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Source: Adapted from Archaic Translation by W.H.D. Rouse[]
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JATAKA No. 483
SARABHA-MIGA-JATAKA. (*1)
"Toil on, O man," etc.--This story the Master told while living in Jetavana monastery, to explain fully a question concisely put by himself to the Commander of the Faith.
At that time the Master put a question concisely to that Elder Monk. This is the full story, put briefly, of the descent from the world of gods(angels). When the Reverend Pindola-Bharadvaja had by his supernatural power gained the sandal-wood bowl in the presence of the great merchant of Rajgraha city (*2), the Master told the Brethren(Monks) not to use their miraculous powers.
Then the schemers thought, "The ascetic Gautam(Buddha) has forbidden the use of miraculous power: now he will do no miracle himself." Their disciples were disturbed, and said to the schemers, "Why didn't you take the bowl by your supernatural power?" They replied: "This is no hard thing for us, friend. But we think, Who will display before the lay people his own fine and supernatural powers for the sake of a paltry wooden bowl? and so we did not take it. The ascetics of the Shakya class (Buddha' followers) took it, and showed their supernatural power for sheer foolish greed. Do not imagine it is any trouble to us to work miracles. Suppose we leave out of consideration the disciples of Gautam(Buddha) the ascetic: if we like, we too will show our supernatural powers with the ascetic Gautam(Buddha) himself: if the ascetic Gautam(Buddha) works one miracle, we will work one twice as good."
The Brethren who heard this told the Lord Buddha of it: "Sir, the schemers say they will work a miracle." Said the Master, "Let them do it, Brethren; I will do the like." Bimbisara, hearing this, went and asked the Lord Buddha: "Will you work a miracle, Sir?" "Yes, O king." "Was there not a command given on this matter, Sir?" "The command, O king, was given to my disciples; there is no command which can rule the Buddhas. When the flowers and fruit in your park are forbidden (*3) to others, the same rule does not apply to you." "Then where will you work this miracle, Sir?" "At Shravasti city, under a knot-mango tree." "What have I to do, then?" "Nothing, Sire."
Next day, after breaking his fast, the Master went to seek alms. "Where goes the Master?" asked the people. The Brethren answered to them, "At the gate of the city of Shravasti city, beneath a knot-mango tree, he is to work a two times miracle to the confounding of the schemers." The crowd said, "This miracle will be what they call a masterpiece; we will go see it:" leaving the doors of their houses, they went along with the Master. Some of the schemers also followed the Master, with their disciples: "We too," they said, "will work a miracle, in the place where the ascetic Gautam(Buddha) shall work his."
In due course of time the Master arrived at Shravasti city. The king asked him, "Is it true, Sir, you are about to work a miracle, as they say?" "Yes, it is true," he said. "When?" asked the king. "On the seventh day from now, at the full moon of the month of June." "Shall I set up a pavilion, Sir?" "Peace, great king: in the place where I shall work my miracle Sakka(Indra) will set up a pavilion of jewels twelve leagues( x 4.23 km) in compass." "Shall I proclaim this thing through the city, Sir?" "Proclaim it, O king." The king sent on the Crier of the Truth on an elephant richly saddle clothed, to proclaim thus: "News! the Master is about to perform a miracle, for the confounding of the schemers, at the Gate of Shravasti city, under a knot-mango tree, seven days from now!" Each day was this proclamation made. When the schemers heard this news, that the miracle will be done under a knot-mango tree, they had all the mango trees near to Shravasti city cut down, paying the owners for them.
On the night of the full moon the Crier of the Truth made proclamation, "This day (*4) in the morning the miracle will take place." By the power of the gods(angels) it was as though all India was at the door and heard the proclamation; whosoever had it in his heart to go, they all saw themselves at Shravasti city: for twelve leagues( x 4.23 km) the crowd extended.
