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The Book of the Seventies The Kusa Jātaka (1) 1. This is your kingdom, with wealth, with chariots, with armlets, endowed with all desires; Rule this kingdom, mother, I will go where my beloved Pabhāvatī is. 2. You, being crooked, have taken a great burden, by day and by night and at midnight; Go back quickly to Kusāvatī, Kusa, I do not wish you, living disfigured. 3. I will not go from here to Kusāvatī, enticed by your beauty, Pabhāvatī; I delight in the charming abode of the Madda king, having abandoned the kingdom, joyful in seeing you. 4. Enticed by your beauty, Pabhāvatī, I wander the earth, utterly bewildered; I do not know the direction from which I came, I am intoxicated by you, O deer-eyed one. 5. Clothed in golden garments, with a beautiful golden girdle; O beautiful-hipped one, for your sake, I do not care for a kingdom. 6. Indeed, it is a misfortune for him, who desires one who does not desire; O king, you desire one who does not desire, you wish for an unloved one to be loved. 7. Whether unwilling or willing, the man who obtains his beloved; We praise that gain, loss in that is evil. 8. You dig into the essence of rock, with a stick of kanikāra wood; You bind the wind with a net, who desires one who does not desire. 9. Surely a stone is placed in your heart, O one with soft features; Since I find no pleasure from you, though I have come from another country. 10. When the princess looks at me, making a frown; Then I become a cook, in the inner palace of the Madda king. 11. When the princess looks at me, smiling; Then I am not a cook, then I am King Kusa. 12. If If indeed the word is true, of the soothsayers it will be; You shall not be my husband, let them cut me into seven pieces if they wish. 13. If indeed the word is true, of others or of me; You have no other husband, than Kusa of the lion's voice. 14. I will make you a golden necklace, when we reach Kusāvatī, O hunchback; If the one with elephant-trunk thighs, Princess Prabhāvatī, would look at me. 15. I will make you a golden necklace, when we reach Kusāvatī, O hunchback; If the one with elephant-trunk thighs, Princess Prabhāvatī, would speak to me. 16. I will make you a golden necklace, when we reach Kusāvatī, O hunchback; If the one with elephant-trunk thighs, Princess Prabhāvatī, would smile at me. 17. I will make you a golden necklace, when we reach Kusāvatī, O hunchback; If the one with elephant-trunk thighs, Princess Prabhāvatī, would laugh at me. 18. I will make you a golden necklace, when we reach Kusāvatī, O hunchback; If the one with elephant-trunk thighs, would touch me with her hands. 19. Surely this princess, finds no pleasure in Kusa; She nourishes cooks and servants, who are useless for a wage. 20. Surely this hunchback, does not deserve her tongue to be cut; with a well-sharpened knife, speaking such ill words. 21. Do not despise him for his form, or his stature, O Prabhāvatī; Considering him to be of great fame, make him your beloved, O beautiful one. 22. Do not despise him for his form, or his stature, O Prabhāvatī; Considering him to be of great wealth, make him your beloved, O beautiful one. 23. Do not despise him for his form, or his stature, O Prabhāvatī; Considering him to be of great strength, make him your beloved, O beautiful one. 24. Do not despise him for his form, or his stature, O Prabhāvatī; Considering him to be of a great kingdom, make him your beloved, O beautiful one. 25. Do not despise him for his form, or his stature, O Prabhāvatī; Considering him to be a great king, make him your beloved, O beautiful one. 26. Do not despise him for his form, or his stature, O Prabhāvatī; Considering him to be of a lion's voice, make him your beloved, O beautiful one. 27. Do not despise him for his form, or his stature, O Prabhāvatī; Considering him to be of a sweet voice, make him your beloved, O beautiful one. 28. Do not Do not lead her by form, she shines by her stature; Calling her Bindussara, make her dear, lovely one. 29. Do not lead her by form, she shines by her stature; Calling her Mañjussara, make her dear, lovely one. 30. Do not lead her by form, she shines by her stature; Calling her Madhussara, make her dear, lovely one. 31. Do not lead her by form, she shines by her stature; Calling her Satasippa, make her dear, lovely one. 32. Do not lead her by form, she shines by her stature; Calling her Khattiya, make her dear, lovely one. 33. Do not lead her by form, she shines by her stature; Calling her Kusa-rāja, make her dear, lovely one. 34. These elephants stand firm, all armored; Before they crush the rampart, bring that Pabhāvatī! 35. Having made seven portions, I will give this Pabhāvatī; To the Khattiyas who have come here to kill me. 36. The princess arose, dark-skinned, clad in silk; With eyes full of tears, surrounded by a retinue of maidservants. 