| J.207 |
Assaka Jaataka |
The story of king Potali of Kasi. His queen consort Ubbari was very dear to him,
and when she died, he was plunged into grief. he put her corpse in a coffin, placed
it under his bed and lay thereon, starving for seven days. At that time, the bodhisatva
was an ascetic in the Himalayas. He visited King Potali just at this time. There
in the royal park, the king went to visit him because he was told that the ascetic
could show him Ubbari. The bodhisatva showed the king that Ubbari had now been born
as a dungworm in the park, because intoxicated by her own beauty, she had done no
good deeds. Seeing the king incredulous, the ascetic made her speak, and she declared
that she cared much more for the dung-worm who was now her mate, than for Assaka
who had been her husband in her previous life. Assaka went back to the palace, had
the body disposed of, married another queen and lived righteously. The Jataka is
related to a monk who was distracted by the recollection of a former wife. He was
Asaka in a previous birth. |
57/304 |
Jaataka |
Khuddhaka |
J.ii.155ff. |
bereavement, passion |