, he proceeded to tell him an old-world tale.
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Once upon a time, when Brahmadatta was reigning in Benares, the Bodhisatta was
born as a rich merchant's son; and after his father's death, took his place. In
his house was buried a treasure of four hundred million. He had an only son. The
Bodhisatta gave alms and did good until he died, and then he came to life again
as Sakka, king of the gods. His son proceeded to make a pavilion across the
road, and sat down with many friends round him, to drink. He paid a thousand
pieces to runners and tumblers, singers and dancers, and passed his time in
drinking, gluttony, and debauchery; he wandered about, asking only for song,
music, and dancing, devoted to his boon-companions, sunk in sloth. So in a short
time he squandered all his treasure of four hundred millions, [432] all his
property, goods, and furniture, and got so poor and miserable that he had to go
about clad in rags.
Sakka, as he meditated, became aware how poor he was. Overcome with love for his
son, he gave him a Wishing Cup, with these words: "Son, take care not to break
this cup. So long as you keep it, your wealth will never come to an end. So take
good care of it!" and then he returned to heaven.
After that the man did nothing but drink out of it. One day, he was drunk, and
threw the cup into the air, catching it as it fell. But once he missed it. Down
it fell upon the earth, and smashed! Then he got poor again, and went about in
rags, begging, bowl in hand, till at last he lay down by a wall, and died.
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When the Master had finished this tale, he went on:--
"A ne’er-do-well did once a Bowl acquire,
A Bowl that gave hire all his heart's desire.
And of this Bowl so long as he took care,
His fortunes were all fair.
"When, proud and drunken, in a careless hour,
He broke the Bowl that gave him all this power,
Naked, poor fool! in rags and tatters, he
Fell in great misery. p. 295
"Not otherwise whoso great fortune owes,
But in the enjoying it no measure knows,
Is scorched anon, even as the knave--poor soul!--
That broke his Wishing Bowl."
Repeating these stanzas in his perfect wisdom, he identified the Birth: "At that
time Anāthapiṇḍika's nephew was the rascal who broke the Lucky Cup, but I myself
was Sakka."
Next: No. 292. Supatta-Jātaka
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