Baka-Jātaka2

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Source: Adapted from Archaic Translation by W.H.D. Rouse
JATAKA No. 236

BAKA-JATAKA

"See that twice-born bird," etc.--This story the Master told while staying in Jetavana monastery, about a hypocrite. When he was brought before the Master, the Master said, "Brethren(Monks), he was a hypocrite of old just as he is now," and told the following story.

Once upon a time, when Brahmadatta was king of Benares, the Bodhisattva became a Fish in a certain pond in the Himalaya region, and a great shoal went with him. Now a Crane desired to eat the fish. So in a place near the pond he drooped his head, and spread out his wings, and looked vacantly, vacantly at the fish, waiting till they were off their guard (*1). At the same moment the Bodhisattva with his shoal came to that place in search of food. And the shoal of fish on seeing the crane uttered the first stanza:-

"See that twice-born(dijo) (*2) bird, how white--   Like a water-lily seeming;  Wings outspread to left and right--    Oh, how pious! dreaming, dreaming!"

Then the Bodhisattva looked, and uttered the second stanza:

"What he is you do not know,   Or you would not sing his praises.  He is our most treacherous rival;    That is why no wing he raises."

Upon that the fish splashed in the water and drove the crane away.

When this discourse was ended, the Master identified the Birth:-"This hypocrite was the Crane, and I was the chief of the shoal of fish."

Footnotes:

(1)A crane's sleep" is an Indian proverb for trickery.

(2)dijo (or dvij) is used of a bird as born in the egg and from the egg. It is also applied to Brahmins(the highest priest caste), and so conveys an additional notion of piety. The high caste in India were originally fair (white) having originated from Europe & then migrated thousands of years back. The world twice-born is used for these high caste people as those who after the religious ceremony of thread were considered as born again into purity.