English
"Rise up, hunter, take your axe, cut off these tusks before I die; tell that angry princess, 'The elephant is slain, here are his tusks!'" 128. Rising up, that hunter, taking his axe, cut off the tusks of the excellent elephant; beautiful, splendid, unequalled on earth, he took them and quickly departed from there. 129. The elephants, terrified and distressed by the elephant's death, those elephants who roamed the eight directions; not seeing their enemy, the man, returned to where that elephant king was. 130. There, those elephants, crying and weeping, scattering dust on their heads; they all went to their own abode, with the all-blessed queen in front. 131. Taking the tusks of the excellent elephant, beautiful, splendid, unequalled on earth; adorned all around with golden lines, that hunter approached Kasi city; he presented the tusks to the royal princess, "The elephant is slain, here are his tusks!" 132. Seeing the tusks of the excellent elephant, of her beloved in a former birth; right there her heart burst, and with that, that fool died. 133. The Great Being, having attained full enlightenment, smiled in the midst of the assembly; The bhikkhus asked, "Well-liberated..." With minds well-trained, Buddhas do not reveal without cause. 134. Whom you saw, a young maiden, Wearing a saffron robe, wandering homeless; She indeed then was a royal princess, I then was the Naga king. 135. Having taken the tusks of the excellent elephant, Beautiful, auspicious, unequalled on earth; The hunter who went to Kasi city, He indeed then was Devadatta. 136. This ancient conduct, long-practiced for many nights, Varied, not without a hero; Free from fear, free from sorrow, free from the dart, Having known by himself, the Buddha spoke. 137. I, for you, at that time, Was there, O monks; I was then the Naga king, Thus remember this Jātaka. 138. We have attained kingship, Sovereignty, well-practiced; I wish to attain greatness, To conquer this earth. 139. By Dhamma, not by un-Dhamma, Un-Dhamma does not please me; Dhamma, indeed, practiced, Becomes well-practiced for a king. 140. By which I am unblamed here, And unblamed hereafter; Fame among gods and humans, By which I attain, O brahmin. 141. That which is benefit and Dhamma, I wish to do, O brahmin; That benefit and Dhamma, Explain, O brahmin, when asked. 142. Not other than Vidhura, O king, Is able to explain this; That benefit and Dhamma, You wish to do, O warrior. 143. Come now, sent, go, To Vidhura's presence; This gold coin, take and go, well-practiced one; This gift he should give, For instruction in benefit and Dhamma. 144. Then Bhāradvāja went, To Vidhura's presence; He saw the great brahmin, Unequalled in his own house. 145. I am a messenger sent by the king, By the renowned Korabya; "He asks about benefit and Dhamma," Thus spoke Yudhiṭṭhila; That benefit and Dhamma, Explain, O Vidhura, when asked. Here. 146. They will block the Ganges for me, I cannot do that, brahmin; To block the great ocean, How will that be? 147. I cannot explain to you, The meaning and the Dhamma when asked; My son is Bhadrakāra, My own born offspring; Go and ask him, The meaning and the Dhamma, brahmin. 148. Then Bhāradvāja went, To Bhadrakāra's presence; He saw that great brahmin, Seated in his own house. 149. I am a messenger sent by the king, By the glorious Korabya; "He asks about the meaning and the Dhamma," So said Yudhiṭṭhila; Tell me, Bhadrakāra, The meaning and the Dhamma. 150. Abandoning the meat-basket, I pursue the iguana; I cannot explain to you, The meaning and the Dhamma when asked. 151. My brother is named Sañcaya, My younger brother, pure-minded one; Go and ask him, The meaning and the Dhamma, brahmin. 152. Then Bhāradvāja went, To Sañcaya's presence; He saw that great brahmin, Seated in his own house. 153. I am a messenger sent by the king, By the glorious Korabya; "He asks about the meaning and the Dhamma," So said Yudhiṭṭhila; Explain to me, Sañcaya, The meaning and the Dhamma when asked. 154. Death always devours me, Morning and evening, pure-minded one; I cannot explain to you, The meaning and the Dhamma when asked. 155. My brother is named Sambhava, My younger brother, pure-minded one; Go and ask him, The meaning and the Dhamma, brahmin. 156. Oh, this Dhamma is truly amazing, It does not please us; Three people, father and sons, Among them, none are wise in knowledge. 157. You cannot explain, The meaning and the Dhamma when asked; How would a young one know, The meaning and the Dhamma when asked? 158. Do not... You despise, without asking about his nature; Having asked about his nature, one should know, the meaning and the Dhamma, O brahmin. 159. Just as the moon, pure, moving in the sky, all star-clusters in the world, surpasses with its light. 160. Even so, one who is young in appearance, by the power of wisdom, is born; Do not despise him as young, without asking about his nature; Having asked about his nature, one should know, the meaning and the Dhamma, O brahmin. 