Ummadantī-Jātaka

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Source: Adapted from Archaic Translation by H.T. Francis
JATAKA No. 527

UMMADANTI-JATAKA

"Whose house is this," etc. This story the Master, while residing at Jetavana monastery, told about a back-sliding Brother(Monk). The story runs that one day, as he was going his rounds in Shravasti city for alms, he saw a woman of surpassing beauty, magnificently dressed, and fell in love with her, and on returning home to his monastery he was unable to divert his thoughts from her. From that time, as it were, pierced with love's shafts and sick with desire he became as lean as a wild deer, with his veins standing out on his body, and as pale as pale could be. He no longer took delight in any one of the Four types of meditation, or found happiness in his own thoughts, but giving up all the services due to a teacher he abandoned the use of instruction, inquiry and meditation. His fellow-monks said, "Sir, once you were calm in mind and serene of composure, but now it is not so. What can be the cause?" they asked. "Sirs," he answered, "I have no happiness in anything." Then they asked him to be happy, saying, "To be born a Buddha is a hard matter: so also is the hearing of the True Faith, and the attaining to birth as a human being. But you have attained to this, and, yearning to put an end to sorrow, you left your weeping family and becoming a believer adopted the ascetic life. Why then do you now fall under the sway of passion? These evil passions are common to all ignorant creatures, from live worms upwards, and such of these passions as are material in their origin, they too are insipid. Desires are full of sorrow and despair: misery in this case ever increases more and more. Desire is like a skeleton or a piece of meat. Desire is like a torch made of a wisp of hay or a light from embers. Desire vanishes like a dream or a loan, or the fruit of a tree. Desire is as biting as a sharp-pointed spear, or as a serpent's head. But you, truly, after embracing so glorious a faith as this and becoming an ascetic, have now fallen under the sway of such harmful passions." When by their teachings they failed to make him grasp their teaching, they brought him before the Master in the Hall of Truth. And when he said, "Why, Brethren(Monks), have you brought this Brother(Monk) here against his will?" they answered, "They tell us, he is a backslider." The Master asked if it were true, and on his confessing that it was so, the Master said, "Brother(Monk), sages of old, though ruling a kingdom, whenever lust sprang up in their hearts, passed under its sway for a time, but checked their wandering thoughts and were guilty of no improper conduct." And with these words he told a story of the past.

