186. The Bodhisatta And The King Dhananjaya
Once upon a time in the city of Indapattana, in kingdom of the Kurus, a king was reigning named Dhananjaya, of the race of Yudhitthila. The Bodhisatta was born in the house of his family priest, when he grew up, he learned all the arts at Takkasila, he returned to Indapattana, and at his father’s death he became family priest to the king and his counselor in things temporal and spiritual. His name was called Vidhurapandita.
King Dhananjaya disregarded his old soldiers and showed favour to new-comers. He went to fight in a disturbed frontier province: but neither his old warriors nor the new-comers would fight, each thinking the other party would see to the matter. The king was defeated. On his return to Indapattana he reflected that his defeat was due to the favour he had shown to new-comers. One day he thought,” Am I the only king who has ever been defeated through favour shown to new-comers, or have others had the same fate before? I will ask Vidhurapandita.” So he put the question to Vishurapanduta when he came to the king’s levee.
185. The Bodhisatta And The Jackal
Once upon a time, Brahmadatta was king of Benares, and the Bodhisatta was his chaplain; and he had mastered the three Vedas and the eighteen branches of knowledge. He knew the spell entitled ‘Of subduing the World.’
One day, the Bodhisatta thought that he would recite this spell; so he sat down in a place on a flat stone, and went on reciting it. It is said that this spell could be taught to no one without use of a special rite. It so happened that a jackal lying in a hole heard the spell at the time that he was reciting it, and got it by heart. This jackal in a previous existence had been some Brahmin who had learnt the charm ‘Of subduing the World.’
184. The Bodhisatta And The Impermanence Of Things
Once upon a time when Brahmadatta was reigning in Benares, the Bodhisatta was born into a brahmin family. And when he grew up, he studied all the arts at Takkasila and then returned to his parents. In this Birth the Great Being became a holy young student. Then his parents told him they would look out a wife for him.
The Bodhisatta said, “I have no desire for a married life; When you are dead, I will adopt the religious life of an ascetic.”
183. The Bodhisatta And The Hunter
Once upon a time, when Brahmadatta was king of Benares, the Bodhisatta became a Monkey named Nandiya, or Jolly; and lived in the Himalayas; and his youngest brother bore the name of Jollikin. They two headed a band of eighty thousand monkeys, and they had a blind mother in their home to care for.
They left their mother in her lair in the bushes, and went amongst the trees to find sweet wild fruit, which they sent back home to her. The messengers did not deliver it; and, tormented with hunger, she became nothing but skin and bone. The Bodhisatta said to her, “Mother, we send you plenty of sweet fruits; then what makes you so thin?”