Early in the morning the Master went on his rounds seeking alms. The king's gardener, Ganda or Knot by name, was just taking to the king a fine ripe mango fruit; thoroughly ripe, big as a bushel, when he saw the Master at the city gate.."This fruit is worthy of the Master," said he, and gave it to him. The Master took it, and sitting down then and there on one side, ate the fruit. When it was eaten, he said, "Ananda, give the gardener this stone to plant here on the spot; this shall be the knot-mango tree." The Elder Monk did so. The gardener dug a hole in the earth, and planted it. On the instant the stone burst, roots sprouted on, up sprang a red shoot tall as a plough-pole; even as the crowd stared it grew into a mango tree of a hundred arm lengths, with a trunk fifty arm lengths and branches of fifty arm lengths in height; at the same time flowers bloomed, fruit ripened; the tree stood filling the sky, covered with bees, loaden with golden fruit; when the wind blew on it, sweet fruits fell; then the Brethren came up and ate of the fruit, and retired. In the evening time the king of the gods(angels), thinking about it, perceived that it was a task laid on him to make a pavilion of the seven precious things. So he sent Vishwakarma, and caused him to make a pavilion of the seven precious things, twelve leagues( x 4.23 km) in compass, covered all over with blue lotus. Thus the gods(angels) of ten thousand spheres were gathered together. The Master, having for the confounding of the schemers performed a twotimes miracle passing marvellous among his disciples, caused faith to spring up in lots, then arose and, sitting in the Buddha's seat, taught the righteous path (leading to Nirvana/salvation). Twenty crores(x10 million) of beings drank of the waters of life. Then, meditating to see where it was that former Buddhas went when they had done a miracle, and perceiving that it was to the Heaven of the Thirty-three, up he rose from the Buddha's seat, the right foot he placed on the top of Mount Yugandhara (*5), and with his left walked to the peak of Sineru, he began the season of rains under the great Coral Tree (*6), seated upon the yellow-stone throne; for the space of three months he gave discourse upon transcendental teaching (*7) to the gods(angels).
The people knew not the place where the Master had gone; they looked, and said, "Let us go home," and dwelling in that place during the rainy season. When the religious season was near to its end, and the feast was at hand, the great Elder Monk Moggallyana went and announced it to the Lord Buddha. Upon that the Master asked him, "Where is Sariputra now?" "He, Sir, after the miracle which delighted him, remained with five hundred Brethren in the city of Samkassa, and is there still." "Moggallyana, on the seventh day from now I shall descend by the gate of Samkassa. Let those who desire to see the Tathagata(Buddha) assemble in the city of Samkassa." The Elder Monk agreed, went and told the people: the whole company he transported from Shravasti city to Samkassa, a distance of thirty leagues( x 4.23 km), in the twinkling of an eye. Lent over, and the feast celebrated, the Master told king Sakka(Indra) that he was about to return to the world of men. Then Sakka(Indra) sent for Vishwakarma, and said to him, "Make a stairway for the Dasabala(Buddha) to descend into the world of men." He placed the head of the stairway upon the peak of Sineru, and the foot of it by the gate of Samkassa, and between he made three descents side by side: one of gems, one of silver, and one of gold: the railing and cornice were of the seven things of price. The Master, having performed a miracle for the world's emancipation, descended by the midmost stair made out of gems. Sakka(Indra) carried the bowl and robe, Suyama a yak's-tail fan, Brahma Lord of all beings had a sunshade, and the deities of ten thousand spheres did worship with divine garlands and perfumes. When the Master stood at the foot of the staircase, first Elder Monk Sariputra gave him greeting, afterwards the rest of the company.
Amidst this assembly the Master thought, "Moggallyana has been shown to possess supernatural power, Upali as one who is versed in Dhamma, the sacred righteous path, but the quality of high wisdom possessed by Sariputra has not been shown. Other than and except me, no other possesses wisdom so full and complete as his; I will make known the quality of his wisdom." First of all he asked a question which is put to ordinary persons, and the ordinary persons answered it. Then he asked a question within the scope of those of the First Path(Trance), and this they of the First Path(Trance) answered, but the ordinary folk knew nothing of it. In the same way he asked questions in turn within the scope of those of the Second and Third Path(Trance), of the Saints, of the Chief Disciples; and in each case those who were below each grade in turn were unable to answer, but they who were above could answer. Then he put a question within the power of Sariputra, and this the Elder Monk could answer, but the others not so. The people asked, "Who is this Elder Monk who answered the Master?" They were told, it was the Captain of the Faith, and Sariputra was his name. "Ah, great is his wisdom!" they said. Ever afterwards the quality of the Elder Monk's great wisdom was known to men and to gods(angels). Then the Master said to him,
"Some have probations yet to pass, and some have reached the goal: Their different manners say, for you do know the whole (*8)."
