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buffaloes, pigs, goats. 1201. ‘‘Having passed away from there, I was born here, in a wealthy general’s family; Surely there is no fruit of evil, since I did not go to hell. 1202. Then there was a slave named Bījaka, a wanderer; Observing the Uposatha, he approached the virtuous one. 1203. Having heard Kassapa’s words, and Alāta’s speech; Sighing warmly again and again, weeping tears it happened. 1204. Then the Videhan asked, “Why do you cry, good man? What have you heard or seen? What pain do you feel, that you tell me?” 1205. Hearing the words of the Videhan, Bījaka said this: “I have no painful feeling, Great king, listen to me. 1206. “I too remember My happiness in a former birth; I was in Sāketa city, A wealthy merchant, devoted to virtue. 1207. “Respected by brahmins, Delighting in sharing, pure; Nor do I remember Any evil deed done by myself. 1208. “Having passed away from there, Videhan, I was born here of a bad woman; In the womb of a slave woman, Whence I was born very unfortunate. 1209. “Even being so unfortunate, I was devoted to righteous conduct; Half of my food I give to whoever wants it. 1210. “On the fourteenth and fifteenth days, I always observe the fast; Nor do I harm living beings, And I avoided theft. 1211. “Surely all this good conduct Is fruitless; I think this virtue is useless, Just as Alāta speaks. 1212. “Surely I only get the bad throw, Like a gambler without skill; Alāta gets the good throw, Like a trained gambler. 1213. “I do not see the door By which I may go to a good destiny; Therefore, O king, I cry, Having heard Kassapa’s words.” 1214. Hearing Bījaka’s words, King Aṅgati said: “There is no door to a good destiny, Believe in fate, Bījaka. 1215. “Happiness or suffering, It is said, is obtained by fate; The purification of all in transmigration, Do not be hasty in the future. 1216. “I too was formerly virtuous, Engaged among brahmins; Instructing in conduct, Without delight at that time.” 1217. “May we see you again, venerable sir, If there will be an encounter”; Having said this, the Videhan Returned to his dwelling. 1218. Then at the end of the night, Aṅgati, in his assembly, Gathered his ministers, And spoke this word. 19. "In my palace named Candaka, May pleasures always be provided for me; May they not approach matters That are secret or revealed. 1220. "Vijaya and Sunāma, And the general Alātaka; May these three, skilled in legal matters, Decide on cases." 1221. Having said this, the Videhan king Valued pleasures greatly; He was not engaged in any matters Concerning Brahmins. 1222. Then, after seventy-two nights, The Videhan king's dear daughter, The princess named Rucā, Spoke to her foster-mother. 1223. "Adorn me quickly, And let my friends also adorn me; Tomorrow is the divine full moon, I shall go to my lord's presence." 1224. They brought her garlands, And very precious sandalwood; Jewels, conch shells, pearls, and gems, And garments of various colors. 1225. Many women, Surrounding her as she sat On a golden seat, Adorned Rucā, of beautiful complexion. 1226. She, amidst her friends, Adorned with all ornaments, Like a hundred stars in the sky, Rucā entered Candaka. 1227. Approaching the Videhan king, And bowing, devoted to discipline, She sat down on a golden-inlaid seat, To one side. 1228. Seeing her, the Videhan king, Like a gathering of celestial nymphs, Rucā amidst her friends, Spoke these words. 1229. "Are you happy in the palace, By the inner pond? Are various foods Always brought to you? 1230. "Do the maidens, Having gathered various garlands, Make them in each house, Always delighting in play and pleasure? 1231. "Or what is lacking for you? What shall they bring you quickly? Make up your mind, O wall-faced one, Even if it be like the moon." 1232. Having heard the Videhan king's words, Rucā spoke to her father; "All this, great king, Is obtained in the lord's presence." Who. 1233. “Tomorrow is the divine fifteenth, Let them bring me a thousand. And what has been given, I will give as alms to all beggars.” 1234. Having heard Rucā’s words, King Aṅgati said to her: “Much wealth has been wasted, Uselessly, without fruit, by you. 1235. “Always observing Uposatha, You do not eat food or drink. This is fixed as not to be eaten; There is no merit for one who does not eat.” 1236. Even Bījaka, having heard What Kassapa had said then, Sighed hot sighs repeatedly, Weeping, he shed tears. 1237. “As long as you live, Rucā, Do not abstain from food. There is no other world, good lady; Why do you torment yourself uselessly?” 1238. Having heard Vedeha’s words, Rucā, of beautiful complexion, Knowing the past and future Dhamma, Said this to her father: 1239. “It was only heard before, But now it is seen by me directly. Whoever associates with fools, Becomes like a fool himself. 1240. “Indeed, a deluded one, approaching another deluded one, Falls into greater delusion. It is fitting for Alāta And Bījaka to be deluded. 