Once upon a time when Brahmadatta. Was reigning in Benares, the Bodhisatta came to life as a young peacock. And when he was fully grown, he was exceedingly beautiful and lived in a forest. At that time some merchants came to the kingdom of Baveru, brought a foreign crow. At this time, it is said, there were no birds in Baveru. The natives who from time to time came saw this bird perched on the top of the mast, said, “Mark the colour of this bird’s skin. Look at its beaked mouth at the end of its throat, and its eyes like jewel-balls.” Thus singing the praises of this crow they said to these merchants, “Sirs, give us this bird. We need it, and you can get another in your own country.”

They said, “Then take it; at a price.”

They bargained and bought the crow for one hundred pieces of money.

The natives took it and put it in a golden cage and fed it with various kinds of fish and meat and wild fruits. In a place where no other birds existed, a crow endowed with ten evil qualities attained the highest gain and glory. The next time these merchants came to the kingdom of Baveru, they brought a royal peacock which they had trained to scream at the snapping of the fingers and to dance at the clapping of the hands. When a crowd had gathered together, the bird stood in the fore part of the vessel, and flapping its wings uttered a sweet sound and danced.

The people that saw it were highly delighted and said, “This king of birds is very beautiful and well-trained. Give it to us.”

The merchants sold it for one thousand pieces of money. Then they put it in a cage ornamented with the seven jewels and fed it on fish, flesh and wild fruits, as well as with honey, fried corn, sugar-water, etc., Thus did the royal peacock receive the highest gain and glory. From the day of his coming, the gain and honour paid to the crow fell off. And no one wanted even to look at it. The crow no longer getting food either hard or soft, with a cry of “Caw, caw,” went and settled on a dunghill.

The Master, making the connection between the two stories, in his Perfect Wisdom repeated these stanzas:

Before the crested peacock had appeared,

Crows were with gifts of fruit and meat revered:

The sweet-voiced peacock to Baveru came,

The crow at once was stripped of gifts and fame.

So man to divers priests due honour paid,

Till Buddha the full light of Truth displayed:

But when the sweet-voiced Buddha preached the law,

From heretics their gifts and praise all men withdraw.

After uttering these four stanzas, he thus identified the Birth: “At that time the Jain Nathaputta was the crow, and I myself was the royal peacock.”