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Dasaratha Jataka No. 461 (The Buddhist story of Rama)

Etha lakkhaa st cti ida satth jetavane viharanto eka matapitika kuumbika rabbhakathesi. So hi pitari klakate sokbhibhto sabbakiccni pahya soknuvattakova ahosi. Satthpaccsasamaye loka olokento tassa sotpattiphalpanissaya disv punadivase svatthiyapiya caritv katabhattakicco bhikkh uyyojetv eka pacchsamaa ahetv tassa ehaantv vanditv nisinna madhuravacanena lapanto ki socasi upsak ti vatv ma! bhante! pitusoko ma bdhat ti vutte upsaka! porakapait ahavidhe lokadhamme tathato

jnant pitari klakate appamattakampi soka na karis ti vatv tena ycito atta hari.

This story the Master told in Jetavana about a landowner whose father was dead. This man on his fathers death was

overwhelmed with sorrow: leaving all his duties undone, he gave himself up to his sorrow wholly. The Master at dawn of

day looking out upon mankind, perceived that he was ripe for attaining the fruit of the First ath. !e"t day, after going his

rounds for alms in #$vatthi, his meal done, he dismissed the %rethren, and taking with him a &unior %rother, went to this

mans house, and gave him greeting, and addressed him as he sat there in words of honey sweetness. '(ou are in sorrow,

lay %rother)* said he. '(es, #ir, afflicted with sorrow for my fathers sake.* #aid the Master, '+ay %rother, wise men of

old who e"actly knew the eight conditions of this world, felt at a fathers death no grief, not even a little.* Then at hisreuest he told a story of the past.

"tte brasiya dasarathamahrj nma aatiamana pahya dhammena rajja kresi.#assa so$asanna itthisahassna jehik aamahes dve putte eka%ca dhtara vijyi.

&ehaputto rmapaito nma ahosi! dutiyo lakkhaakumro nma! dht st dev nma.Once upon a time, at Benares, a great king named Dasaratha renounced the ways of evil, and reigned inrighteousness. Of his sixteen thousand wives, the eldest and queen consort bore him two sons and a daughter; the elder son

was named ama pandita, or ama the wise, the second was named !rince "akkhana or "ucky, and the daughter#s namewas the "ady $ita %meaning &cool'(.

"parabhe mahes klamaksi. 'j tass klakatya ciratara sokavasa antv amaccehisa%%pito tass kattabbaparihra katv a%%a aamahesihne hapesi. S ra%%o piy ahosimanp. Spi aparabhe abbha ahitv laddhaabbhaparihr putta vijyi!bharatakumro tissa nma akasu. 'j puttasinehena bhadde! vara te dammi! ahh ti

ha. S ahitaka katv hapetv kumrassa sattahavassakle rjna upasa(kamitv deva! tumhehi mayha puttassa varo dinno! idnissa vara deth ti ha. )aha! bhaddeti. *eva! puttassa me rajja deth ti vutte rj acchara paharitv nassa! vasali! mayha dve putt aikkhandh viya jalanti! te mrpetv tava puttassa rajja ycas ti tajjesi. S bht

siriabbha pavisitv a%%esupi divasesu rjna punappuna rajjameva yci.)n course of time, the queen consort died. *t her death the king was for a long time crushed by sorrow, but urged

by his courtiers he performed her obsequies, and set another in her place as queen consort. $he was dear to the king and

beloved. )n time she also conceived, and all due attention having been given her, she brought forth a son, and they named

him !rince Bharata.

+he king loved his son much, and said to the queen, &"ady, ) offer you a boon choose.' $he accepted the offer, but

put it off for the time. -hen the lad was seven years old, she went to the king, and said to him, &y lord, you promised a

boon for my son. -ill you give it to me now/' &0hoose, lady,' said he. &y lord,' quoth she, &give my son the kingdom.'

