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1. One and a half cubits high is the pinnacle, Eight spans surround it. That strong, solid Simsapa wood, not hollow, Where does it stand, that it does not fall from above? 2. Those thirty strong, not straight, Surrounding rafters stand evenly. Well-held by them, firmly pressed, It stands evenly, does not fall from above. 3. Even so, a wise person, by strong friends, Unbreakable, pure counselors; Well-supported, does not fall from prosperity, Like the rafters bearing the weight of the pinnacle. 4. Just as a merchant, the rough-skinned Bael fruit, Even without touching, makes it bitter; Gathering, he makes it sweet, O king, He makes it unsweet by removing the thin rind. 5. Even so, a wise person in villages and towns, Without violence, gathering royal revenues; Acting in accordance with Dhamma, He brings prosperity, not harming others. 6. With white roots, born of pure water, Just as a lotus born in ponds; Like a lotus, shining like fire, Neither mud, nor dust, nor water adheres to it. 7. Even so, one pure in conduct, without violence, With purified actions, free from evil; Such a one is not stained by the defilements of action, Just as a lotus born in ponds. The first, the Kukkujātaka. 8. As the bow bends, And the bowstring twangs; Surely Manoja is slain, The king of deer, my friend. 9. Come now, to the forest edges, I will go as I please; Such friends are not (true), I can find a friend while living. 10. One who associates with evil people, Does not attain lasting happiness; See Manoja, lying... the instruction of the noble one. 11. Not by evil association, A mother delights in her son; See Manojava lying, Uncovered in blood. 12. Thus a person falls, And goes to a worse state; He who indeed the words of well-wishers, Does not do, of those who see the good. 13. And thus he becomes worse than that, He who is excellent but associates with the ignoble; See the excellent one, associated with the ignoble, The king of beasts, swept away by the swift current of the lake. 14. A person who associates with inferiors declines, And one who associates with equals never declines; One who approaches superiors quickly rises, Therefore, one should associate with those superior to oneself. The second Jātaka of Manojava. 398. The Sutanu Jātaka (7-1-3) 15. The king sent you food, Pure, with meat sauce; While Maghadeva dwells, Come out and eat. 16. Come, young man, down here, Taking the well-cooked alms; You, young man, and the alms, Both will become food. 17. With little, you, O yakkha, Will abandon a great gain; People, mindful of death, Will not bring you alms. 18. Having received, O yakkha, your constant alms, Pure, exquisite, endowed with flavor; And a man to bring you alms here, Will be very hard to find, if I am eaten. 19. This very meaning, O Sutanu, Is as you speak, young man; By me you are permitted, Go see your mother in safety. 20. Taking the sword, the parasol, and the bowl, Go, young man; May your mother see you in safety, And you see your mother. 21. Thus, O yakkha, be happy, Together with all your relatives; And wealth... This was obtained, And the king's word was done. The Sutanu Jātaka, the third. 399. The Mother-Nourishing Vulture Jātaka (7-1-4) 22. What will they do, The old ones in mountain caves? I am bound by a snare, Fallen into the hunter's power. 23. Why, vulture, do you lament? What is your lamentation? I have not heard or seen A bird speaking human speech. 24. I support my mother and father, The old ones in mountain caves; What will they do? I have fallen into your power. 25. How is it, vulture, that a hundred leagues You survey carrion; Why the net and the snare, Though you approached, you did not perceive? 26. When ruin comes, For a person at the end of life; Then the net and the snare, Though approached, are not perceived. 27. Support your mother and father, The old ones in mountain caves; You are permitted by me, Go safely to your relatives. 28. So, hunter, may you rejoice, With all your relatives; I will support my mother and father, The old ones in mountain caves. The Mother-Nourishing Vulture Jātaka, the fourth. 400. The Dabbhapuppha Jātaka (7-1-5) 29. O good one, dweller by the bank, My friend, follow me; A great fish has been caught by me, It carries me away with force. 30. O good one, dweller in the deep, Hold fast with strength; I will pull it out, Like a Supaṇṇa pulls out a snake. 31. A dispute has arisen between us, Dabbhapuppha, listen to me; Settle the dispute, friend, Let the dispute be settled. 32. I was a judge before, Many cases were judged by me; I will settle the dispute, friend, Let the dispute be settled. 33. To the dweller by the bank, the tail; To the dweller in the deep, the head; And this middle portion, Will be for the judge. 