Sambhava-Jātaka

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Source: Adapted from Archaic Translation by H.T. Francis
JATAKA No. 515

SAMBHAVA-JATAKA

"This rule," etc.--This story the Master when residing at Jetavana monastery told concerning the Perfection of Wisdom. The circumstances leading to the introductory story will be set on in the Mahaummagga Birth (*1).

Once upon a time a king called Dhananjaya Korabya reigned in the city of Indraprastha in the Kuru kingdom. A brahmin named Sucirata was his priest and adviser in things worldly and spiritual. The king ruled his kingdom righteously, in the exercise of almsgiving and other good works. Now one day he prepared a question about the service of Truth, and having seated the brahmin Sucirata and paid him due honour, he put his question to him in the form of four stanzas:

This rule and lordship I refuse, Sucirata, for I would glad Be great, and over the wide world reign.

By right alone--wrong I avoid-- For whatsoever is good and true Kings above all men should pursue.

By this for ever free from blame, Here and hereafter, we may claim Midst gods(angels) and men a glorious name.

Know, brahmin, that I gladly would do Whatever is deemed both good and true, So please tell, when asked, say to me The Good and True, what they may be.

Now this was a difficult question, falling within the range of a Buddha. This is a question one should put to an infinitely knowledgeable Buddha, and, failing him, to a Bodhisattva who is seeking the Gift of infinite knowledge. But Sucirata, by reason of his not being a Bodhisattva, could not solve the question, and, so far from assuming an air of wisdom, he confessed his incompetency in the following stanza:

No one but Vidhura (*2), O king, Has power to tell this wonderful thing, What is, my lord, the Good and True, That you are ever glad to do.

The king on hearing his words said, "Go then, brahmin, at once," and he gave him a present to take with him, and in his eagerness to get him off, he repeated this stanza:

Lo! straight this weight of gold, my friend, By you to Vidhura I send; Suitable gift for sage who best can show The Good and True that I would know.

And with these words he gave him a tablet of gold, worth a hundred thousand pieces of money, on which to write the answer to the question, a chariot to travel in, an army to escort him, and a present to offer, and straightway sent him. Issuing from the city of Indraprastha, not going straight to Benares, he first visited all places wheresoever sages dwell, and, not finding any one in all India to solve the question, he gradually approached Benares. Taking up his dwelling there, he went with a few followers to the house of Vidhura, at the time of the early meal, and having announced his arrival, he was invited in and found Vidhura at breakfast in his own house.

The Master, to make the matter clear, repeated the seventh stanza:

Then straight in haste did Bharadvaja (*3) walked His way to Vidhura, and found his friend Sitting at home, and ready to eat Of simple food, his early fast to break.

Now Vidhura was a friend of his youth, and had been educated in the family of the same master, so after eating of the meal with him, when breakfast was over, and Sucirata was comfortably seated, on being asked by Vidhura, "What brings you here, friend?" he told him why he had come and repeated the eighth stanza:

I come at far-famed Kuru king's behest, Came from Yudhitthila (*4), and this his quest, To ask you, Vidhura, to tell to me The True and Good, what it may surely be.

At that time the brahmin thinking to collect the ideas of a number of people pursues his quest, like to one piling up as it were a very Ganges flood, and there is no time for solving the problem. So stating the case he repeated the ninth stanza:

Overwhelmed by such a mighty theme As it was by Ganges' flooded stream, I cannot tell what this may be, The Good and True you seek from me.

And so saying he added: "I have a clever son, far wiser than I am: he will make it clear to you. Go to him." And he repeated the tenth stanza:

A son I have, my very own, Amongst men as Bhadrakara known; Go seek him out, and he'll teach To you what Truth and Goodness are.

On hearing this Sucirata leaving Vidhura's house went to the living of Bhadrakara, and found him seated at breakfast in the midst of his people.