+he king snapt his fingers at her; &Out, vile 1ade2' said he angrily, &my other two sons shine like bla3ing fires; would you

kill them, and ask the kingdom for a son of yours/' $he fled in terror to her magnificent chamber, and on other days againand again asked the king for this.

'j tass ta vara adatvva cintesi mtumo nma akata%% mittadubbh! aya me

kapaa v kala%ja v katv putte htpeyy ti. So putte pakkospetv tamattha

rocetv tt! tumhka idha vasantna antaryopi bhaveyya! tumhe smantarajja v ara%%a v antv mama maraakle antv kulasantaka rajja aheyyth ti vatv puna nemittake brhmae pakkospetv attano yupariccheda pucchitv a%%ni dvdasa vassni pavattissat ti sutv tt! ito dvdasavassaccayena antv chatta usspeyyth ti ha. #e sdh ti vatv pitara vanditv rodant psd otarisu. St dev ahampi bhtikehi saddhi

amissm ti pitara vanditv rodant nikkhami.

+he king would not give her this gift. 4e thought within himself &-omen are ungrateful and treacherous. +his

woman might use a forged letter or a treacherous bribe to get my sons murdered.' $o he sent for his sons, and told them all

about it, saying &y sons, if you live here some mischief may befall you. 5o to some neighboring kingdom, or to the

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woodland, and when my body is burnt, then return and inherit the kingdom which belongs to your family.' +hen he

summoned soothsayers, and asked them the limits of his own life. +hey told him he would live yet twelve years longer.

+hen he said, &6ow, my sons, after twelve years you must return, and uplift the umbrella of royalty.' +hey promised, andafter taking leave of their father, went forth from the palace weeping. +he "ady $ita said, &) too will go with my brothers'

she bade her father farewell, and went forth weeping.

#ayopi jan mahparivr nikkhamitv mahjana nivattetv anupubbena himavanta pavisitvsampannodake sulabhaphalphale padese assama mpetv phalphalena ypent vasisu.

+hese three depared amidst a great company of people. +hey sent the people back, and proceeded until at last theycame to 4imalaya. +here in a spot well watered, and convenient for the getting of wild fruits, they built a hermitage, and

there lived, feeding upon the wild fruits.+akkhaapaito ca st ca rmapaita ycitv tumhe amhka pituhne hit! tasm assameyeva hotha! maya phalphala haritv tumhe posessm ti pai%%a ahisu. #ato pahya rmapaito tattheva hoti. ,tare dve phalphala haritv ta paijaisu."akkhana pandita and $ita said to amapandita, &7ou are in place of a father to us; remain then in the hut, and we

will bring wild fruit, and feed you. & 4e agreed thenceforward amapandita stayed where he was, the others brought the

wild fruit and fed him with it.

Eva tesa phalphalena ypetv vasantna dasarathamahrj puttasokena navamesavacchare klamaksi. #assa sarrakicca kretv dev attano puttassa bharatakumrassa chatta usspeth ti ha. "macc pana chattassmik ara%%e vasant ti na adasu.

-haratakumro mama bhtara rmapaita ara%%ato netv chatta usspessm ti

+hus they lived there, feeding upon the wild fruit; but 8ing Dasaratha pined after his sons, and died in the ninth year. -hen

his obsequies were performed, the queen gave orders that the umbrella should be raised over her son, !rince Bharata. Butthe courtiers said, &+he lords of the umbrella are dwelling in the forest, & and they would not allow it. $aid !rince Bharata,

&) will fetch back my brother ama pandita from the forest, and raise the royal umbrella over him.

pa%carjakakudhabhani ahetv catura(iniy senya tassa vasanahna patv avidrekhandhvra katv tattha nivsetv katipayehi amaccehi saddhi lakkhaapaitassa castya ca ara%%a atakle assamapada pavisitv assamapadadvre hapitaka%canarpakaviya rmapaita nirsa(ka sukhanisinna upasa(kamitv vanditv ekamanta hito ra%%opavatti rocetv saddhi amaccehi pdesu patitv rodati.