Once upon a time in the city of Aritthapura in the kingdom of the Sivis reigned a king named Sivi. The Bodhisattva came to life as the son of his chief queen, and they called him prince Sivi. His commander-in-chief also had a son born to him, and they named him Ahiparaka. The two boys grew up as friends and at the age of sixteen they went to Taxila, and, after completing their education, they returned home. The king made over his kingdom to his son, who appointed Ahiparaka to the post of commander-in-chief, and ruled his kingdom righteously. In that same city lived a rich merchant, named Tiritavaccha, worth eighty crores(x10 million), and he had a daughter, a very fair and gracious lady, carrying on her person every mark of auspicious fortune, and on her naming-day she was called Ummadanti. When sixteen years old she was as beautiful as a heavenly nymph, of more than mortal loveliness. All worldlings who saw her could not contain themselves, but were intoxicated with passion, as it were with strong drink, and were quite unable to recover their self-control. So her father, Tiritavaccha, came near to the king and said, "Sire, at home I have a treasure of a daughter, a fit mate even for a king. Send for your fortune-tellers, who can read the lineaments of the body, and have her tested by them and then deal with her according to your will." The king agreed and sent his Brahmins, and they went to the merchant's house, and being received with great honour and hospitality ate some rice-milk. At this moment Ummadanti came into their presence, magnificently dressed. On catching sight of her they completely lost their self-control, just as if they were intoxicated with passion, and forgot that they had left their meal unfinished. Some of them took a morsel and thinking they would eat it put it on their heads. Some let it fall on their hips. Others threw it against the wall. Every one was beside himself. When she saw them thus, she said, "They tell me, these fellows are to test the character of my marks," and she ordered them to be taken by the scruff of their neck and thrust out. And they were intensely annoyed and returned to the palace in a great rage with Ummadanti, and they said, "Sire, this woman is no mate for you: she is a witch." The king thought, "They tell me, she is a witch," and he did not send for her. On hearing what had happened she said, "I am not taken to wife by the king, because they say I am a witch: witches indeed are just like me. Very well, should I ever see the king, I shall know what to do." And she conceived a grudge against him. So her father gave her in marriage to Ahiparaka, and she was her husband's darling and delight. Now as the result of what act of hers had she become so beautiful? By the gift of a scarlet robe. Once upon a time, they say, she was born in a poor family in Benares and on some festival day seeing certain holy women, magnificently clad in robes dyed scarlet with safflower and enjoying themselves, she told her parents that she too would like to wear a similar robe to make her happy. And when they said, "My dear, we are poor people: from where are we to get you such a robe?" "well then," said she, "Allow me to earn wages in a wealthy household, and as soon as they recognise my merit, they will make me a present of a robe." And having gained their consent she approached a certain family and proposed to let her service to them for a scarlet robe. They said, "After you have worked three years for us, we will recognise your merits by giving you one." She readily agreed, and set about her work. Recognising her merit before the three years had expired, they gave her together with a thick safflower-dyed robe yet another garment, and sent her off, saying, "Go with your companions, and, after bathing, dress yourself in these robes." So she went with her companions and bathed, leaving the scarlet robe on the bank. At this moment a disciple of the Kashyapa Buddha, who had been robbed of his garments and had put on pieces of a broken branch to serve as outer and inner robes, arrived at this spot. On seeing him she thought, "This holy man must have been robbed of his garment. In former times I too, from not having a robe offered to me, found it difficult to procure one," and she determined to divide the garment in two and give him the half of it. So she went up out of the water and put on her old dress and saying, "Stay, holy sir," she saluted the elder, and tearing her robe in two gave the half of it to him. Then he stood on one side in a sheltered spot and, throwing away his branch-garment, he made himself with one side of the robe an inner garment and with the other side an outer garment and stepped out into the open, and his whole person by the splendour of the robe was all blazing, like the newly-risen sun. On seeing this she thought, "This holy man at first was not radiant, but now he shines like a newly-risen sun. I will give him this too." So she gave him the other half of the robe, and put up this prayer, "Holy sir, I would gladly in some future stage of existence be of such surpassing beauty, that no one who sees me may have power to control himself, and that no other woman may he more beautiful." The Elder returned her his thanks and went his way. After a period of transmigration in the world of gods(angels), she was at this time born in Aritthapura and was as beautiful as she was described. Now in this city they proclaimed the Kattika festival, and on the day of full moon they decorated the city. Ahiparaka, on setting out for the post he had to guard, addressing her, said, "Lady Ummadanti, to-day is the Kattika festival; the king, in marching in procession round the city, will first of all come to the door of this house. Be sure you do not show yourself to him, for on seeing you he will not be able to control his thoughts." As he was leaving her, she said to him, " I will see to it." And as soon as he was off, she gave an order to her maidservant to let her know when the king came to the door. So at sunset, when the full moon had risen and torches were blazing in every quarter of the city, which was decorated as it were some city of the gods(angels), the king dressed in all his splendour, mounted on a magnificent chariot drawn by thoroughbreds and escorted by a crowd of courtiers, making a circuit of the city with great pomp, came first of all to the door of Ahiparaka's house. Now this house enclosed by a wall in colour like red, provided with gates and tower, was a beautiful and charming place. At this moment the maid brought her mistress word of the king's arrival, and Ummadanti asked her to take a basket of flowers, and standing near the window she threw the flowers over the king with all the charm of a fairy. And looking up at her the king was maddened with passion and quite unable to control his thoughts, and he failed to recognise the house as that of Ahiparaka. So addressing his charioteer, he repeated two stanzas in the form of a question:

Whose house is this, Sunanda, tell me true, All surrounded about with wall of golden color? What vision fair is this, like meteor bright, Or sunbeam striking on some mountain height?

