46. The Bodhisatta – As A Golden Stag
Once upon a time when Brahmadatta was reigning in Benares, the Bodhisatta came to life as a young stag, and grew up a beautiful and graceful creature, of the colour of gold. His fore and hind feet were covered, as it were, with a preparation of lac. His horns were like a silver wreath, his eyes resembled round jewels, and his mouth was like a ball of crimson wool.
45. The Bodhisatta – As A Golden Peacock
Once upon a time, while Brahmadatta was king of Benares, the Bodhisatta came into this world as a Golden Peacock, with red lines under his wings. To preserve his life, he traversed three ranges of hills, and in the fourth he settled, on a plateau of a golden hill in Dandaka. When day dawned as he sat upon the hill, watching the sun rise, he chant Surya Namaskar to preserve himself safe in his own feeding ground. Apart from this he worships the Buddhas who have passed away. Uttering this charm to keep himself from harm, the Peacock went in search of food.
44. The Bodhisatta – As A Golden Goose
Once upon a time in the reign of Brahmadatta, king of Benares, the Bodhisatta came to life as a golden gosling, and when he came to be a full-grown goose, he lived on a golden cave, in the cittakuta mountain in the Himalaya region, and used to go constantly and eat the wild paddy that grew on a natural lake. On the way by which he went to and fro was a big Judas tree. Both in going and returning, he would always stop and rest there. So a friendship sprang up between him and the divinity that dwelt in that tree. By and bye a certain fowl, after eating the ripe fruit of a banyan, came and perched on the Judas tree, and dropped its excrement into the fork of it.
43. The Bodhisatta – As a Golden deer
Once upon a time when Brahmadatta was reigning in Benares, the Bodhisatta was born a deer. At his birth he had golden color; his eyes were like round jewels; the sheen of his horns was as of silver; his mouth was red as a bunch of scarlet cloth; his four hoofs were as though lacquered; his tail was like the yak’s; and he was as big as a young foal. Attended by five hundred deer, he dwelt in the forest under the name of king Banyan Deer. And another deer by name Branch Deer dwelled nearby with 500 attendants and he was also golden colored.