& +aking the five emblems of royalty%$word, umbrella, diadem, slippers and fan(, he proceeded with a complete host of the

four arms %elephants, cavalry, chariots, infantry( to their dwelling place. 6ot far away he caused camp to be pitched, and

then with a few courtiers he visited the hermitage, at the time "akkhana pandita and $ita were away in the woods.

'mapaito pana neva soci! na paridevi! indriyavikramattampissa nhosi. -haratassa panaroditv nisinnakle syanhasamaye itare dve phalphala dya amisu. 'mapaito cintesiime dahar mayha viya pariahanapa%% etesa natthi! sahas pit vo mato ti vutte soka

sandhretu asakkontna hadayampi tesa phaleyya! upyena te udaka otretv etapavatti rocessm ti. "tha nesa purato eka udakahna dassetv tumhe aticirena at! ida vo daakamma hotu! ima udaka otaritv tihath ti upahatha tva ha

*t the door of the hermitage sat amapandita, undismayed and at ease, like a figure of fine gold firmly set. +he prince

approached him with a greeting, and standing on one side, told him of all that had happened in the kingdom, and falling athis feet along with the courtiers, burst into weeping. amapandita neither sorrowed nor wept; emotion in his mind was

none. -hen Bharata had finished weeping, and sat down, towards evening the other two returned with wild fruits. ama

pandita thought 9&+hese two are young all comprehending wisdom like mine is not theirs. )f they are told on a sudden that

our father is dead, the pain will be greater than they can bear, and who knows but their hearts may break. ) will persuade

them to go down into the water, and find a means of disclosing the truth.' +hen pointing out to them a place in front where

there was water, he said, &7ou have been out too long let this be your penance 9 go into that water, and stand there. & +henhe repeated a half stan3a

/. Etha lakkhaa st ca! ubho otarathodakan ti0

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tassattho etha lakkhaa st ca acchatha! ubhopi otaratha udakanti.

#e ekavacaneneva otaritv ahasu. "tha nesa pitu pavatti rocento sesaupahathamha

'+et +akkhana and #ita both into that pond descend.*

One word sufficed, into the water they went, and stood there. +hen he told them the news by repeating the other

half stan3a

&Evya bharato ha! rj dasaratho mato ti0

te pitu matassana sutvva visa%% ahesu0 punapi nesa kathesi! punapi te visa%% ahesuntieva yvatatiya visa%%ita patte te amacc ukkhipitv udak nharitv thale nisdpetvladdhasssesu tesu sabbe a%%ama%%a roditv paridevitv nisdisu0 tad bharatakumrocintesi mayha bht lakkhaakumro ca bhain ca st dev pitu matassana sutvva soka sandhretu na sakkonti! rmapaito pana neva socati! na paridevati! ki nu kho tassaasocanakraa! pucchissmi nan ti0 so ta pucchanto dutiya thamha 1. kena rmappabhvena! socitabba na socasi0

pitara klakata sutv! na ta pasahate dukhan ti.

#attha pabhventi nubhvena. 2a ta pasahate dukhanti evarpa dukkha kena kraenata na p$eti! ki te asocanakraa! kathehi tva nanti.

'%harata says, king -asarathas life is at an end.*

-hen they heard the news of their father#s death, they fainted. *gain he repeated it, again they fainted, and when

even a third time they fainted away, the courtiers raised them and brought them out of the water, and set them upon dry

ground. -hen they had been comforted, they all sat weeping and wailing together. +hen !rince Bharata thought &y

brother !rince "akkhana, and my sister the "ady $ita, cannot restrain their grief to hear of our father#s death; but ama

pandita neither wails nor weeps. ) wonder what can the reason be that he grieves not/ ) will ask.' +hen he repeated thesecond stan3a, asking the question

'say by what power thou grievest not, ama, when grief should be)

Though it is said thy sire is dead grief overwhelms not thee/*"thassa rmapaito attano asocanakraa kathento3. 4a na sakk nipletu! posena lapata bahu0

sa kissa vi%% medhv! attnamupatpaye.