161. Just as the delightful month, of the hot season, O brahmin; more than other months, shines with tree-blossoms. 162. Even so, one who is young in appearance, by the power of wisdom, is born; Do not despise him as young, without asking about his nature; Having asked about his nature, one should know, the meaning and the Dhamma, O brahmin. 163. Just as the Himalaya, O brahmin, the Gandhamādana mountain; covered with various trees, an abode for great beings; and with divine herbs, shines and spreads its fragrance in all directions. 164. Even so, one who is young in appearance, by the power of wisdom, is born; Do not despise him as young, without asking about his nature; Having asked about his nature, one should know, the meaning and the Dhamma, O brahmin. 165. Just as fire, O brahmin, with garlands of flames, glorious; burning in the forest, the fire, with a dark path. 166. The fire, with smoke as its banner, supreme consumer of offerings; in the night, on a mountain peak, with great splendor, it shines brightly. 167. Even so, one who is young in appearance, by the power of wisdom, is born; Do not despise him as young, without asking about his nature; Having asked about his nature, one should know, the meaning and the Dhamma, O brahmin. 168. By its speed, they know a good horse, and an ox by its carrying capacity; By its milk, they know a cow, and a wise person by his speech. 169. Even so, one who is young in appearance, by the power of wisdom, is born; Do not despise him as young, without asking about his nature; Having asked about his nature, one should know, the meaning and the Dhamma, O brahmin. 170. Self-mastery. Bhāradvāja came near Sambhava. Mahābrahmā saw him, playing outside the city. I am a messenger sent by the king, the glorious Korabya. "Ask about welfare and righteousness," thus said Yudhiṭṭhila. You, therefore, about welfare and righteousness, Sambhava, when asked, explain. Indeed, I will explain to you, as one who is skilled. But the king knows that, whether he will do it or not. "Today or tomorrow," he should say, when asked by the king, O pure one. Let not the king, having done it, regret, when the matter arises, Yudhiṭṭhila. He should say it from within himself, when asked by the king, O pure one. He should not lead to a wrong path, like a deluded, senseless person. He should not transgress himself, nor practice unrighteousness. He should not cross at a fordless place, nor be engaged in what is not beneficial. And the khattiya who knows how to do these things, that king always prospers, like the moon in the bright fortnight. He is dear to his relatives, and shines among his friends. After the breaking up of the body, the wise one, he is reborn in heaven. The Fifth, the Sambhava Jātaka. 516. The Great Monkey Jātaka (6) In Bārāṇasī there was a king, who increased the Kāsī kingdom. Surrounded by friends and ministers, he went to the deer park. There he saw a brahmin, white, mottled, suffering from skin disease. Like a withered koviḷāra tree, emaciated, covered with veins. Having reached extreme wretchedness, seeing the man in distress, the king, astonished, said, "Which of the yakkhas are you? Your hands and feet are white, your head is whiter than that. Your body is mottled in color, and you are full of skin disease. Like a series of coils, your back is uneven. Your limbs are like black joints, I see no other like this. With swollen feet, thirsty, emaciated, covered with veins; You are hungry, your form is burning, where are you from, where are you going? 184. "Hard to see, of little merit, ill-favored, of fearsome sight; Even your mother who bore you, would not wish to see you. 185. "What deed did you do before, whom did you slay, who was not to be slain? Having committed what evil, have you come to this suffering?" 186. Indeed I will tell you, just as one who knows. For in this world, truth-speakers are praised by the wise. 187. Wandering alone, seeking cattle, bewildered, I roamed in the forest. In a wilderness, a barren waste, a deep forest, frequented by various elephants. 188. Traversed by wild beasts, I was lost in the jungle. I wandered there for seven days, overcome by hunger and thirst. 189. There I saw a tinduka tree, standing precariously, being hungry. Hanging over a precipice, bearing abundant fruit. 190. I ate those that fell by the wind, they pleased me greatly. Unsatisfied, I climbed the tree, thinking, "I will be full there." 191. One I had eaten, the second I desired. Then that branch broke, as if cut by an axe. 192. So I, along with the branches, feet upwards, head downwards, fell into a mountain chasm, without footing, without support. 193. And because the water was deep, I did not perish. There I lay joyless, for no less than ten nights. 194. Then a monkey came there, a long-tailed langur, a cave-dweller. Wandering from branch to branch,