Alambusā-Jātaka

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Source: Adapted from Archaic Translation by H.T. Francis
JATAKA No. 523

ALAMBUSA-JATAKA

"Then mighty Indra," etc. This story the Master, while residing at Jetavana monastery, told about the temptation of a Brother(Monk) by the wife of his unregenerate days. The subject-matter of the tale is told in full in the Indriya Birth (*1). Now the Master asked the Brother, "Is it true, Brother, that you were rendered discontented?" "It is true, Reverend Sir." "By whom?" "By my wife of former days." "Brother," he said, "this woman brought mischief for you: it was owing to her that you fell away from mystic meditation, and lay for three years in a lost and distracted condition, and on the recovery of your senses you uttered a great crying," and so saying he told him a story of the past.

Once upon a time in the reign of Brahmadatta in Benares, the Bodhisattva was born of a brahmin family in the kingdom of Kasi, and when of age he became proficient in all liberal arts, and adopting the ascetic life he lived on wild berries and roots in a forest home. Now a certain doe in the brahmin's mingeing-place ate grass and drank water mingled with his semen, and was so much charmed of him that she became pregnant and from now on ever resorted to the spot near the hermitage. The Great Being examining into the matter learned the facts of the case. In due course of time the doe gave birth to a man child, and the Great Being watched over it with a father's affection. And his name was Isisinga (*2). And when the boy reached years of discretion, he admitted him to holy order of ascetics, and when he himself grew an old man, he went with him to the Nari grove and thus addressed him, "My dear boy, in this Himalaya country are women as fair as these flowers: they bring utter destruction on all that fall into their power: you must not come under their sway." And shortly afterwards he became destined to birth in the Brahma world. But Isisinga, indulging in mystic meditation, made his living in the Himalaya region, a grim ascetic, with all his senses mortified. So by the power of his virtue the dwelling of Sakka(Indra) was shaken. Sakka(Indra), with insight, discovered the cause and thinking, "This fellow will bring me down from my position as Sakka(Indra), I will send a heavenly nymph to make a breach in his virtue," and after examining the whole angel world, amongst twenty-five millions of maidservants, other than and except the nymph Alambusa, he found no other that was equal to the task. So summoning her, he asked her to bring about the destruction of the saint's virtue.

The Master, in explanation of this matter, uttered this stanza:

Then mighty Indra, lord of lords, the god that Vatra killed, Unto his hall the nymph did call, for well her lures he knew. And "Fair Alambusa," he cried, "the angel assemblage above To Isisinga ask you to go, to tempt him withyour love."

Sakka(Indra) ordered Alambusa, saying, "Go and come near to Isisinga, and bringing him under your power destroy his virtue," and he uttered these words:

Go, temptress, ever dog his steps, for holy sage is he, And, seeking ever highest bliss, still triumphs over me.

On hearing this Alambusa repeated a couple of stanzas:

Why, king of gods(angels), of all the nymphs, consider you me alone, And ask me to tempt the saintly man that threatens your throne?

In happy grove of Nandana is many a nymph divine, To one of them--it is their turn--the hateful task assign.

Then Sakka(Indra) repeated three stanzas:

You speak truth; in happy grove of Nandana, I think, May many a nymph, to rival you in loveliness, be seen.

But none like you, O exceptional maid, with all a woman's lure This holy man in wrongdoing's ways so practised to deceive.

Then queen of women as you are, go, lovely nymph,your way And by the power of beauty force the saint to ownyour sway.

On hearing this Alambusa repeated two stanzas:

I will not fail, O angel-king, to go atyour behest, But still with fear this sage austere I venture to molest.

For many a one, poor fool, has gone (I shudder at the thought) In hell to regret the suffering due to wrongs on saints he brought.

This said, Alambusa, fair nymph, departed with all speed, Famed Isisinga to entice to some unholy deed.

Into the grove for half a league(x 4.23 km) with berries red so bright, The grove where Isisinga lived, she vanished out of sight.

At break of day, Before yet the sun was scarce astir on high, To Isisinga, sweeping out his cell, the nymph came near.

These stanzas owed their inspiration to Perfect Wisdom.

Then the ascetic questioned her and said:

Who are you, like to lightning flash, or bright as morning star, With ears and hands covered with gems that sparkle from afar?

Fragrant as golden sandal-wood, in brightness like the sun, A slim and charming maid are you, right fair to look upon.

So soft and pure, with slender waist and firmly springing gait, Your movements are so full of grace, my heart they captivate.

Your thighs, like trunk of elephant, are finely tapering found, Your buttocks soft to touch and like to any dice-board round.

With down like lotus filaments your navel marked, I think, As though with black collyrium(Kajal) it was charged, from far is seen.

Twin milky breasts, like pumpkins halved, their swelling globes display, Firm set, although without a stalk all unsupported they.

Your lips are red as is your tongue, and, O auspicious sign, Your neck long as the antelope's is marked with triple line (*3).

Your teeth brushed with a piece of wood, kept ever clean and bright, shine in your top and lower jaw with flash of purest white.

