Pañcāvudha-Jātaka

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Source: Converted from Archaic translation by Robert Chalmers
JATAKA No. 55

PANCAVUDHA-JATAKA

"When no Attachment."--This story was told by the Master while at Jetavana monastery, about a Brother(Monks) who had given up all earnest effort.

Said the Master to him, "Is the report true, Brother, that you are a backslider?"

"Yes, Lord Buddha."

"In past days, Brother," said the Master, "the wise and good won a throne by their resolute persistance in path in the hour of need."

And so saying, he told this story of the past.

Once upon a time when Brahmadatta was reigning in Benares, it was as his queen's child that the Bodhisattva came to life once more. On the day when he was to be named, the parents enquired as to their child's destiny from eight hundred brahmins, to whom they gave their hearts' desire in all pleasures of sense. noticing the promise which he explained of a glorious destiny, these clever fortune telling brahmins foretold that, coming to the throne at the king's death, the child should be a mighty king gifted with every virtue; famed and renowned for his exploits with five weapons, he should stand exceptional in all Jambudipa(India) (*1). And because of this prophecy of the brahmins, the parents named their son Prince Five-Weapons.

Now, when the prince was come to years of discretion, and was sixteen years old, the king asked him to go away and study.

"With whom, sire, am I to study?" asked the prince.

"With the world-famed teacher in the town of Taxila in the Gandhara(near Afghanistan & Pakistan including Kandahar) country. Here is his fee," said the king, handing his son a thousand pieces.

So the prince went to Taxila and was taught there. When he was leaving, his master gave him a set of five weapons, armed with which, after asking farewell to his old master, the prince set out from Taxila for Benares.

On his way he came to a forest haunted by an ogre named Hairy-grip; and, at the entrance to the forest, men who met him tried to stop him, saying: "Young brahmin, do not go through that forest; it is the haunt of the ogre Hairy-grip, and he kills every one he meets." But, bold as a lion, the self-reliant Bodhisattva pressed on, till in the heart of the forest he came on the ogre. The monster made himself appear in stature as tall as a palm-tree, with a head as big as an arbour and huge eyes like bowls, with two tusks like turnips and the beak of a hawk; his belly was blotched with purple; and the palms of his hands and the soles of his feet were blue-black! "Where you go?" cried the monster. "Halt! you are my prey." "Ogre," answered the Bodhisattva, "I knew what I was doing when entering this forest. You will be ill-advised to come near me. For with a poisoned arrow I will kill you where you stand." And with this defiance, he fitted to his bow an arrow dipped in deadliest poison and shot it at the ogre. But it only stuck on to the monster's shaggy coat. Then he shot another and another, till fifty were spent, all of which merely stuck on to the ogre's shaggy coat. On this the ogre, shaking the arrows off so that they fell at his feet, came at the Bodhisattva; and the latter, again shouting defiance, drew his sword and struck at the ogre. But, like the arrows, his sword, which was thirty-three inches long, merely stuck fast in the shaggy hair. Next the Bodhisattva hurled his spear, and that stuck fast also. Seeing this, he hit the ogre with his club; but, like his other weapons, that too stuck fast. And upon that the Bodhisattva shouted, "Ogre, you never heard yet of me, Prince Five-Weapons. When I ventured into this forest, I put my trust not in my bow and other weapons, but in myself! Now will I strike you a blow which shall crush you into dust." So saying, the Bodhisattva hit the ogre with his right hand; but the hand stuck fast upon the hair. Then, in turn, with his left hand and with his right and left feet, he struck at the monster, but hand and feet alike stuck to the hide. Again shouting "I will crush you into dust!" he butted the ogre with his head, and that too stuck fast.

Yet even when thus caught and snared in fivetimes wise, the Bodhisattva, as he hung upon the ogre, was still fearless, still undaunted. And the monster thought to himself, "This is a very lion among men, a hero without an equal, and no mere man. Though he is caught in the clutches of an ogre like me, yet not so much as a tremor will he exhibit. Never, since I first took to killing travellers upon this road, have I seen a man to equal him. How comes it that he is not frightened?" Not daring to devour the Bodhisattva rudely, he said, "How is it, young brahmin, that you have no fear of death?"

"Why should I?" answered the Bodhisattva. "Each life must surely have its destined death. Moreover, within my body is a sword of adamant, which you will never digest, if you eat me. It will chop your inwards into mincemeat, and my death will involve yours too. Therefore it is that I have no fear." (By this, it is said, the Bodhisattva meant the Sword of Knowledge, which was within him.)

On this, the ogre fell in thinking. "This young brahmin is speaking the truth and nothing but the truth," thought he. "Not a morsel so big as a pea could I digest of such a hero. I'll let him go." And, so, in fear of his life, he let the Bodhisattva go free, saying, "Young brahmin, you are a lion among men; I will not eat you. Go on from my hand, even as the moon from the jaws of Rahu(eclipse), and return to gladden the hearts of your family, your friends, and your country."

"As for myself; ogre," answered the Bodhisattva, "I will go. As for you, it was your sins in past days that caused you to be reborn a voracious, murderous, flesh-eating ogre; and, if you continue in sin in this existence, you will go on from darkness to darkness. But, having seen me, you will be unable from then on to sin any more. Know that to destroy life is to ensure re-birth either in hell or as a brute or as a ghost or among the fallen spirits. Or, if the re-birth be into the world of men, then such sin cuts short the days of a man's life."

In this and other ways the Bodhisattva showed the evil consequences of the five bad courses, and the blessing that benefits of the five good courses; and so brought in many ways upon that ogre's fears that by his teaching he converted the monster, imbuing him with self-denial and establishing him in the Five Commandments. Then making the ogre the fairy of that forest, with a right to levy dues (*2), and charging him to remain devoted, the Bodhisattva went his way, making known the change in the ogre's mood as he issued from the forest. And in the end he came, armed with the five weapons, to the city of Benares, and presented himself before his parents. In later days, when king, he was a righteous ruler; and after a life spent in charity and other good works he passed away to fare thereafter according to his deeds.

This lesson ended, the Master, as Buddha, recited this stanza:-

When no attachment hampers heart or mind, When righteousness is practised peace to win, He who so walks, shall gain the victory And all the chains utterly destroy.

When he had thus led his teaching up to Arhatship(Enlightenment equal to Buddha) as its crowning point, the Master went on to preach the Four Truths, at the close of which that Brother(Monk) won Arhatship(Enlightenment equal to Buddha). Also, the Master showed the relation, and identified the Birth by saying, "Angulimala (*3) was the ogre of those days, and I myself Prince Five-Weapons."

Footnotes:

(1)Due to prevalent of Jamun(Jambu) trees India was called Jambu Dipa. This was one of the four islands, or dipa, of which the earth was supposed to consist; it included India.

(2)Or, perhaps, "to whom sacrifices should be offered." The translation in the text suggests a popular theory of the evolution of the tax-collector. See also No. 155.

(3)Angulimala, a bandit who killed people and wore a necklace of his victims' fingers, was converted by the Buddha and later became an Arhat(Enlightened equal to Buddha). See Majjhima Nikaya No. 86.