Having thus asked a question which comes within a Buddha's scope, he added, "Here is a point put in short, Sariputra; what is the meaning of the matter in all its meanings?" The Elder Monk considered the problem. Thought he, "The Master asks of the proper manner with which the Brethren attain progress, both those who are in the lower Paths and those who are Saints?" As to the general question, he had no doubt. But then he considered, "The proper manner of behavior may be described in many ways of speaking according to the essential elements of being (*9), and so on from that beginning; now in what fashion can I explain the Master's meaning?" He was doubtful about the meaning. The Master thought, "Sariputra has no doubt of the general question, but doubts what particular side of it I have in view. If I give no clue, he will never be able to answer, so a clue I will give him." This clue he gave by saying, "See here, Sariputra: you grant this to be true?" (mentioning some point). Sariputra granted the point.
The hint thus given, he knew that Sariputra had taken his meaning, and would answer fully, starting from the very elements of being. Then the question stood out clear before the Elder Monk, as with a hundred hints, no, a thousand; and he, at the Master's hint given, answered the question which belonged to a Buddha's scope.
The Master preached the righteous path (to Nirvana/salvation) to this company which covered twelve leagues( x 4.23 km) of ground: thirty crores(x10 million) of beings drank of the waters of life.
The company was dismissed, and the Master, going on pilgrimage for alms, came in due course of time to Shravasti city. Next day, after seeking alms in Shravasti city, he came back from his rounds, and told the Brethren of their duty, and entered his Perfumed Chamber. At evening time, the Brethren talked of the high worth of the Elder Monk as they sat in the Hall of Truth. "Great in wisdom, Sirs, is Sariputra; he has wisdom wide, wisdom swift, wisdom sharp, wisdom keen. The Master put a question in brief, and he answered it fully at large." The Master entering asked what they talked of as they sat there. They told him. "This is not the first time, Brethren," said he, "that he answered at large a question briefly put, but he has done so before;" and he told them a story of the past.
Once upon a time, when Brahmadatta was king of Benares, the Bodhisattva lived in the forest, having been born as a stag. Now the king much delighted in hunting, and a mighty man was he: he thought that no other man worthy of the name of man. One day as he went hunting he said to his courtiers, "Whoever lets a deer go by him, such and such shall be his punishment." They thought, "One may stand in the house and not find the granary (*10). When a deer is put up, by hook or by crook we must drive him to the place where the king is." They made a pact among them to this effect, and placed the king at the end of the path. Then they surrounded a great covert and began to beat on the ground with wooden sticks and the like. The first to be put up was our stag. Thrice he went round the thick vegetation, looking for a chance of escape: on all other sides he saw men standing without a break, arm jostling arm and bow bow; only where the king was could he see a chance. With eyes glaring, he rushed at the king, dazzling him as though he threw sand in his eyes. Quickly the king saw him, shot an arrow, and missed. You must know these deer are clever to keep clear of arrows. When the arrows come straight at them, the deer stand still and let them fly; let them come from behind, the deer outfly them faster; if they fall from above, they bend the back; from the side, they swerve a little; if the arrows are aimed at the belly, they roll right over, and when they have gone by, off go the deer swift as a cloud which the wind scatters. Thus the king, when he saw this stag roll over, thought he was hit and gave the loud call. Up rose the stag, swift as the wind he was off, breaking the circle of men. The courtiers on both sides who saw the stag get away collected together, and asked, "Whose post did the stag make for?" "The king's!" "But the king is shouting, I've hit him! What has he hit? Our king has missed, I tell you! He has hit the ground!" Thus they made sport of the king, without holding back. "These fellows are laughing at me," thought the king; "they know not my worth." Then tightening his belt, on foot, and sword in hand, he set off at speed crying, "I will catch the stag!" He kept him in sight and chased him for three leagues( x 4.23 km). The stag plunged into the forest, in plunged the king also. Now in the stag's way was a pit, a great hole where a tree had rotted away, sixty arm lengths deep, and full of water to a depth of thirty arm lengths, yet covered over with weeds. The stag sniffed the smell of the water, and perceiving that it was a