Temiraja Jataka
There once lived a king Kasiraja of Benares who had neither son nor daughter. His chief queen, Candadevi, known for virtues, asked the great god Sakka for a son which was later named Temiya-Kumara. When Temiya was one month old, he was brought to the throne of his father to sit on his knee. Four robbers were then brought before the king to be judged. Temiya witnessed his father sentence one robber to a thousand strokes from thorn-baited whips, another to imprisonment in chains, the third to death by the spear and the fourth to death by impaling. The infant Bodhisatta was terrified at his father’s judgment which will condemn himself to hell. A goddess dwelling in the umbrella above him, advised him to pretend to be dumb so that people would refuse to crown him king. The Bodhisatta began at once to show signs of dumbness. While the others cried out for their milk. Temiya did not utter a sound. His mother and nurses had tried to terrify him into speaking, for instance, let serpents to coil about him, allowed files to cover and bite him but still he remained unmoved.
At sixteen, they tried to tempt him with beautiful maidens, but unsuccessful. At last, the king asked Brahmins what he should do. They advised him to send his son away to be buried in a graveyard. As the next morning dawned, the king gave his final orders to Sunanda the charioteer to take Temiya out, and find ground to bury him. The Bodhisatta knew he was on the threshold of attaining his freedom. And as Sunanda was working at digging the grave. Temiya then exercised his limbs by walking back and forth until he was satisfied that he had the strength. The Bodhisatta seized the back of the chariot and lifted it high with one hand as if it were a toy cart. Sunanda fell at his feet, stammering that he would be honored to escort the prince home to inherit the kingdom. Temiya described his previous existence and subsequent generations in hell and then ordered Sunanda to return to the palace immediately to tell his parents that he was still alive and thus saved them from unnecessary grief over the loss of their only son. The king was told what his son had done, he and the queen set out the city at once, hopping to lure the prince home. But they found their son living in a hut of leaves in an ascetic’s garments. Temiya welcomed them and explained to them the reasons for his sixteen years of self-derail. They no longer begged him to wear the crown but were themselves inspired to embrace the holy life. This Jataka has shown the Boddhisatta supreme perfection of renunciation.
Mahajanaka Jataka
Supreme Perfection of Perseverance
There once lived a king. Aritthajanaka of Mithila. He became suspicious and fearful of his brother, Polajanaka. He had Polajanaka put in chains. Polajanaka proclaimed his innocence, miraculously the chains fell off and he was able to escape. Later he came back with his followers to take his revenge against his brother. King Aritthajanaka died in the battle and his pregnant wife fled from Mithila by the help of Sakka, king of the gods, taking her on carriage to Kalacampa staying with a Brahmin teacher of great fame. She then delivered a son whom she called after his grandfather Mahajanaka. Mahajanaka was often teased by his playmates and called “the widow’s son”. One day he went to his mother, threatening to bite off her breasts if she did not tell him who his father was. She was forced to reveal to him the secret of his birth that he was the son of the former king of Mithila. When he was sixteen, he determined to regain his father’s kingdom with his mother’s support of some jewels. He boarded a vessel on a merchant venture. After seven days of plunging through the heavy sea, the overloaded ship was wrecked and began to sink. The Bhodhisatta did not panic. He with his superior strength was able to throw himself out of the ship and was floating in the ocean for seven days.
During this time the goddess Manimekhala was enjoying the pleasures of heaven, neglecting her duties as guardian of the sea. At last she spied him and took him in her arms, then flew with him and laid him in the middle of mango trees in Mithila. Also that period, king Polajanaka fell ill and died. The king had told his ministers to find a man worthy of being the king who could answer certain riddles, string the king’s powerful bow and please his daughter. Princess Sivali. There were many candidates for the throne but not successful. At last the ministers decided to send out the festive chariot to see if they could find a successor to Polajaka. The chariot took them to the park where Mahajanaka lay sleeping. They observed the Bhodhisatta, recognized the signs of royalty on his feet and took him to Mithila to crown him king. He was also able to fulfill all the conditions for becoming king. One day the king was wandering with his ministers when he observed two mango trees. The one being full of mangoes was broken down by the people who had come to pick the fruit, while the other, though barren, stood green and whole. Thus he came to understand that possessions bring only sorrow and he determined to put aside his kingdom and take up the life of an ascetic. He left the queen and the throne behind him. He found his way to a hermit’s life and eventually entered the Brahma heaven. This Jataka has shown the Boddhisatta’s supreme perfection of perseverance.