Your eyes are long and large of shape, a lovely sight to view, Like gunja berries black, marked out with lines of reddish color.

Your tresses smooth, not over long and bound in neatest coil, Are tipped with gold and perfumed with the finest sandal oil.

Of all that live by merchandise, by herds or by the plough, Of all the mighty saints that live true to ascetic vow

Amongst them all in this wide worldyour equal I may not see, Then what your name and who your sire, we gladly would learn from you.

While the ascetic thus sang the praises of Alambusa, from her feet to the hair of her head, she remained silent, and from his long drawn out speech observing how disturbed was his state of mind she repeated this stanza:

Heaven bless you, Kashyapa(Isisinga) (*4), my friend, the time is past and gone For idle questions such as these--for are we not alone?-- Come let us inyour hermitage embracing haste to prove The thousand joys well known to all the votaries of love.

So saying Alambusa thought, "If I stand still, he will not come within reach of me; I will make as if I were running away," and with all the cunning of a woman's lures she shook the purpose of the ascetic, as she fled in the direction from which she had approached him.

The Master, to make the matter clear, spoke this stanza:

This said, Alambusa, fair nymph, departed with all speed, Famed Isisinga to entice to some unholy deed.

Then the ascetic, on seeing her depart, cried, "She is off;" and by a swift movement on his part he intercepted her as she was slowly making off and with his hand seized her by the hair of her head.

The Master, to make the matter clear, said:

To check her flight, the holy man with motion swift as air In hot pursuit overtook the nymph and held her by the hair.

Just where he stood the lovely maid embraced him in her arms, And straight his virtue fell before the magic of her charms.

In thought she flew to Indra's throne in Nandana afar; The god(angel) at once foresaw her wish and sent a golden chariot,

With ornamental dresses spread and all decorated with manytimes dress: And there the saint lay in her arms for many a long day.

Three years passed over his head as though it were a moment's space, Until at last the holy man woke up from her embrace.

Green trees he saw on every side; an altar stood hard by, And verdant groves re-echoing to the loud cuckoo cry.

He looked around and weeping much he shed a bitter tear; I make no offering, raise no hymn; no sacrifice is here.

Living within this forest lone, who can my tempter be? Who by foul practice has overcome all sense of right in me, Even as a ship with precious freight is swallowed in the sea?"

On hearing this Alambusa thought: "Should I not tell him, he will curse me; truly, I will tell him," and standing by him in a visible form she repeated this stanza:

Sent by king Sakka(Indra), here I stand A willing slave at your command; Though far too careless to know this, It was thought of me that marred your bliss.

On hearing her words he called to mind his father's advice, and mourning how he was utterly ruined by disobeying the words of his father he repeated four stanzas:

Thus would kind Kashyapa, my sire, With prudence regardless youth inspire: "Women are fair as lotus flower, Beware, good youth, their subtle power.

Of woman's budding charms beware, Beware the danger that lurks there. It was thus my sire, by pity moved, Would gladly have warned the son he loved.

My wise old father's words, alas! Unheeded I allowed to pass, And so alone, in much distress I haunt to-day this wilderness.

Cursed be the life of old, From now on I'll do as I am told. Far better death itself to face, Than be again in such a case.

So he gave up sensual desire and entered upon mystic meditative trance. Then Alambusa, seeing his virtue as an ascetic and aware that he had attained to a state of ecstacy (trance), became terrified and asked his forgiveness.

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

Alambusa no sooner knew His devoted power and courage true Than bending low, the sage to greet, The nymph straightway embraced his feet.

"O saint, all anger lay aside, A mighty work I brought," she cried, When heaven itself and gods(angels) of fame Trembled with fear to hear your name."

Then he let her go, saying, "I pardon you, fair lady; go, as you will." And he repeated a stanza:

My blessing on the Thirty-three And Vasava, their lord, and you: Depart, fair maid, for you are free.

Saluting him she departed to the dwelling of the gods(angels) in that same golden chariot.

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

Embracing then the sage's feet and circling to the right, With hands in pleading attitude, she vanished from his sight,

And mounting on the golden chariot, with ornamental dresses rich overspread, All splendidly saddle clothed, to heavenly heights she ran.

Like blazing torch or lightning flash, she passed across the sky, And Sakka(Indra), glad at heart, exclaimed, "No boon can I deny."

Receiving a boon from him she repeated the concluding stanza:

If Sakka(Indra), lord of fairies, you would my heart's desire allow, Let me never tempt a saint again to violate his vow.

The Master here ended his lesson to that Brother(Monk) and revealed the Truths and identified the Birth:-At the conclusion of the Truths that Brother was established in the Fruit of the First Path(Trance)--"At that time Alambusa was the wife of his unregenerate days, Isisinga was the back-sliding Brother, and the great saint his father was myself."

Footnotes:

(1)Vol. III. No. 423.

(2)Ramayana I. 9. The story of Rishyas'ringa;

(3)kambugiva: three folds on the neck, like shell-spirals, were a token of luck, Jataka IV. 130

(4)Kashyapa was the family name of Isisinga.