Maṇikuṇḍala-Jātaka

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Source: Adapted from Archaic Translation by H.T. Francis and R.A. Neil
JATAKA No. 351

MANIKUNDALA-JATAKA

"Stripped of all the joys of life," etc.--This story the Master, while living at Jetavana monastery, told concerning a councillor who was guilty of misconduct in the harem of the king of Kosala. The incident that gave rise to the story has been given in full before. (*1)

Here too the Bodhisattva became king in Benares. The wicked councillor called in the king of Kosala and got him to seize upon the kingdom of Kasi, and to throw the Bodhisattva into prison. The king of Benares developed ecstatic meditation and sat cross-legged in the air. A fierce heat sprang up in the body of the marauding king, and he came near to the king of Benares and repeated the first stanza:

Stripped of all the joys of life, Jewelled earrings, horse and chariot, Robbed of child and loving wife, but your happiness is not removed.

On hearing him the Bodhisattva recited these verses:-

Pleasures soon make haste to leave us, Pleasures soon must all give up, Sorrow has no power to grieve us, Joy itself soon turns to suffering. Moons with new-born face appearing grow for some time, to decline and die, Suns with warmth all nature cheering, Haste to set in the sky. Change is this world's law I see, Sorrow has no pangs for me.

Thus now did the Great Being explain the Truth to the usurper king, and bringing his conduct to the test, repeated these stanzas :-

The idle sensual layman I detest, The false ascetic is a rogue one.

A bad king will a case unheard decide; Anger in the sage can never be justified.

The warrior prince a well-weighed verdict gives, Of righteous judge the fame for ever lives.

The king of Kosala having thus gained the forgiveness of the Bodhisattva and given him back his kingdom, departed to his own country.

The Master, having ended his discourse, thus identified the Birth: "At that time Ananda was the king of Kosala, and I myself was the king of Benares."

Footnotes:

(1)See no. 282, Vol. ii. and no. 303