A daughter of the house by some chance is she, Herself its mistress, or son's wife maybe? Your answer quickly in a single word-- Is she unwed (*1). or owns she still a lord?

Then, in answering the king, he repeated two stanzas:

All that your Highness asks I know full well, And of her parents on both sides can tell: As to her husband, night and day, O king, He serves your cause with zeal in everything.

A powerful minister of yours is he, Vast wealth he owns and great prosperity; She's wife of Ahiparaka the famed, And at her birth was Ummadanti named.

On hearing this the king, in praising her name, repeated yet another stanza:

Alas! how ominous a name is here Given to this girl by her parents dear; Since Ummadanti fixed her gaze on me, Lo! a mad haunted man I grew to be.

On seeing how agitated he was she closed the window and went straight to her fair chamber. And from the moment when the king set eyes on her, he had no more thought of making procession round the city. Addressing his charioteer he said, "Friend Sunanda, stop the chariot; this is not a festival suitable for us; it is fit only for Ahiparaka, my commander-in-chief, and the throne also is better suited for him," and stopping the chariot he climbed up to his palace and, as he lay chattering upon the royal couch, he said,

A lily maid, with eyes soft as a doe's, In the full moon's clear light before me rose, Seeing her in robe of dove-like color, I think two moons at once came into view.

Darting one glance from her bright, lovely eyes, The temptress took me captive by surprise, Like woodland elf upon some mountain height, Her graceful motion won my heart at sight.

So dark and tall and fair the maid, with jewels in her ears, Clad in a single garment, like a timid doe, appears.

With long-tressed hair and nails all stained red, Over her soft arms rich sandal essence shed, With tapering fingers and a gracious air, When will she smile on me, my charmer fair?

When will Tiriti's slender-waisted maid, A gold adornment on her breast displayed, With her soft arms embracing cling to me, Even as a creeper to some forest tree?

When will she stained with dye of lac so bright, With swelling bosom, girl lily-white, Exchange a kiss with me, as often a glass Will from one drunkard to another pass?

Soon as I saw her standing thus, so fair to outward view, No longer master of myself, reason away I throw.

When Ummadanti I saw, with jewelled ear-rings bright, Like one penalized heavily, I slept not day nor night.

Should Sakka(Indra) grant a boon to me, my choice were quickly taken, I would be Ahiparaka one night or by chance two, And Ummadanti thus enjoyed, he might over Sivi reign.

Then those councillors told Ahiparaka, saying, "Master, the king on making a procession around the city went to the door of your house and then turning back climbed up to his palace." So Ahiparaka went home and addressing Ummadanti asked her if she had shown herself to the king. "My lord," she said, "a certain pot-bellied fellow with huge teeth, standing up in his chariot, came here. I do not know whether he was a king or a prince, but I was told he was a lord of some kind, and standing at the open window I throw flowers over him. Meanwhile he turned back and went off." On hearing this he said, "You have ruined me," and early next morning ascending to the king's house he stood at the door of the royal chamber and, hearing the king rambling about Ummadanti, he thought, "He has fallen in love with Ummadanti; if he does not get her, he will die: it is my duty to restore him to life, if it can be done without sin on the part of the king or myself." So he went home and summoned a stout-hearted dishonest or a serving-man and said, "Friend, in such and such a place is a hollow tree that is a sacred shrine. Without saying a word to anyone, go there at sunset and seat yourself inside the tree. Then I shall come and make an offering there, and in worshipping the deities I shall put up this prayer; "O king of heaven, our king, while a festival was going on, without taking any part in it, has gone into his royal chamber and lies there chattering idly; we do not know why he does so. The king has been a great supporter of the gods(angels) and year by year has spent a thousand pieces of money in sacrifices. Tell us why the king talks thus foolishly and grant us the boon of the king's life." Thus will I ask and at this moment you are to remember to repeat these words, "O commander-in-chief, your king is not sick, but he is infatuated with your wife Ummadanti. If he shall get her, he will live; otherwise he will die. If you wish him to live, give up Ummadanti to him." This is what you are to say." And having thus schooled him he sent him away. So the servant went next day and seated himself inside the tree and when the general came to the place and put up his prayer, he repeated his lesson. The general said, "It is well," and with an act of homage to the deity he went and told the king's ministers, and entering the city he climbed up to the palace and knocked at the door of the royal chamber. The king having recovered his senses asked who it was. "It is I, Ahiparaka, my lord." Then he opened the king's door and going in he saluted the king and repeated a stanza:

