Godha-Jātaka3

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Source: Adapted from Archaic Translation by H.T. Francis and R.A. Neil
JATAKA No. 325

GODHA-JATAKA(*1)

"One that plays," etc.--This story was told by the Master, while living at Jetavana monastery, with regard to a certain cheating rogue. The introductory story has been already given in full. But on this occasion they brought the Brother(Monk) to the Master and exposed him, saying, "Holy Sir, this Brother is a cheat." The Master said, "Not now only, but formerly also he was a rogue." And then he told an old-world story.

Once upon a time when Brahmadatta was reigning in Benares, the Bodhisattva was born as a young lizard, and when he grew up and was lusty and strong, he lived in a forest. And a certain wicked ascetic built a hut of leaves, and took up his dwelling near him. The Bodhisattva, in searching about for food, saw this hut of leaves and thought to himself,

"This hut must certainly belong to some holy ascetic," and he went there and after saluting the holy man returned to his own place of dwelling.

Now one day this false ascetic ate some tasty food prepared in the house of one of his patrons, and asked what meat it was. On hearing that it was lizard-flesh, he became such a slave to his love of choice foods that he thought, "I will kill this lizard that so constantly keeps coming to my hermitage and will cook him to my taste and eat him." So he took some ghee (clarified butter), curds, condiments (sweets) and the like, and went with his club concealed under his yellow robe and sat perfectly still at the door of his hut, waiting for the Bodhisattva to come, as quiet as quiet could be.

And when the Bodhisattva saw this depraved fellow he thought, "This wretch must have been eating the flesh of my family. I will put it to the test." So he stood to towards wind of him and getting a whiff from his person he knew that he had been eating the flesh of a lizard, and without going near him he turned back and made off. And when the ascetic saw he was not coming, he throw his club at him. The club missed his body, but just reached the tip of his tail. The ascetic said, "Be off with you, I have missed you." Said the Bodhisattva, "Yes, you have missed me, but you will not miss the fourtimes States of Suffering." Than he ran off and disappeared in an ant-hill which stood at the end of the enclosure walk, and putting out his head at some other hole, he addressed the ascetic in these two stanzas:

One that plays the ascetic role Should exhibit self-control. You did hurl your stick at me, False ascetic you must be.

Matted locks and robe of skin Serve to cloak some secret sin. Fool! to cleanse for outward show, Leaving what is foul below.

The ascetic, on hearing this, replied in a third stanza:

please, lizard, move quickly back, Oil and salt I do not lack: Pepper too I would suggest May to boiled rice add a zest.

The Bodhisattva, on hearing this, uttered the fourth stanza:

I will hide me snug and warm Midst the anthill's countless swarm. Cease of oil and salt to say, Pepper I abominate.

Moreover he threatened him and said, "Ah bad! false ascetic, if you continue to dwell here, I will have you seized as a thief by the people who live in my feeding ground, and given over to destruction. So make haste and be off." Then the false ascetic fled from that place.

The Master, his lesson ended, identified the Birth: "At that time the rogue of a Brother(Monk) was the false ascetic, but I myself was the royal lizard."

Footnotes:

(1)Compare No. 277