Category Archives: JATAKA TALES
100. The Bodhisatta – Nimb-Tree Spirit
Once upon a time when Brahmadatta reigning in Benares, the Bodhisatta came to the life as a Nimb-tree spirit in a cemetery grove of that city.
Now one day a robber having been guilty of an act of theft is an outlying hamlet of the city entered the cemetery grove. And at this time two old trees stood there, a Nimb-tree and a Bo-tree the robber placed his stolen goods at the foot of this Nimb-tree and lay down there. Now in these days robbers that were caught were put to torture by being impaled on a stake of the Nimb-tree. So the spirit of the Nimb-tree thought: “If people should come and capture this robber, they will cut off a branch and make a stake from this Nimb-tree and impale him on it. And in that case the tree will be destroyed. So I will drive the fellow away.”
99. The Bodhisatta – Goodness
Once upon a time when Brahmadatta was reigning in Benares, the Bodhisatta was his chaplain. He was a man of charity and other good works, whose mind was set on righteousness, always keeping unbroken the Five Commandments. And the King honoured him beyond the other Brahmins.
Suspecting the Bodhisatta was captured by soldiers and as he was being brought in bonds, he saw some snake charmers were exhibiting a snake, which they laid hold of by the tail and the throat, and tied round their necks. Seeing this, the Bodhisatta begged the them no to do this, for the snake might bite them and cut their lives short. “Brahmin,” replied the snake charmers, “this is a good and well behaved cobra; he’s not wicked like you, who for your wickedness and misconduct are being hauled off in custody.”
98. The Bodhisatta – Desert Voyage
Once a time when Brahmadatta was king in Benares in Kasi the Bodhisatta was born into a trader’s family. When he was grown up, he used to travel about trading with 500 carts. On one occasion he came to a sandy wilderness sixty leagues across, the send of which was so fine that, when grasped, it slipped through the fingers of the closed fist. As soon as the sun got up, it grew as hot as a bed of charcoal-embers and nobody could walk upon it. Accordingly, those traversing it used to take fire-wood, water, oil, rice and so forth on their carts, and only trevelled by night. At dawn they used to range their carts in a circle to form a laager, with an – awning spread overhead, and after an early meal used to sit in the shade all the day long. When the sun went down, they had their evening meal; and, so soon as the ground became cool, they used to yoke their carts and move forward. Travelling on this desert was like voyaging over the sea; a ‘desert-pilot,’ as he was called, had to convoy them over by knowledge of the stars. And this was the way in which our merchant was now traveling that wilderness.
97. The Bodhisatta – Deer’s Tactics
Once upon a time when Brahmadatta ruled Benares, the Bodhisatta was born a deer and dwelled in the forest as the head of deers. His sister brought her son to him, saying, “Brother, this is your nephew; teach him deer’s tactics.” And thus she placed her son under the Bodhisatta’s care. The Bodhisatta said nephew,“Come at such and such a time and I will give you a lesson” but the nephew made no appearance at the time appointed. And for the next seven days, he skipped his lesson and fail to learn the tactics of deer. At last as he was roaming about he was caught in a gin. His mother came and said to the Bodhisatta, ”Brother! was not your nephew taught deer’s tactics?”