While kneeling at a sacred shrine, O king, A yakkha(demon) came and told me a strange thing, How Ummadanti had enslaved your will: Take her and so your heart's desire fulfil.

Then the king asked, "Friend Ahiparaka, do even the yakkhas know that I have been talking foolishly owing to my infatuation for Ummadanti?" "Yes, my lord," he said. The king thought, "My vileness is known throughout the world," and he felt ashamed. And taking his stand in righteousness he uttered another stanza:

Fallen from grace no godhead shall I win, And all the world will hear of my great sin: Think too how great your grief of mind would be, should you no more your Ummadanti see.

The remaining stanzas are repeated by the two alternately.

Except yourself and me, O king, no one In the whole world will know the deed that's done: Lo! Ummadanti is my gift to you, Your passion satisfied, send her back to me.

The sinner thinks, "No mortal man has been A witness of my guilty deed, I think," Yet all he does will fall within the sight Of ghostly beings and of holy men.

Who in this world, supposing you should say, "I loved her not," would any  pay? Think too how great your grief of mind would be, should you no more your Ummadanti see.

She was, great king, as dear to me as life, In very truth a well-beloved wife; Yet, sire, to Ummadanti straight go, Even as a lion to his rocky lair.

The sage however oppressed by his own suffering, Will scarcely do an act that wins him bliss surrendered, Even the dull fool intoxicated with bliss Would never be guilty of a sin like this.

A fatherly parent, king, I own in you, Husband and lord, yes god(angel) are you to me, Your slaves my wife and child, and I your captive, O Sivi, do your will with us all.

Whosoever shall wrong his neighbour nor repent, Saying, "See here a lord omnipotent," Will never be found to live out half his days, And gods(angels) will view his conduct with criticism.

Should righteous men accept as gift a thing Freely given by others, then, O king, They who receive and they who grant have done A deed by which the fruit of bliss is won.

Who in this world, supposing you should say, "I love her not," would any belief pay? Think too how great your grief of mind would be, should you no more your Ummadanti see.

She was, great king, as dear to me as life, In very truth a well-beloved wife; Lo! Ummadanti is my gift to you, Your passion satisfied, send her back to me.

Who rids himself of pain at others' cost, Rejoicing still though others' joy be lost, Not he, but one that feels another's suffering As it was his own, true righteousness can know.

She was, great king, as dear to me as life, In very truth a well-beloved wife, I give what most I prize, nor give in vain, They that thus give receive as much again.

I might destroy myself for fleshly appetite, Yet would I never dare by wrong destroy the right.

should you, O noble prince, renounce your love Because she is my wife, I state From now on she is divorced and free to all, Your slave to summon at your beck and call.

If you, mine superior, to your detriment, should put away your wife, though innocent, You would, I think, have heavy blame to bear And never a single soul to you speak fair.

With all such blame, my king, I could away, With criticism, praise, or be it what it may, Let it fall on me, Sivi, as it will, Only do you your will first fulfil.

He who esteem or blame regards not, For praise or criticism cares not a jot-- From him will glory and good fortune fly, As floods subside, leaving land high and dry.

Whatever of bliss or pain from hence may spring, Overstepping right, or fit one's heart to wring, I'll welcome, if it joyous be or sad, As Earth puts up with all, both good and bad.

I would not have another suffering From wrongful act that may his bosom wring, I'll bear the burden of my griefs alone, devoted in right, annoying the peace of none.

A meritorious act to heaven will lead, Be you no obstacle to such a deed; I Ummadanti a free offering send, As kings on brahmin priests much treasure spend.