5. *ahar ca hi vuddh ca! ye bl ye ca pait0

ah ceva dalidd ca! sabbe maccuparya.

. 6halnamiva pakkna! nicca patanato bhaya0

eva jtna maccna! nicca maraato bhaya.

7. Syameke na dissanti! pto dih bahujjan0

pto eke na dissanti! sya dih bahujjan.

78. 6aridevayamno ce! ki%cidattha udabbahe0

samm$ho hisamattna! kayir ta vicakkhao.

79. :iso vivao bhavati! hisamattnamattano0

na tena pet plenti! niratth paridevan.

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7;. 4ath saraamditta! vrin parinibbaye0

evampi dhro sutav! medhv paito naro0khippamuppatita soka! vto tlava dhasaye.

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na buddhdna paitna! na cakkavatti>dna issarna! na niddhanna dalidddnalajjati! sabbepime satt maccuparya maraamukhe sabhaavibha bhavantiyev ti dassanattha vutt.2icca patanatoti ida vutta hoti yath hi tta bharata! pakkna phalna pakkaklato pahya idni va chijjitv patissanti! idni patissant ti patanato bhaya nicca dhuva ekasikameva bhavati! eva sa(kanyato eva jtna maccnampi ekasikayevamaraato bhaya! natthi so khao v layo v yattha tesa maraa na sa(kitabbabhaveyyti.

Syanti vikle. ,min rattibhe ca dihna divasabhe adassana! divasabhe ca dihnarattibhe adassana dpeti. :i%cidatthanti pit me! putto me ti>dhi paridevamnova poso samm$ho attna hisanto kilamento appamattakampi attha hareyya. :ayir tavicakkhaoti atha paito puriso eva parideva kareyya! yasm pana paridevanto mata vnetu a%%a v tassa vahi ktu na sakkoti! tasm niratthakatt paridevitassa pait naparidevanti."ttnamattanoti attano attabhva sokaparidevadukkhena hisanto. 2a tenti tena paridevenaparaloka at satt na plenti na ypenti. 2iratthti tasm tesa matasattna ayaparidevan niratthak. Saraanti nivsaeha. ,da vutta hoti yath paito puriso attano vasanre ditte muhuttampi vosna anpajjitv haasatena haasahassena vrinnibbpayateva! eva dhro uppatita soka khippameva nibbpaye. #la viya ca vto yathsahtu na sakkoti! eva dhasaye viddhaseyyti attho.=acco ekova accetti ettha tta bharata! ime satt kammassak nma! tath hi ito paralokaacchanto satto ekova acceti atikkamati! khattiydikule jyamnopi ekova antv jyati. #attha

tattha pana %timittasayoena aya me pit! aya me mt! aya me mitto ti sayoaparamtveva sambho sabbapna! paramatthena pana tsupi bhavesukammassakvete sattti attho.#asmti yasm etesa sattna %timittasayoa %timittaparibhoamatta hapetv itopara a%%a natthi! tasm. Sampassatoti ima%ca para%ca loka nnbhvavinbhvamevasamm passato. "%%ya dhammanti ahavidhalokadhamma jnitv. ?adaya mana%cti idaubhayampi cittasseva nma. ,da vutta hoti

&+bho albho yaso ayaso ca! nind pasas ca sukha%ca dukkha0ete anicc manujesu dhamm! m soca ki socasi pohapd ti. @&. 9./.99/A

,mesa ahanna lokadhammna yena kenaci citta pariydyati! tassa ca aniccata %atvhitassa dhrassa pituputtamaradivatthuk mahantpi sok hadaya na tpayantti. Eta vahavidha lokadhamma %atv hitassa hadayavatthu%ca mana%ca mahantpi sok natpayantti evampettha attho dahabbo.