Suvanasama Jataka
There once lived a couple of hermits who had been unwillingly married by their parents, thus secretly determined to live as brother and sister. Sakka king of the gods foresaw that a serious misfortune was to strike them blind due to their former life taking away the sight of their patent’s one eye. Sakka tried to convince them that they would have to beat a son. The hermits strongly refused his advice. At last Sakka advised the hermit to place his palm on his wife’s belly. So it was that the Bodhisatta was born as Suvannasama or Sama. At sixteen, as predicted, a misfortune befell his parents. As they were making their way home after a day of gathering fruits, a snake puffed out its deadly breath at them and blinded them instantly. From this time onward, their son whom they grew to cherish even more than before was their sole support. Suvannasama tied ropes and bamboo poles in all directions for them to follow. He collected and fed them succulent fruits and went every day to a pond to fill a water pot for them. He bathed them and comforted them.
One evening, while Suvannasama was fetching the evening’s water, the king of Benares named Pilliyakka, wandering hunting in the forest saw Suvannasama with a flock of deer and shot a poisoned arrow at Suvannasama. He fell slowly on the ground asking who desired his death and for what? King Pilliyakka was struck by the absence of anger in Suvannasama’s words. As they talked, the king pretended that he had been aiming at one of the deer, but Suvannasama came to the target by making it frightened. Suvannasama clarified that the king told a lie. Piliyakka had to admit the truth. Still Suvannasama grieved aloud for his blind parents. Who would feed them now? The king was struck with shame and promised Suvannasama to care for his parents as it they were his own. Suvannasama then lost consciousness. Piliyakka thought that he was dead. In the meantime, a goddess who had been Suvannasama’s mother in a previous life spoke to the king “You have done grievous thing. Go and nurse the blind parents, otherwise you will go to hell” Inspired by the goddess’s words, Piliyakka set out for the hermitage. There he confessed his crime to Sama’s parents. They were stricken with grief and asked the king to lead them to their son’s body. On reaching their son, the two ascetics knelt down and wept. When his mother followed by his father and the goddess prayed. Suvannasama’s body slowly turned to one side. At last Suvannasama fully recovered from his injury. King Piliyakkha was puzzled at the miraculous event he had witnessed and left for Benares with the impression on Suvannasama’s teachings. This Jataka has shown the Bodhisatta’s supreme perfection of great loving-kindness.
Nemiraja Jataka
There once lived a king of Mithila, who upon spying his first gray hair decided that it was the time he should renounce his throne and took up the hermit’s life. He handed his kingdom over to his son. Nemikumara. As king, Nemi was ruling by giving alms and he inspired many of his people to lead such good lives that upon death they reached the realm of Sakka’s heaven. King Nemi yearned to know the answer to one great question: which is more fruitful, the holy life or faithful almsgiving? So strong was his desire to learn the truth that Sakka, the king of gods came to explain him, “the holy life as an ascetic is by far more fruitful. A man who does so can go beyond my heaven to Brahma’s heaven and sometimes beyond that to Nibbana. Nevertheless almsgiving to all, regardless of caste, is right and befits a great man like you King Nemi.” Sakka departed and left Nemi pondering his words.