Truly to me great kindness have you shown, Your wife and you are both my friends, I own, Brahmins and gods(angels) alike would blame me much, And curses rest on me for always.

Townsmen and countryfolk in this, I trust, Will never, O Sivi king, call you unjust, Since Ummadanti is my gift to you, Your passion satisfied, send her back to me.

Truly to me great kindness have you shown, You and your wife are both my friends, I own, Good men's right acts are famed both far and wide, Hard to overstep is Right, like Ocean's tide.

Reverend master, waiting to give Whatever I crave, kind ever supporter, you always repay seventimes all I offer you; Take Ummadanti; my free gift is she.

Mine superior, Ahiparaka, in truth, Right have you followed, even from your youth; Who else of living men, I request, would Early and late have worked hard to do me good?

O noble prince, you are of exceptional fame, Wise, knowing right and walking in the same, Shielded by right, may you, O king, live long, And, lord of right, teach me to shun the wrong.

Come, listen, Ahiparaka, to these my words and then I'll teach you ways of righteousness as practised by good men.

A king delighting in the law is blessed, And of all men a learned one is best, Never to betray a friend is good, I know well, But evil to avoid is perfect bliss.

Under the mild sway of righteous king, Like shade from sun-stroke sheltering, His subjects all may dwell in peace, Rejoicing in their wealth's increase.

No evil deed shall my approval win, However regardless it remains a sin: But such as sin against knowledge I detest; List to my parable; know it and digest.

The bull through floods a devious course will take, The herd of cows all trailing in his wake. So if a leader tortuous paths pursue, To lowly ends will he guide the vulgar crew, And the whole realm an age of that way regret.

But if the bull a course direct shall steer, The herd of cows straight follow in his rear. So should their chief to righteous ways be true, The common folk injustice will avoid, And through the realm shall holy peace follow.

I would not by an unjust act even heaven itself attain, No, not if, Ahiparaka, the whole world I should gain.

Whatever things of price amongst men esteemed good, Oxen and slaves and gold, garments and sandal wood, young mares, rich treasure, jewels bright And all that sun and moon watch over day and night, Not for all this would I injustice do, I amongst Sivis born, a leader true.

Father and chief and guardian of our land, As champion of its rights I take my stand, So will I reign on righteousness intent, To mine own will no more subservient.

Auspicious is your rule, great king, may you continue long To guide the state with happy fate and in your wisdom strong.

Great joy is ours, O king, that you such zeal for right have shown, Princes of might, neglecting right, Before now have lost a crown.

To parents dear, O warrior king, do righteously; and so By following a righteous line to heaven you, sire, shall go.

To wife and children, warrior king, do righteously; and so By following a righteous line to heaven you, sire, shall go.

To friends and courtiers, warrior king, do righteously; and so By following a righteous line to heaven you, sire, shall go.

In war and travel, warrior king, do righteously; and so By following a righteous line to heaven you, sire, shall go.

In town and village, warrior king, do righteously; and so By following a righteous line to heaven you, sire, shall go.

In every land and realm, O king, do righteously; and so By following a righteous line to heaven you, sire, shall go.

To brahmins and ascetics all, do righteously; and so By following a righteous line to heaven you, sire, shall go.

To beasts and birds, O warrior king, do righteously; and so By following a righteous line to heaven you, sire, shall go.

Do righteously, O warrior king; from this all blessings flow; By following a righteous course to heaven you, sire, shall go.

With watchful vigilance, O king, on paths of goodness go: The brahmins, Indra, and the gods(angels) have won their godhead so.

When the king had thus been taught the law by his commander-in-chief Ahiparaka, he got rid of his infatuation for Ummadanti.

The Master(Buddha), having ended his lesson, revealed the Truth, and identified the Birth. At the end of the Truths the Brother(Monk) was established in the First Path(Trance). At that time Ananda was the charioteer Sunanda, Sariputra was Ahiparaka, Uppalavanna was Ummadanti, the followers of Buddha were the rest of the courtiers, and I myself was king Sivi.

Footnotes:

(1)avavata, i.e. avyavrita, not chosen in marriage.