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The Eleventh Nipāta 455. The Mātuposaka Jātaka (1) 1. Due to that elephant's absence, the sallakī and kuṭaja trees grew; Kuruvinda and karavīra, and tisasāmā, and kaṇikāra bloomed in the shelter. 2. Somewhere, golden-armored ones feed the elephant king with a lump; Where a king or a prince will wear armor fearlessly. 3. Take this morsel, O elephant, O elephant, do not be thin; Many royal duties you, O elephant, will perform. 4. Surely that poor woman, blind and without a guide; Strikes a stump with her foot, and falls against a rugged mountain. 5. Who is that to you, great elephant, blind and without a guide; Who strikes a stump with her foot, and falls against a rugged mountain? 6. She is my mother, O great king, blind and without a guide; Who strikes a stump with her foot, and falls against a rugged mountain. 7. Release this great elephant, who nourishes his mother; Let the elephant reunite with his mother, together with all his relatives. 8. Released from bondage, the elephant, the elephant, taking the release; Having rested for a moment, went to where the mountain was. 9. Then he went to a lotus pond, cool and frequented by elephants; Drawing water with his trunk, he sprinkled his mother. 10. What ignoble god rains even out of season; My son, my offspring, is gone, who was my attendant. 11. Arise, mother, why do you sleep? Your son has come to you; I have been released by the King of Kasi, the glorious Videha. 12. Long live that king, the prosperity-increaser of Kasi; Who released my son, always honoring the elders. The Mātuposaka Jātaka, the first. 456. The Juṇha Jātaka (2) 13. Listen to my words, O lord of men, I have come here as Juṇha for a purpose; Not a brahmin While the traveler stands, Do not say "go," O best of bipeds. 14. I listen, I stand, speak, O brahmin, With what purpose have you come here; Or what purpose desiring from me, Have you come here, O brahmin, tell me that now. 15. Give me five excellent villages, A hundred slave women, seven hundred cows; And more than a thousand gold coins, And give me two wives like myself. 16. Is your ascetic practice, O brahmin, fearsome? Or are your mantras, O brahmin, charming? Or do you have some obedient yakkhas? Or do you know some deed done by me? 17. I have no ascetic practice, nor mantras, Nor do I have any obedient yakkhas; Nor do I know any deed done by you, But there was merely a past meeting. 18. Knowing this to be my first sight, I do not know (you) from before this; Tell me, being asked, this matter, When or where was our meeting? 19. In the charming city of the Gandhara king, We dwelt in Takkasilā, O deva; There in the darkness, in the deep night, We brushed shoulder to shoulder. 20. Both of us standing there, O king, We exchanged friendly greetings there; That alone was our mere meeting, There was nothing before or after that. 21. Whenever, O brahmin, among humans, There is a meeting with a good person; The wise do not destroy The bonds of friendship or past deeds. 22. Indeed, fools destroy The bonds of friendship or past deeds; Much done for fools is lost, For fools are ungrateful. 23. But the wise do not destroy The bonds of friendship or past deeds; Little done for the wise is not lost, For the wise are grateful. I give you five excellent villages, a hundred slave women, seven hundred cows; And over a thousand gold coins, and two wives like yourself I give. Thus, meeting, it is a hundred, O King, like the king of constellations among the stars; The lord of Kasi is satisfied, and so am I, for I have met with you today. The Second Junha Jātaka. 457. The Dhammadevaputta Jātaka (3) I am the maker of fame, the maker of merit, always praised by ascetics and brahmins; Worthy of the path, worshipped by gods and humans, I am Dhamma; give way, Adhamma. Firmly mounted on the chariot of Adhamma, I am powerful and unyielding; For what reason should I give way to you today, Dhamma, a path never given before? Dhamma indeed appeared first, later Adhamma arose in the world; The elder, the best, the ancient one; yield the path, younger one, to the elder. Not by begging, nor by suitability, nor by worthiness would I give you the path; Let there be a battle between us two today, the path belongs to whoever wins in battle. I am spread throughout all directions, mighty, of immeasurable fame, incomparable; Endowed with all virtues, Dhamma; Adhamma, how will you conquer? Indeed, gold is struck by iron, but they do not strike iron with gold; If Adhamma strikes Dhamma today, it would be like iron striking gold. If you, Adhamma, are strong in battle, and have no elders or revered ones; I will give you the path, whether you like it or not, and I will forgive your harsh words. Hearing these words, Adhamma, head down, fell with feet up; "If I, seeking battle, do not get battle," by this much, Adhamma was defeated. Patience, strong in battle, having conquered the strength of battle, having struck Adhamma, having thrown it to the ground... Yes. Pāyāsi, full of joy, ascended the chariot, and with great strength, true to his word, went on his way. 35. Mother, father, ascetics, and brahmins, who are not honored in one's own home; Having cast off the body here, at the breaking up of the body, they go to hell; Just as unrighteousness falls headlong. 