pit, swerved aside somewhat from his course. But the king went straight on, and fell in. The stag, no longer hearing the sound of his footsteps, turned him about; and seeing no man, understood that he must have fallen into the pit. So he went and looked, and saw him in serious problem, struggling in the deep water; for the evil he had done the stag had no malice, but pitifully thought, "Let not the king perish before my eyes: I will set him free from this distress." Standing upon the edge of the pit, he cried out, "Fear nothing, O king, for I will deliver you from your distress." Then with an effort, as earnest as though he would save his own beloved son, he supported himself upon the rock; and that king who had come after him to kill, him he brought out of the pit, sixty arm lengths in depth, and comforted him, and set him upon his own back, and led him on from the forest, and set him down not far from his army. Then he advised the king, and established him in the Five Virtues. But the king could not leave the Great Being, but said to him: "My lord king of the stags, come with me to Benares, for I give you the lordship over Benares, a city that spreads over twelve leagues( x 4.23 km), that you may rule over it." But he said, "Great king, I am one of the animals, and I want no kingdom. If you have any care for me, keep the good rules I have taught you, and teach your subjects to keep them too." With this advice, he returned into the forest. And the king returned to his army, and as he remembered the noble qualities of the stag his eyes filled with tears. Surrounded by a division of his army, he went through the city, while the drum of the righteous path was beat, and caused this proclamation to be made: "From this day forward, let all the dwellers in this city observe the five virtues."
But he told no one of the kindness done to him by the Great Being. After eating many choice meats, in the evening time, he reclined upon his gorgeous couch, and at daybreak remembering the noble qualities of the Great Being, he rose up and sat on the couch cross-legged, and with heart full of joy chanted his aspirations in six stanzas:
"Hope on O man, if you be wise, nor letyour courage tire: Myself I see, who now have won the goal of my desire.
"Hope on O man, if you be wise, tire not though harassed to pain: Myself I see, who from the waves have fought my way ashore.
"Toil on O man, if you be wise, nor letyour courage tire: Myself I see, who now have won the goal of my desire.
"Toil on O man, if you be wise, tire not though harassed to pain: Myself I see, who from the waves have fought my way ashore.
"He that is wise, though overcome with pain, Would never cease to hope for bliss again. Many are men's feelings, both of joy and suffering: They think not of it, yet to death they go."
"That comes to pass which is not thought; and that is thought of, fails: For man or woman's happiness not thought alone avails."
As the king was in the act of chanting these lines, the sun rose up. His priest had come thus early to enquire after the king's welfare, and as he stood at the door he heard the sound of this chant, and thought to himself: "Yesterday the king went hunting. Doubtless he missed the stag, and being derided by his courtiers told that he would catch and kill the quarry himself. Then no doubt he chased him, being pricked in his pride as a warrior, and fell into a sixty-arm length pit; and the merciful stag must have pulled him out without a thought of the king's offence against him. That is why the king is chanting this hymn, I think." Thus the brahmin heard every word of the king's chant; and that which fell out between the king and the stag became clear as a face reflected in a well-polished mirror. He knocked at the door with his finger-tips. "Who is there?" the king asked. "It is I, my lord, your priest." "Come in, teacher," said the king, and opened the door. He entered, and prayed victory for the king, and stood on one side. Then he said, "O great king! I know what happened to you in the forest. As you chased a stag you fell into a pit, and the stag resting upon the stone sides of the pit (*11) . brought you out of it. So you remembering his magnanimity chanted a hymn." Then he recited two stanzas:
"The stag that on a mountain steep your quarry was of late, He bravely gave you life, for he was free from greed and hate.
"Out of the horrid pit, out of death's jaws,
Leaning upon a rock (*11) (a friend-at need)
The great stag saved you: so you said with cause,
His mind is far aloof from hate or greed."
"What!"thought the king, on hearing this--"the man did not go hunting with me, yet he knows the whole matter! How can he know it? I will ask him"; and he repeated the ninth stanza:
"O brahmin! were you there upon that day?
Or from some other witness did you hear?
The veil of passion you have rolled away:
You see all your wisdom makes me fear."