At his heaven. Sakka described the good and pious King Nemi to the deities Sakka requested by the deities ordered Matali the charioteer to earth to welcome Nemi to heaven. King Nemi accepted graciously. Matali asked him which road he would like to take first, the one to heaven or the one to hell. Nemi chose the road to hell and was then shocked at the sight of the hell where various kinds of punishment were against all beings due to their own misconducts in their former human lives. Matali then turned the chariot heavenward passing heavenly mansions of great beauty. Matali explained to Nemi that those who dwelt in the heavenly mansions had in their human lifetime faithful almsgiving. On arrival at Sakka’s heaven, Sakka begged Nemi to be seated on his own throne surrounded by the deities. For seven days Nemi charmed the company of heaven with his discourse, and at the end of that time, he refused Sakka’s invitation to remain. Matali drove the chariot to take Nemi back to Mithila. Nemi told his people about the happy existence in heaven and the horrors he had witnessed in hell. “Do good” he advised them. “Be charitable and of a pure heart, and you shall be reborn someday to such a heaven. Some people did I see there who, having done good in this city, have become deities in Sakka’s heaven. But beware of evildoing, for I have seen in hell more suffering than my tongue can describe.” Years later, when the king’s barber showed Nemi his first gray hair, Nemi knes it was time to give his kingdom to his son. From then on. He lived as an ascetic and upon his death surpassed Sakka’s heaven to enter the Brahma heaven. This Jataka has shown the Bhodhisatta supreme perfection of resolution.
Mahosatha Jataka
Once in the Kingdom of Mithila ruled a king called Videha, who was one morning awakened by a fantastic dream. His four sages interpreted the dream that a fifth sage would soon appear. On the day, a Bodhisatta was conceived in the womb of Lady Sumana, the wife of a wealthy merchant of Mithila. On his birth, Mahosatha clasped a medicinal herb which could cure his father’s baldness and other sick people. Seven years later, the king recalled his dream and sent his ministers to search for the fifth sage. The ministers found Mahosatha demonstrating his talent and wisdom in many different ways: designing a beautiful stupa: running after the eagle’s shadow for the meat in its mouth and roaring to frighten it to drop out the meat ; making a clever judgment on many different cases. i .e. to clarify the real mother of a child who was kidnapped by a giant-disguised mother. To prove the true owner of a cow by a simple question on what sort of food the cow was fed and also to clarify the true husband of a woman by asking question about their parents’ names.
At last the king decided to fetch Mahosatha. The four sages were so jealous and thus accused him of stealing to king’s decorations. Mahosatha failed to clarify the king on the accusation, thus he fled. But later his wife could prove the truth and brought the four sages bound in mat with baldness to admit themselves guilty before the king. The deity dwelling the king’s umbrella asked the king a question through his dream. Therefore the king called Mahosatha back again. During these years, King Culani, with his wicked sage called Kevatta, set out to conquer Mithila. Kevatta proposed Mahosadha a ruse that whoever does obeisance is conquered. Mahosatha carried a gem on his hand, pretending to offer it to Kebatta. Mahosatha dropped the jewel into the dirt neat his feet. Kevatta immediately lunged to retrieve it. As he knelt on the ground, Mahosatha held Kevatta’s shoulder blades so that the grasping sage could not stand up. King Culani observing the event thus fled. Later Kevatta devised a new plan for defeating Mahosatha by proposing King Culani to offer King Videha his beautiful daughter. King Videha set out to Culani’s kingdom for the princess and Mahosatha planned to set about outwitting Kevatta and King Culani by proceeding to construct a palace for King Vedeha on the outskirts of Culani’s capital. This palace has an underground tunnel by which Mahosatha could bring King Vedeha with the princess back to Mithila for marriage. Then King Culani succumbed to Mahosatha’s wisdom and called Mahosatha to serve him. This Jataka has shown the Boddhisatta’s supreme perfection of wisdom.
Bhuridatta Jataka
Supreme Perfection of Morality
There once lived in the Naga kingdom, King Dhatarattha and Queen Samuddaja with four Naga sons, Sudassana, Bhuridatta. Subhaga and Arittha. Bhuridatta, having been to Sakka’s heaven, yeaned to take precepts by asking his parents’ permission to lead a life of precepts on earth. One day a woodman with his son had found Bhuridatta at an anthill where Bhuridatta coiled his great length around it every night and Naga maiden attendants would come to escort him back to the realm of the Nagas at dawn. To keep the woodman from revealing his place of meditation, Bhuridatta had invited him and his son to return with him to Naga kingdom and dwell in splendor there. However, after a year of such a life, the hunter had become restless and longed to return to the world of men. Bhuridatta anxious for him to stay had offered him great riches and magic jewel that grants all desires. But the woodman had refused them, saying that he wished to become an ascetic like Bhuridatta, thus he and his son returned to their former dwelling.