37. That face, surely, attended by the cuckoo, reflected in mirrors, teeth and lips observed; Beautiful, with lovely eyes, pure, unblemished, will be abandoned in the forest by the Khattiyas. 38. Surely my black, curly-tipped hair, soft, anointed with sandalwood paste; Will be scattered in the middle of the charnel ground, dragged by the feet by vultures. 39. Surely my arms, with red nails, fine hair, soft, anointed with sandalwood paste; Cut off, abandoned in the forest by the Khattiyas, a crow will take them wherever it wishes. 40. Surely those hanging breasts, like palm fruits, anointed with Kasi sandalwood; A jackal will suckle at my breasts, like a young son at his mother's. 41. Surely that broad, well-shaped hip, adorned with golden... with golden girdles; The body, cut down in the forest by the Khattiyas, packs of jackals will drag away. 42. Dogs, crows, and jackals, and any others that have fangs; Will surely become immortal, after devouring Pabhāvatī. 43. If the flesh they carry away, the Khattiyas, far-ranging ones; Mother, having begged for the bones, bury her along the path. 44. Mother, having made fields, plant jasmine there; When they are in bloom, at the end of winter's frost; Remember me, Mother, Pabhāvatī of such a hue. 45. Her mother then stood up, the Khattiya woman of divine complexion; Seeing the sword and the butcher's block, in the king's inner palace. 46. Surely with this sword, my slender-waisted, well-adorned Daughter, having killed her, you will give to the Khattiyas. 47. You did not heed my words, my daughter, who desired your welfare; Today, covered in blood, you go to Yama's abode. 48. Thus does a person fare, and come to misfortune; Who indeed the words of well-wishers, who see their benefit, does not heed. 49. If today you had kept, the prince, of charming appearance; The Khattiya born of Kusa, with a golden jeweled girdle; Honored by his kinsmen, you would not go to Yama's destruction. 50. Where the drum resounds, and the elephant trumpets; In the noble Khattiya family, what indeed is happier than that? 51. And the horse neighs at the gate, the prince cries out; In the noble Khattiya family, what indeed is happier than that? 52. Where peacocks and cranes cry out, and cuckoos sing; In the noble Khattiya family, what indeed is happier than that? 53. Where then Oh, he is the crusher of enemies, the crusher of other kingdoms; Kusa, of sixteen-fold wisdom, who will release us from suffering. 54. Here indeed is the crusher of enemies, the crusher of other kingdoms; Kusa, of sixteen-fold wisdom, who will slay all of them. 55. Are you speaking like a madwoman, or prattling like a blind fool? If Kusa had come, how would we not know him? 56. That man is a cook, in the inner palace of the princesses. Having tightly rolled up his hair, he bends down to wash the pot. 57. You are Veṇī, an outcast woman, a defiler of the family's good name. How, born in the Madda family, can you desire a slave? 58. I am not Veṇī, nor an outcast woman, nor a defiler of the family's good name. He is a son of Okkāka, my lord, do you think he is a slave? 59. He who always feeds twenty thousand brahmins; He is a son of Okkāka, my lord, do you think he is a slave? 60. He for whom twenty thousand elephants are always yoked; He is a son of Okkāka, my lord, do you think he is a slave? 61. He for whom twenty thousand horses are always yoked; He is a son of Okkāka, my lord, do you think he is a slave? 62. He for whom twenty thousand chariots are always yoked; He is a son of Okkāka, my lord, do you think he is a slave? 63. He for whom twenty thousand cows are always milked; He is a son of Okkāka, my lord, do you think he is a slave? 64. Indeed, you have done wrong, foolish girl, that a powerful warrior, an elephant in the guise of a frog, you did not recognize his arrival. 65. A transgression, great king, You must forgive us, chief of charioteers; That we, in your unknown guise, did not recognize you when you came here. It is not fitting for one like me, that I should be a cook; You alone must be pleased with me, there is no wrong done by you, O king. Go, foolish one, beg forgiveness From King Kusa, the mighty one; When King Kusa is appeased, He will grant you life. Having heard her father's words, Pabhāvatī, with divine beauty, Took hold of the feet Of King Kusa, the mighty one, with her head. Many nights have passed, Many, O king, without you; I worship your feet with my head, Do not be angry with me, chief of charioteers. I confess everything to you, Great king, listen to me; Nor will I ever again Do anything displeasing to you. If, when I thus plead, You do not heed my words; Now my father will kill me And give me to the Khattiyas. When you thus plead, Why should I not heed your words? I was angry with you, fair one, Do not fear, Pabhāvatī. I confess everything to you, Princess, listen to me; Nor will I ever again Do anything displeasing to you. Indeed, for your sake, O beautiful-hipped one, I have endured much suffering;