But the brahmin said, "I am no Buddha all-knowing; only I overheard the hymn that you sang, without missing the meaning, and so the fact became clear before me." To explain which he repeated the tenth stanza:
"O lord of men! I neither heard that thing,
Nor was I there to see that day:
But from the verses you did sweetly sing
Wise men can gather how the matter lay."
The king was delighted, and gave him a rich present.
From then the king was devoted to almsgiving and good deeds, and his people being also devoted to good deeds as they died went to the heaven.
Now one day it happened that the king went into his park with the priest to shoot at a target. At that period Sakka(Indra) had been Thinking from where came all the new sons and daughters of the gods(angels), whom he saw so numerous about him. Thinking, he perceived the whole story: how the king had been rescued from the pit by that stag, and how he had become stablished in virtue, and how by the power of this king, lots did good deeds and heaven was being filled; and now the king had gone into his park to shoot at a target. Then he also went there, that with the voice of a lion he might proclaim the nobleness of the stag, and make known that himself was Sakka(Indra), and poised in the air might discourse on the righteous path, and teach about the goodness of mercy and the Five Virtues, and then return. Now the king intending to shoot at his target, strung a bow and fitted an arrow to the string. At that moment Sakka(Indra) by his power made the stag to appear between the king and the target; the king seeing it did not let fly. Then Sakka(Indra), entering into the body of the priest, repeated by him to the king the following stanza:
"Your shaft is death to many a mighty thing:
Why do you hold it quiet on the string?
Let the shaft fly and kill the stag then:
It is meat for monarchs, O most wise king!"
To that the king answered in a stanza:
"I know it, brahmin, no less sure than you:
The stag is meat for warrior men, I vow,
But I am grateful for a service done,
And therefore hold my hand from killing now.
Then Sakka(Indra) repeated a couple of stanzas:
"It is no stag, O mighty monarch! but a Titan is this thing, You are king of men; but kill it--of the gods(angels) you shall be king.
"But if you hesitate, O valiant king!
To kill the stag, because he isyour friend:
To death's cold river (*12) and to death's dread king (*13)
You andyour wife and children shall descend."
At this the king repeated two stanzas:
"So be it: to death's river and death's king
Send me, my wives and children, all my group
Of friends and comrades; I'll not do this thing,
And by my hand this stag shall not be killed.
"Once in a grisly forest full of dread
That very stag saved me from hopeless suffering.
How can I wish one's helper dead
After such service done me long ago?"
Then Sakka(Indra) came on from the priest's body, and put on his own shape, and poised in the air recited a couple of stanzas which showed on the noble worth of the king:
"Live long on earth, O true and faithful friend!
Comfort with truth and goodness this domain;
Then lots of girls round you shall attend
While you as Indra (*14) amidst the gods(angels) shall reign.
"From passion free, with ever-peaceful heart,
When strangers crave, supply their weary need;
As power is given you, give, and play your part (*15),
Blameless, till heaven shall beyour final wage."
Thus saying, Sakka(Indra) king of the gods(angels) continued as follows: "I came here to try you, O king, and you have given me no hold. Only be vigilant." And with this advice he returned to his own place.
When the Master had ended this discourse, he said: "This is not the first time, Brethren(Monks), that Sariputra knew in detail what was said only in general terms; but the same thing happened before." Then he identified the Birth: "At that time Ananda was the king, Sariputra was the priest, and I myself the stag."
Footnotes:
(1)Jayaddisa Jataka, no. 513
(2)The setthi had placed a sandal-wood bowl on a high pole, and challenged any holy person to get it down. Pindola rose in the air by magic power and took it. For this he was scolded by the Master, as having used his great gift for an unworthy end.
(3)Reading varitam.
(4)The Eastern day is considered from sunset to sunset.
(5)Mount Meru or Sineru, the Indian Olympus, is surrounded by seven concentric circles of hills, the innermost of which is Yugandhara.
(6)The tree named is the Erythmia Indica; a great one grew in Indra's heaven.
(7)Abhidhamma.
(8)Samkhatadhamma seems to mean an araha or asekha.
(9)The five Khandhas.
(10)Doubtless a proverb: one may miss the most obvious things.
(11)This may mean "first trying his strength with a stone," .
(12)Vetarani.
(13)Yama.
(14)Vasavo.
(15)bhutva, "having eaten," applied to time, means to "pass": bhutva dvadasa vassani, Mah. 253.
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