| J.513 |
Jayaddisa Jaataka |
Twice the sons of Pa~ncala, king of Kampilla, were devoured by an ogress who had
conceived a hatred for his queen. On the third occasion the ogress was chased by
the palace guard before she could eat the child, but she succeeded in snatching the
child away and brought him up as her own. He grew up to be a man-eating ogre and
dwelt in a tree. The fourth son of Pa~ncala was Jayaddisa, who succeeded his father.
The ogress died before his birth. One day Jayaddisa ordered a hunt, but just as he
was about to start out, a brahmin from Takkasila brought him four verses worth 100
pieces each. Jayaddhisa ordered that a dwelling be made for him and declared that
he on whose side the deer escaped should pay for the verses. An antelope made straight
for the king and escaped. The king pursued and killed it, but while on his way back
with the carcase, he came to the ogre’s dwelling place and was promptly claimed as
his prey. Remembering his promise to pay the brahmin, Jayaddhisa persuaded the ogre
to let him go on condition that he would return when he had paid for the verses.
Jayaddhisa’s son offered to go in his father’s place and this was allowed. He won
over the ogre by his fearlessness, taught him the moral law and suspecting that the
ogre was his uncle, proved the relationship with the help of and ascetic gifted with
supernatural vision. Jayaddhisa informed of this, made a settlement for the ogre.
The ogre was Angulimala and the son of Jayaddhisa was the bodhisatva. The story was
related in reference to a monk who supported his mother (for details see the Sama
Jataka [J.540]). The story of Jayaddhisa is included in the Cariyapitaka. |
61/340 |
Jaataka |
Khuddhaka |
J.v.021ff. |
filial piety |