| J.159 |
Mora Jaataka |
The bodhisatva was once born as a golden peacock and lived on a golden hill in Dandaka.
He used to recite one spell in honour to the sun and another in praise of the Buddhas
and thus was protected from all harm. Khema, queen of Benares, saw the peacock preaching
in a dream. She longed for the dream to become true and told the king. He made enquiries
and sent hunters to catch the golden peacock, but they failed. Khema died of grief
and in his anger, the king inscribed a golden plaque that anyone eating the flesh
of a golden peacock would gain immortality. Six generations of successive kings also
failed to hunt down the peacock. At the seventh generation, a hunter trained a peahen
to cry at the snap of his fingers and used her to bait a snare. The bodhisatva forgot
his spell and was caught in the trap. When he was led before the king and told the
reason for his capture, he agreed that his golden colour was due to good deeds done
by him in the past as the king of the same city -- but he was a peacock owing to
a sin he had committed. The eating of his flesh would not make anyone young or immortal,
because even he himself was not immortal. Being asked to prove his words, he had
the lake near to the city dredged to reveal the golden chariot he used to ride in
as a king. The king thereupon paid him great honour and led him back to Dandaka.
The story was told to a backsliding monk who was upset by the sight of a woman magnificently
attired. Ananda is identified with the king of Benares. |
57/060 |
Jaataka |
Khuddhaka |
J.ii.033ff. |
sensual restraint |