34. The prey would have lasted long, If we had not disputed; Headless and tailless, The jackal carries away the rohu. This. 35. Just as a king would rejoice, having obtained a kingdom, a warrior; So do I rejoice today, having seen my husband with a full face. 36. How is it that you, born on land, caught a fish in the water? Asked by me, friend, tell me, how was it obtained by you? 37. By dispute they become lean, by dispute there is loss of wealth; The otters were defeated by dispute, eat, you trickster, the rohita fish. 38. Just so among humans, where dispute arises; They run to the righteous, for he is their leader; Wealth is also lost there, and the royal treasury increases. The Dabbhapuppha Jātaka, fifth. 401. The Paṇṇaka Jātaka (7-1-6) 39. A leaf, sharp-edged, a sword that drinks well; A man swallows in an assembly, what is more difficult than that? If there is any other difficult thing, tell me, being asked. 40. A man might swallow, out of greed, a sword that drinks well; But one who says "I will give," that is more difficult than that; All other things are easy, know this, gentle one. 41. Āyura explained the question, skilled in the meaning of the Dhamma; Now I ask Pukkusa, what is more difficult than that? If there is any other difficult thing, tell me, being asked. 42. They do not live by speech, a fruitless word spoken; But one who, having given, does not speak, that is more difficult than that; All other things are easy, know this, gentle one. 43. Pukkusa explained the question, skilled in the meaning of the Dhamma; Now I ask Senaka, what is more difficult than that? If there is any other difficult thing, tell me, being asked. 44. A man might give a gift, little or much; But one who, having given, does not regret, that is more difficult than that; All other things are easy, know this, gentle one. 45. Āyura explained the question, and the man Pukkusa; He overcomes all questions, as he speaks. i. Senaka. The Paṇṇaka Jātaka is the sixth. 402. The Sack of Flour Jātaka (7-1-7) 46. Your mind is distraught, your senses are agitated, From your eyes streams of tears flow; What have you lost, or what do you desire, That you came here, brahmin? Pray tell me. 47. My wife might die if I go today, The yakkha says death if I do not go; By this sorrow I am trembling, Explain to me, Senaka, this matter. 48. Having pondered many possibilities, What I shall say here is indeed true; I believe, brahmin, into your sack of flour, Unbeknownst to you, a black snake has entered. 49. Take a stick and shake the sack, You will see the mute serpent, the two-tongued one; Cut off doubt today, your uncertainties, See the snake, release the sack. 50. With a look of agitation in the midst of the assembly, That brahmin released the sack of flour; Then the serpent of fierce power emerged, A venomous snake, making its hood. 51. Well-gained is the profit for King Janaka, Who sees Senaka, the wise one; You are one who has removed the covering, a seer of all, Is your knowledge, brahmin, of a terrifying form? 52. I have these seven hundred, Take all of them, I give them to you; By you indeed my life has been gained today, And you have also brought welfare to my wife. 53. Wise ones do not accept payment, For beautiful verses well-spoken; Let them give you wealth from here too, brahmin, Take it and go to your own dwelling. The Sack of Flour Jātaka is the seventh. 403. The Aṭṭhisenaka Jātaka (7-1-8) 54. Those eight Senakas, beggars, Whom I do not know; They come together and beg me, Why do you not beg me? 55. A beggar is disliked, One who does not give when begged is disliked; Therefore I do not beg you, Lest I become disliked. 56. Whoever lives by begging, He who does not beg in due time; Destroys the merit of others, and does not live himself. 57. But he who lives by begging, and begs in due time; Causes others to gain merit, and lives himself. 58. The wise do not hate, seeing beggars come; "O holy one, you are dear to me, tell me what you wish for." 59. The wise do not beg, but the steadfast should know; The noble stand by pointing out, this is the begging of the noble. 60. "I give you, brahmin, a thousand red cows, with a bull; For how could a noble one not give to a noble one, having heard your verses full of Dhamma?" The Eighth, the Aṭṭhisenaka Jātaka. 404. The Kapi Jātaka (7-1-9) 61. Where an enemy dwells, a wise person should not dwell; For one night or two nights, one dwells in suffering among enemies. 62. An enemy indeed, following a fickle-minded person; For the sake of one monkey, the destruction of the troop was brought about. 63. A fool, though considering himself wise, a protector of the troop; Going under the sway of his own mind, he would lie down like that monkey. 64. It is not good for a strong fool to be a protector of the troop; He becomes a disadvantage to his relatives, like a fowler to birds. 65. But it is good for a strong steadfast one to be a protector of the troop; He becomes a benefit to his relatives, like Vāsava to the thirty gods. 66. And he who sees virtue and wisdom, and learning in himself;