Later the woodman met Brahmin Alambayana with very same magic jewel in his hand. Alambayana spoke of his purpose to find and capture a mighty Naga. He would give the magic jewel to anyone who could inform him of the snake’s residence. Then the greedy woodsman led Alambayna to the great anthill around which Bhuridatta was coiled. Alambayana approached Bhuridatta, chanting the magic spell and captured him in a basket. Bhuridatta showed no sign of anger even with great pain. The Brahmin profited greatly from Bhuridatta’s astonishing talents. Meanwhile, Bhuridatta’s mother had missed him and sent his brothers to seek him. Sudassana dressed as an ascetic was accompanied by Bhuridatta’s favorite sister who had disguised herself as a frog hidden in Sudassana. Alambayana wondered it the snake had bitten Sudassana. But Sudassana answered proudly that no venom from any creature could harm him. This retort made Alambayana angry and he challenged Sudassana to show his powers. The ascetic called forth his sister. Who in her form as a frog contained the most poisonous venom. The frog threatened Alambayana with three drops of the poisonous venom. Alambayana became terrified and set the Naga prince free. The two brothers revealed themselves to the king as his nephew. At the end of life, Bhuridatta, having succeeded in keeping the precepts, ascended to heaven. This Jataka has shown the Bhuridatta’s supreme perfection of morality.
Canda Jataka
Once in the kingdom of Pupphavati neat Benares. Good Prince Canda-kumara served his father, King Ekaraja as viceroy and became known throughout the realm for is fairness in solving disputes. In those days, the chief court Brahmin, named Khandahala grew more jealous of him. He planned revenge that he thought would get rid of the young prince. One night, King Ekaraja dreamed of a glorious bejeweled heaven populated by celestial beings. He asked Khandahala to tell him the way to this resplendent abode. Khandahala saw that his was his moment for revenge. He suggested the king to offer a splendid sacrifice to the gods in units of four, sons, queens, merchants and beasts. The king succumbed to Khandahala’s dreadful advice and gave orders straightaway to prepare for a massive sacrifice outside the city walls. A great sadness hung over the city, and one by one of those close to King Ekaraja came and told him that the Brahmin spoke falsely. His aged parents pledged with him to put an end to the plans for this bloody ordeal. But the power of Brahmin was such that the king paid no heed. His ministers, his son, his son’s wife, and even his little grandson begged that this appalling sacrifice not be carried out. Each time the king appeared to father in his resolve. Khandahala rushed in to remind him that this was the only way to heaven.
At last all was in readiness. Horses and bulls are unaware of impending death. Canda-kumara sat apart from his fellow victims, but all awaited the same fate. Amid the company of the mourners assembled was Price Canda-kumara’s wife. Realizing that the king would forever be deaf to her appeals, she called upon the gods. She therefore raised her plea to the gods on high to end this sacrifice forthwith before the innocent fall dead on these defiled grounds. Suddenly, mighty Sakka, king of the gods, appeared overhead. Surrounded by a flaming aureole, he brandished a maile and chisel with which he struck at the royal umbrellas. As they fell under the blows the sacrifice was terminated. The crowd set upon the evil Brahmin and beat him to death. They would have killed the king as will, if Sakka had not restrained them for the Saka of Prince Canda-kumara. He was, however, sent into exile and made to live as an outcast. Gods and goddesses joined the people in the great festive occasion that was Prince Canda-kumara’s coronation. As king, he continued to be just and self-restrained and his reign was long and peaceful. This Jataka has shown the Bodhisatta’ supreme perfection of forbearance.