Soha dassa%ca bhokkha%cti thya tta bharata! andhablna sattna viya mama rodanaparidevana nma na anucchavika! aha pana pitu accayena tassa hne hatvkapadna dnrahna dna! hnantarrahna hnantara! yasrahna yasadassmi! pitar me paribhuttanayena issariya paribhu%jissmi! %take ca posessmi!avasesa%ca antoparijandika jana plessmi! dhammikasamaabrhmana dhammikarakkhvaraautti karissmti eva%hi jnato paitapurisassa anurpa kiccanti attho.

)n these stan3as he explained the )mpermanence of things.6aris ima rmapaitassa aniccatpaksana dhammadesana sutv nissok ahesu. #atobharatakumro rmapaita vanditv brasirajja sampaicchath ti ha. #ta lakkhaa%ca! stdevi%ca ahetv antv rajja anussathti. #umhe pana! devti. #ta! mamapit dvdasavassaccayena antv rajja kreyys ti ma avoca! aha idneva acchanto tassa vacanakaro nma na homi! a%%nipi ti vassni atikkamitv amissmti. Ettaka kla ko rajja kressat tiB #umhe kreth ti. 2a maya kressm ti. #ena hi yva mamaman im pduk kressant ti attano tiapduk omu%citv adsi. #e tayopi jan pduk ahetv rmapaita vanditv mahjanaparivut brasi aamasu.-hen the company heard this discourse of ama pandita, illustrating the doctrine of )mpermanence, they lost all

their grief. +hen !rince Bharata saluted ama pandita, begging him to receive the kingdom of Benares. &Brother,' said

ama, &take "akkhana and $ita with you, and administer the kingdom yourselves.' &6o, my lord, you take it.'

&Brother, my father commanded me to receive the kingdom at the end of twelve years. )f ) go now, ) shall not carry out his

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bidding. *fter three more years ) will come. & &-ho will carry on the government all that time/' &7ou do it.' &) will not.'

&+hen until ) come, these slippers shall do it,' said ama, and doffing his slippers of straw he gave them to his brother. $o

these three persons took the slippers, and bidding the wise man farewell, went to Benares with their great crowd offollowers.

#i savaccharni pduk rajja kresu. "macc tiapduk rjapalla(ke hapetv aavinicchinanti. Sace dubbinicchito hoti! pduk a%%ama%%a paiha%%anti. #ya sa%%ya punavinicchinanti. Samm vinicchitakle pduk nissadd sannisdanti.:or three years the slippers ruled the kingdom. +he courtiers placed these straw slippers upon the royal throne,

when they 1udged a cause. )f the cause were decided wrongly, the slippers beat upon each other , and at that sign it wasexamined again; when the decision was right, the slippers lay quiet.

'mapaito tia savaccharna accayena ara%% nikkhamitv brasinaara patvuyyna pvisi. #assa amanabhva %atv kumr amaccaaaparivut uyyna antvsta aamahesi katv ubhinnampi abhiseka akasu. Eva abhisekappatto mahsattoala(katarathe hatv mahantena parivrena naara pavisitv padakkhia katvcandakapsdavarassa mahtala abhiruhi. #ato pahya so$asa vassasahassni dhammenarajja kretv yupariyosne saapura presi.-hen the three years were over, the wise man came out of the forest, and came to

Benares, and entered the park. +he princes hearing of his arrival proceeded with a great company to the park, and making

$ita the queen consort, gave to them both the ceremonial sprinkling. +he sprinkling thus performed, the 5reat Being

standing in a magnificent chariot, and surrounded by a vast company, entered the city, making a solemn circuit right, nor is it found in +ulsi Das 4indi version.= 8ambug)vo three folds on the neck, like shell spirals, were a token of luck