| J.385 |
Nandiyamiga Jaataka | Nandiyamigaraaja Jaataka |
The bodhisatva was once born as a deer named Nandiya and looked after his parents.
The king of Kosala was fond of hunting, and his subjects, hoping for some peace,
planned to drive the deer from the forest into a closed park where the king might
hunt. Nandiya, seeing the men come, left his parents in a thicket and joined the
deer who were being driven into the park so that his parents might not be seen. The
deer agreed to take it in turn to be killed by the king. The bodhisatva stayed on
-- even in spite of a message brought by a brahmin from his parents -- though he
could have escaped. He wished, however, to show his gratitude to the king who had
supplied the deer with food and drink. When his turn came to be killed, he appeared
fearlessly before the king, and by the power of his virtue the kingís bow refused
to shoot. The king, thereby realizing Nandiyaís goodness, granted him a boon. Nandiya
asked for the security of all living beings and established the king in the path
of virtue. The story was related in reference to a monk who was blamed for looking
after his parents -- but the Buddha praised him. The king of the story was Ananda
and the brahmin who brought the message was Sariputta. |
58/104 |
Jaataka |
Khuddhaka |
J.iii.270ff. |
filial piety |