The Master, to clear up the matter, repeated the eleventh stanza:

Then Bharadvaja hastily To Bhadrakara's home did move, Where amidst friends, all gathered round, Seated at ease the youth was found.

On his arrival there he was hospitably received by the youth Bhadrakara with the offer of a chair and gifts, and taking his seat, on being asked why he had come, he repeated the twelfth stanza:

I come at far-famed Kuru king's behest, Came from Yudhitthila, and this his quest, To ask you, Bhadrakara, to show me Goodness and Truth, what they may surely be.

Then Bhadrakara said to him, "Just now, Sir, I am intent on an intrigue with another man's wife. My mind is ill at ease, so I cannot answer your question, but my young brother Sanjaya has a clearer intellect than I have. Ask him: he will answer your question." And in order to send him there, he repeated two stanzas:

Good venison I leave, a lizard to pursue: How then should I know anything about the Good and True?

I've a young brother, you must know, Named Sanjaya. So, brahmin, go And seek him out, and he'll teach To you what Truth and Goodness are.

He at once set out for the house of Sanjaya, and was welcomed by him and on being asked why he had come he told him the reason.

The Master, to make the matter clear, uttered two stanzas:

Then Bharadvaja hastily To home of Sanjaya did move, Where amidst friends, all gathered round, Seated at ease the youth was found.

I come at far-famed Kuru king's behest, Came from Yudhitthila, and this his quest, To ask you, Sanjaya, to show to me Goodness and Truth, what they may surely be.

But Sanjaya also was engaged in an intrigue and said to him, "Sir, I am in pursuit of another man's wife, and going down to the Ganges I cross over to the other side. Evening and morning as I cross the stream, I am in the jaws of death: therefore my mind is disturbed, and I shall not be able to answer your question, but my young brother Sambhava, a boy of seven years, is a hundred thousand times superior to me in knowledge. He will tell you: go and ask him."

The Master, to make the matter clear, repeated two stanzas:

Death opens wide his jaws for me, Early and late. How tell to you Of Truth and Goodness, what they be?

I've a young brother, you must know, Called Sambhava. So, brahmin, go, And seek him out. He will teach To you what Truth and Goodness are.

On hearing this Sucirata thought, "This question must be the most wonderful thing in the world. I fancy no one is equal to answering it," and so thinking he repeated two stanzas:

This marvel strange dislikes me, Nor sire nor sons, none of the three, Knows how to solve this mystery.

If you thus fail, can this mere youth Know anything of Goodness and of Truth?

On hearing this Sanjaya said, "Sir, do not regard young Sambhava as a mere boy. If there is no one that can answer your question, go and ask him." And, describing the qualities of the youth by similes that explained, the case, he repeated twelve stanzas:

Ask Sambhava nor contempt his youth, He knows right well and he can tell Of Goodness and of Truth.

As the clear moon outshines the starry assemblage, Their meaner glories in his splendour lost,

Even so the youthful Sambhava appears To excel in Wisdom far beyond his years; Ask Sambhava nor contempt his youth, He knows right well and he can tell Of Goodness and of Truth.

As charming April did all months surpass all With budding flowers and woodland greenery,

Even so the youthful Sambhava appears ..(&same as before).

As Gandhamadana, its snowy height With forest clad and heavenly herbs decorated, Diffusing light and fragrance all around, For many gods(angels) a refuge sure is found,

Even so the youthful ..(&same as before).

As glorious fire, blazing through some swamp With encircling heights, insatiate, eats the grass Leaving a blackened path, wherever it pass,

Or as a ghee (clarified butter)-fed flame in darkest night On choicest wood did whet its appetite, Shining conspicuous on some distant height,

Even so the youthful ..(&same as before).

An ox by strength, a horse by speed, Displays his excellence of breed, A cow by milk in copious flow, A sage by his wise words we know.

Even so the youthful ..(&same as before).

