Cakkavāka-Jātaka

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Source: Adapted from Archaic Translation by H.T. Francis and R.A. Neil
JATAKA No. 434

CAKKAVAKA-JATAKA

"Twin pair of birds," etc.--This story the Master living at Jetavana monastery told concerning a greedy Brother(Monk). He was, it was said, greedy after the Buddhist necessities and throwing off all duties of master and pastor, entered Shravasti city quite early, and after drinking excellent rice-porridge served with many a kind of solid food in the house of Visakha, and after eating in the daytime various choice foods, paddy, meat and boiled rice, not satisfied with this he goes about from there to the house of Culla-Anathapindika, and the king of Kosala, and various others. So one day a discussion was raised in the Hall of Truth concerning his greediness. When the Master heard what they were discussing, he sent for that Brother and asked him if it were true that he was greedy. And when he said "Yes," the Master asked, "Why, Brother, are you greedy? Formerly too through your greediness, not being satisfied with the dead bodies of elephants, you left Benares and wandering about on the bank of the Ganges, entered the Himalaya country." And on this he told a story of the past.

Once upon a time when Brahmadatta was reigning in Benares, a greedy crow went about eating the bodies of dead elephants, and not satisfied with them he thought, "I will eat the fat of fish on the bank of the Ganges," and after staying a few days there eating dead fish he went into the Himalaya and lived on various kinds of wild fruits. Coming to a large lotus-tank exceeding in fish and turtles, he saw there two golden-coloured geese who lived on the sevala plant. He thought, "These birds are very beautiful and well-favoured: their food must be delightful. I will ask them what it is, and by eating the same I too shall become golden-coloured." So he went to them, and after the usual kindly greetings to them as they sat perched on the end of a branch, he spoke the first stanza in relation with their praises:

Twin pair of birds in yellow dressed, So joyous roaming to and fro; What kind of birds do men love best? This is what I am glad to know.

The red goose on hearing this spoke the second stanza:

O bird, of human kind the pest, We above other birds are blessed. All lands with our "devotion (*1)" ring And men and birds our praises sing. Know then that red geese are we, And fearless wander over the seat (*2).

Hearing this the crow spoke the third stanza:

What fruits upon the sea are many, And from where may flesh for geese be found? Say on what heavenly food you live, Such beauty and such strength to give.

Then the red goose spoke the fourth stanza:

No fruits are on the sea to eat, And from where should red geese have meat? Sevala plant, stripped of its skin, Yields food without a taint of sin.

Then the crow spoke two stanzas:

I like not, goose, the words you use: I once believed the food we choose To nourish us, should agree With what our outward form might be.

But now I doubt it, for I eat Rice, salt, and oil, and fruit, and meat: As heroes feast returned from fight, So I too in good cheer delight. But though I live on elegant food, My looks with yours may not compare.

Then the red goose told the reason why the crow failed to attain to personal beauty, while he himself attained to it, and spoke the remaining stanzas:

Not satisfied with fruit, or garbage found Within the premises of the charnel ground, The greedy crow pursues in meaningless flight The casual prey that tempts his appetite.

But all that thus shall work their wicked will, And for their pleasure harmless creatures kill, Reprimanded by their conscience, wither away, And see their strength and comeliness decay.

So happy beings that no creatures harm In form gain vigour and in looks a charm, For beauty surely be it understood Depends not wholly on the kind of food.

Thus did the red goose in many ways rebuke the crow. And the crow having brought this rebuke upon himself said, "I want not your beauty." And with a cry of "Caw, Caw," he flew away.

The Master, his lesson ended, revealed the Truths and identified the Birth:-At the conclusion of the Truths the greedy Brother(Monk) attained to fruition of the Second Path(Trance):-"In those days the crow was the greedy Brother, the she-goose was the mother of Rahul, the he-goose myself."

Footnotes:

(1)The red goose, in the poetry of the Hindus, is their turtle-dove.

(2)By the word "sea" the Ganges is here intended.