36. Mother, father, ascetics, and brahmins, who are well-honored in one's own home; Having cast off the body here, at the breaking up of the body, they go to a good destination; Just as righteousness ascends the chariot. The Dhammadevaputta Jātaka, the third. 458. The Udaya Jātaka (4) 37. Alone, seated, pure, with restrained thighs, having ascended the palace, with unblemished limbs; I ask you, O kinnarī-eyed one, that for this one night, we both may dwell together. 38. Surrounded by a moat and a trench, with strong watchtowers and gates; Guarded by sword-wielders, this city is difficult to enter. 39. For a young man or even a youth, there is no entry; Then by what means, do you wish to meet with me? 40. I am a yakkha, O beautiful one, I have come to you; Please delight me, O blessed one, I will give you a full bowl. 41. A god or a yakkha or even a human, I do not desire, other than Udaya; Go away, O yakkha of great power, and do not return again. 42. That supreme delight of those who enjoy sensual pleasures, for the sake of which beings act unrighteously; May you not lose that delight, O pure one, I will give you a bowl full of silver. 43. A man, by tempting a woman with wealth, exalts her where he desires; Your divine law is contrary, you are rejected for a lesser amount. 44. Life and beauty in the human world, decline for humans of good form; By that same token, your wealth too, declines, you are older today. 45. As I look on, O glorious princess; It declines. Your beauty wanes, at the passing of days and nights. 46. With this very age, O princess, wise one; You should lead the holy life, you would be more beautiful. 47. Gods do not age like humans, no wrinkles appear on their limbs; I ask you, O mighty yakkha, how is the body of the gods? 48. Gods do not age like humans, no wrinkles appear on their limbs; Day by day, for them, it increases, divine beauty and abundant enjoyments. 49. Why here are many people afraid? And the path is said to lead to many destinations. I ask you, O mighty yakkha, standing where, one does not fear the next world? 50. Having rightly directed speech and mind, not doing evil with the body; Dwelling in a house with much food and drink, faithful, gentle, sharing, generous; Helpful, friendly, soft-spoken, standing here, one does not fear the next world. 51. You instruct me, O yakkha, like a mother, like a father. I ask you of noble appearance, who indeed are you, O beautiful one? 52. I am Udaya, O fair one, I came here for association. Indeed, I bid you farewell, I go, I am freed from your association. 53. If indeed you are Udaya, who came here for association; Instruct me, O prince, how there may be another meeting. 54. Age passes, and so does the moment, there is no permanent place, beings pass away; The impermanent body decays, Udaya, do not be heedless, practice the Dhamma. 55. The whole earth, full of wealth, might belong to one person alone, not to be claimed by others; Yet even that he abandons, if not free from craving, Udaya, do not be heedless, practice the Dhamma. 56. Mother and father and brothers, and the wife who is bought with wealth even with wealth, they are not satisfied. And they abandon each other, In rising, do not be heedless, practice the Dhamma. 57. Knowing the body is food for others, In transmigration, good and bad destinies; Knowing it is a temporary dwelling, In rising, do not be heedless, practice the Dhamma. 58. Well spoken, O Yakkha, Short is the life of mortals; Difficult and brief, And it is conjoined with suffering; Therefore, I alone will go forth, Abandoning well-guarded Kasi. The Udaya Jataka, the fourth. 459. The Paniya Jataka (5) 59. A friend's water, I consumed, though not given; Therefore, afterwards I felt remorse, That evil was done by me; May I not do evil again, Therefore, I have gone forth. 60. And seeing another's wife, Desire arose in me; Therefore, afterwards I felt remorse, That evil was done by me; May I not do evil again, Therefore, I have gone forth. 61. My father, O great king, Thieves seized in the forest; Being asked by them, though knowing, I answered otherwise. 62. Therefore, afterwards I felt remorse, That evil was done by me; May I not do evil again, Therefore, I have gone forth. 63. They committed the taking of life, When a soma sacrifice was prepared; I assented to them, Therefore, afterwards I felt remorse. 64. That evil was done by me, May I not do evil again; Therefore, I have gone forth. 65. Those people who first introduced Liquor, intoxicating drinks, and mead to us; For the harm of many,