While Sanjaya was singing the praises of Sambhava, Sucirata thought, "I will find out by putting the question to him," so he asked, "Where is your young brother?" Then he opened the window and stretching on his hand, he said, "You see the boy with a complexion like gold, playing with other youths in the street before the door of the mansion: that is my young brother. Go up to him and ask him; he will answer your question with all the charm of a Buddha." Sucirata, on hearing his words, descended from the mansion, and came near to the boy at the very moment that he was standing with his garment loose and thrown over his shoulder, and picking up some dirt with both hands.

The Master, to explain the matter, repeated a stanza:

Then Bharadvaja hastily To home of Sambhava did move, And there out in the public way The little boy was found at play.

The Great Being, when he saw the brahmin come and stand before him, asked, "Friend, what brings you here?" He replied, "Dear youth, I am wandering through all India, and not finding any one competent to answer the question I put to him, I have come to you." The boy thought, "There is a question, they say, that has not been decided in all India. He has come to me. I am old in knowledge." And becoming ashamed he dropped the dirt that he held in his hand, readjusted his garment and said, "Brahmin, ask on, and I will tell you with the fluent mastery of a Buddha," and in his infinite knowledge he invited him to choose what he would ask. Then the brahmin asked his question in the form of a stanza:

I come at far-famed Kuru king's behest, Came from Yudhitthila, and this his quest, To ask you, Sambhava, to show to me Goodness and Truth, what they may surely be.

What he wanted became clear to Sambhava, as it were the full moon in the middle of the sky. "Then listen to me," he said, and answering the question as to the Service of Truth he uttered this stanza:

I'll tell you, Sir, and tell properly, Even as a man of wisdom might, The king shall know the Good and True, But who knows what the king will do?

And as he stood in the street and taught the Truth with a voice sweet as honey, the sound spread over the whole of the city of Benares, to twelve leagues( x 4.23 km) on every side Then the king and all his viceroys and other rulers assembled together, and the Great Being in the midst of the lot set on his exposition of the Truth.

Having thus promised in this stanza to answer the question, he now gave the answer as to the Service of Truth:

In answer to the king, Sucirata, proclaim, "tomorrow and To-day are never quite the same; I ask you then, O king Yudhitthila, be wise And prompt to seize whatever occasion may arise."

I gladly would have you too, Sucirata, suggest A thought in which his mind may profitably rest, "A king all wicked ways should carefully avoid, Nor, like bewildered fool, an evil course pursue."

To loss of his own soul he never should transgress, Nor ever be guilty of deeds of unrighteousness, Himself never be engaged in any evil way, Nor ever in wrong path a brother lead astray.

These points to carry out whosoever did rightly know, Like growing moon, as king in fame did ever grow. A shining light to friends and dear unto his family, And, when his body fails, the sage to heaven will win.

The Great Being thus, like to one making the moon to rise in the sky, answered the brahmin's question with all the mastery of a Buddha. The people roared and shouted and clapped their hands. And there arose a thousand cries of applause with great wavings of cloths and snapping of fingers. And they threw off the trinkets on their hands. And the value of what they threw down amounted to about a crore(x10 million). And the king of Benares in his joy paid him great honour. And Sucirata, after offering him a thousand weight of gold, wrote down the answer to the question with vermilion(red dust) on a golden tablet, and on coming to the city of Indraprastha he told the king the answer as to the Service of Truth. And the king abiding devoted in righteousness attained to heaven.

At the end of the lesson the Master said, "Not merely now, Brethren(Monks), but formerly too, the Tathagata(Buddha) was great in answering questions," and he identified the Birth: "At that time Ananda was king Dhananjaya, Anuruddha was Sucirata, Kashyapa Vidhura, Moggallyana Bhadrakara, Sariputra the youth Sanjaya, and I myself was the wise Sambhava."

Footnotes:

(1)Jataka, No. 546.

(2)Vidhura, was the priest of the king of Benares.

(3)Bharadvaja is the family name of Suchirata.

(4)The Kurus were descended from Yudhishthira.