1241. “But you, O king, are wise, Steadfast, skilled in purpose. How have you, like fools, Adopted a low view? 1242. “Even if one is purified by the path of transmigration, Renunciation is useless for virtue. Like an insect, utterly deluded, Falls into a blazing fire and attains destruction. 1243. “Thinking ‘purity through transmigration,’ Many, not knowing, defile action. Formerly, the bad was wrongly grasped as good, And the foolish one is like a fishhook and a lotus. 1244. “I will make a simile for you, O great king, for your benefit. By means of a simile, Some wise ones here understand the meaning. 1245. “Just as a ship of merchants, Heavy with an immeasurable burden, Taking on an excessive load, Sinks in the ocean. 1246. “Even so, a person, Accumulating evil little by little, An excessive burden…” having taken them up, he sinks into hell. 1247. “Not yet is the burden full, O King Alāta; He accumulates that evil, by which he goes to a bad destination. 1248. “Formerly good deeds were done by him, O King Alāta; That is indeed the fruit, of the pleasure he now obtains. 1249. “And that merit of his is being exhausted, for he delights in the unvirtuous; Abandoning the straight path, he pursues the wrong path. 1250. “Just as a scale, when held, with the scale-pan lowered; Raises the scale-beam, when the burden is removed. 1251. “Even so, a man accumulating merit, little by little; Goes to heaven, like a slave, Bījaka, devoted to the good. 1252. “The suffering that slave Bījaka, experiences in himself today; Is the evil he did formerly, that he now experiences. 1253. “And that evil of his is being exhausted, for he delights in discipline; Attain Kassapa, do not go astray. 1254. “Whatever one associates with, O King, whether good or bad; Whether virtuous or unvirtuous, one comes under its sway. 1255. “Of whatever kind one makes a friend, of whatever kind one associates with; One also becomes of that kind, for companionship is like that. 1256. “Associating with one who associates, touching one who touches another; Like an arrow smeared with poison, it smears the unsmeared; Fearing contamination, a wise person should not be a friend to evil. 1257. “The man who wraps putrid fish, with kusa grass; Even the kusa grass smells putrid, such is association with fools. 1258. “The man who wraps tagara perfume, with leaves; Even the leaves smell fragrant, such is association with the wise. 1259. “Therefore, knowing the fruit of one's own actions, like a leaf-packet; A wise person should not associate with the bad, but should associate with the good; The bad lead to hell, the good lead to a good destination.” 1260. And I, for seven births, remember my own wanderings; And seven more to come, which I shall go Departed from here. That seventh birth of mine, which was before, O lord of men; I was a blacksmith's son in Magadha, in the city of Rājagaha. Having approached a wicked companion, much evil was done by me; Harassing others' wives, we roamed as if immortal. That deed lay hidden there, like a fire covered by ashes; Then by other deeds, I was born in Vaṃsabhūmi. In Kosambī, in a merchant's family, rich, prosperous, wealthy; An only son, O great king, always honored and revered. There I served a friend, a companion devoted to pleasure; Wise, accomplished in learning, he established me in the good. On the fourteenth and fifteenth (days), many nights I observed (the Uposatha); That deed lay hidden there, like a treasure near water. Then of the evil deeds, that which was done in Magadha; The fruit came to me afterwards, like having eaten a potent poison. Departed from there, O Videha, long in the Roruva hell; By my own deeds I burned, remembering that I found no happiness. Many years there, having spent much suffering; I was born in Bhinnāgata, O king, a goat with an uplifted tail. Sātaputta children were carried by me, on my back and by cart; That was the outflow of that deed, of my going to others' wives. Departed from there, O Videha, I was a monkey in a great forest; With a plucked tail, by a proud leader of the troop; That was the outflow of that deed, of my going to others' wives. Departed from there, O Videha, I was an animal in Dasaṇṇa; Plucked, swift, noble, a yoke was borne by me for a long time; That was the outflow of that deed, of my going to others' wives. Departed from there, O Videha, I came to a family in the Vajji land; I was neither female nor male, in a human birth so rare; The outflow of that deed, of my going to another's wife. 1274. ‘‘From there deceased, O Videha, I was born in the Nandana grove; In the abode of the Tāvatiṃsa gods, a nymph of charming form. 1275. ‘‘Adorned with varied garments, wearing jeweled earrings; Skilled in dance and song, a servant of Sakka. 1276. ‘‘Standing there, O Videha, I recall these births; And also the seven future ones, which I shall go to, deceased from here. 1277.