225. The Bodhisatta And The Seven Brothers
Once upon a time when Brahamadatta was reigning in Benares, the Bodhisatta was Sakka. Seven brothers in a village of Kasi seeing the evil of desires had renounced them and become ascetics; they dwelt in Mejjharanna but lived in various kinds of amusement, not practising devotion diligently and being of full habit of body. Sakka, king of gods, said, “I will alarm them;” and so he became a parrot, came to their dwelling-place and perching on a tree spoke:–
Happy life is theirs who live on remnants left from charity:
Praise in this world is their lot, and in the next felicity.
Then one of them hearing the parrot’s words called to the rest, and spoke:–
Should not wise men listen when a parrot speaks in human tongue?
Hearken, brethren? It is our praises clearly that this bird has sung.
224. The Bodhisatta And The Serpent-King
Once upon a time, when Brahmadatta was reigning in Benares, the Bodhisatta was born into the family of a business man; and grew up to be a great merchant. At one time he had filled his wagons with goods, and in company with a large caravan he came to the woods and saw a well. The traders wanted to drink water, and began to dig, and as they dug they came upon a quantity of metal and gems. But though they got a great deal of treasure, they were discontented. “There must be another treasure here, better than this!” they thought, and they dug and dug.
223. The Bodhisatta And The Secret Spell
Once upon a time when a king named Senaka was reigning in Benares, the Bodhisatta was Sakka. The king Senaka was friendly with a naga-king. This naga-king, they say, left the naga-world and came to the earth seeking food. The village boys seeing him said, “This is a snake,” and struck him with clods and other things. The king, going to amuse himself in his garden, saw them, and being told they were beating a snake, said, “Don’t let them beat him, drive them away”; and this was done. So the naga-king got his life and when he went back to the naga-world, he took many jewels, and coming at midnight to the king’s bedroom he gave them to him, saying, “I got my life through you”; so he made friendship with the king and came again and again to see him. He appointed one of his naga girls, insatiate in pleasures, to be near the king and protect him: and he gave the king a charm, saying, “If ever you do not see her, repeat this charm.”
222. The Bodhisatta and the secret charm
Once on a time when Brahmadatta was reigning in Benares, there was a Brahmin who knew the charm called Vedabbha. Now this charm, so they say, was precious beyond all price. For, if at a certain conjunction of the planets the charm was repeated and the gaze bent upwards to the skies, straightway from the heavens there rained the Seven Things of Price, gold, silver, pearl, coral, catseye, ruby, and diamond.
In those days the Bodhisatta was a pupil of this brahmin; and one day his master left the village on some business or other, and came with the Bodhisatta to the country of Ceti.
