Once upon a time when Brahmadatta was reigning in Benares, the Bodhisatta was a lion and lived at Gold Den in Himalayas. Slaying a large buffalo, he ate the prime of the carcass, after which he went down to a pool, and drunk crystal water and afterwards was going to his den.

Now a hungry jackal, suddenly meeting the lion, and being unable to make his escape, threw himself at the lion’s feet. Being asked what he wanted, the jackal replied, “Lord, let me be your servant.” “Very well,” said the lion; “serve me and you shall feed on prime meat.” So saying, he went with the jackal following to Gold Den. Then onwards the lion’s leavings fell to the jackal, and he grew fat.

Lying one day in his den, the lion told the jackal to scan the valleys to find out any prey is there. If any such were in sight, the jackal was to report and say with due obeisance, “Shine forth in thy might, Lord.” Then the lion promised to kill and eat, giving a part to the jackal.

So the jackal used to climb the heights, and whenever he located beasts to his taste, he would report it to the lion, and falling at his feet, say, “Shine forth in thy might, Lord.” Hereon the lion would nimbly bound forth and slay the beast, even if it were a rutting elephant and share the prime of the carcass with the jackal. Glutted with his meal, the jackal would then retire to his den and sleep.

Now as time went on, the jackal grew bigger and bigger till he grew haughty. He thought, “The lion, king of beasts, only kills them because of the formula, ‘Shine forth in thy might Lord.’ I’ll make the lion call out to me, ‘Shine forth in thy might, jackal,’ and then I’ll kill an elephant for myself.”

Accordingly he went to the lion, and pointing out that he had long lived on what the lion had killed, told his desire to eat an elephant of his own killing, ending with a request to the lion to let him, the jackal, couch in the lion’s corner in Gold Den while the lion was to climb the mountain to look out for an elephant. The prey found, he asked that the lion should come to him in the den and say, ‘Shine forth in thy might jackal. He begged the lion not to grudge him this much. Said the lion, “Jackal, only lions can kill elephants, nor has the world ever seen a jackal able to cope with them. Give up this fancy, and continue to feed on what I kill.” The jackal would not give way, and still pressed his request. So at last the lion gave way, and bidding the jackal couch in the den, climbed the peak and then spied an elephant in rut. Returning to the mouth of the cave, he said, “Shine forth in thy might, jackal.” Then from Gold Den the jackal came out, looked around him on all four sides, and, thrice raising its howl, sprang at the elephant. But missing his aim, he fell at the elephant’s feet. The infuriated elephant raised its right foot and crushed the jackal’s head, crushing the bones into powder.

Seeing all this, living to a good old age he passed away in the fullness of time to fare according to his deserts.