Naratha Jataka
Supreme Perfection of Equanimity
Once in the kingdom of Mithila, there lived King Angati with his beloved daughter, Ruja. On the eve of the great festival of the full moon, King Angati turned to his three counselors and asked for their suggestion to amuse himself on the festival eve. King Angati who always enjoyed listening to ascetics agreed to a counselor’s suggestion to visit Guna, a naked ascetic living in the forest. King Angati went to see Guna and told the purpose of his visit to remove some doubts from his minds. He then proceeded to ask Guna the rules of right behavior toward parents, teachers, wives, children, Brahmins and the aged Guna explained in this way ; “There is no right or wrong way to behave Whatever you do, whether it be virtuous or evil, has no effect on your future, for your life is arranged in advance of your birth. Hell? Heaven? Nonsense” The counselor and a slave dressed in rags confirmed Guna’s teaching by giving examples of their present lives which had to results from what they had done in the previous lives.
Believing Guna’s words. King Angati stopped doing good and giving alms. Since nothing he did was to have any consequences. Ruja realized with horror to hear that. She tried to convince him that doing good would bring him to heaven. Then Ruja related how she herself, several births ago, was born as a blacksmith’s son who, with his wicked friends, used to corrupt other men’s wives. As a result, in succeeding lives Ruja had been born as a castrated goat, a monkey being removed its testicles, a eunuch and other mutilated beings. At the moment the Bodhisatta, whose name was Narada happened to hear Ruja’s supplications and decided to help her. He carried a golden pole on his shoulders from which two golden begging bowls were suspended by strings of pearls. He sped through the sky and stood suspended in the air before the king Narada told King Angati about the existence of hell and heaven. “if so” , King Angati requested “please lend me some money and get it back on the heaven’. Narada warned him in this way. “If you were a virtuous man. I would gladly lend you gold, for it is not hard to collect a debit from a man in heaven. But men like you, denying the precepts, following false doctrines, are bound for hell, and when you hear what I will tell you about hell, you will see that no one would dare collect a debt from a man in such a place.” At last Angati was trembled with fear and asked Bodhisatta for help. With his daughter, he bowed in reverence to the Bodhisatta, who then turned and sped back to the Brahma world. The jataka has shown the Bodhisatta’s supreme perfection of equanimity.
Vithura Jataka
There once lived King Dhananjaya of Indapatta, the Bodhisatta came to earth as a sage named Vidhura-Pandita. He was well known throughout many worlds for his wisdom and eloquent words. A Naga queen, after hearing his husband describe he incomparable sage, longed to heat him speak. She feigned illness to ask her husband to bring her Vidhura’s heart. Princess Irandati presented herself to help her mother. She went off to the Himalayas and began a seductive dance and song. At that time a demon, named Punnaka, hearing Irandati’s love call rode his magic horse over to her. Together they rode to the palace to ask her father for marriage on one condition that Punnaka obtained the flesh of Vidhura’s heart. Punnaka rode off into the sky to Indapatta., the kingdom where Vidhura dwelled. He, hoping to win the sage as his prize, challenged King Dhananjaya in a game of dice by offering a wondrous horse and magic gem as a prize for the king. The king dazzled by Punnaka’s magic possessions accepted the gamble, saying that should he lose. “Except my body and my white umbrella, all that I have shall be yours.” The game was wet up in the hall witnessed by other kings. First the king won the game by the help of his guardian deity. But finally, Punnaka threatening the deity with magic won the game. Punnaka, gleeful in victory,called for his payment of the sage Vidhura. The king asked Punnaka to call for payment of others because Vidhura was his kinsman. But Vidhura replied that he was the king’s slave and could be given away.
Punnaka with Vidhura holding the tail of his magic horse galloped across the sky to the Naga’s city. Pannaka then fried to frighten Vidhura to death. He took on many shapes, like demons, lions, elephants, gigantic serpents, whirlwinds or even seized Vidhura and whirled him around with his head downward, all these failed to harm Vidhura. Vidhura quietly asked Punnaka’s reason to kill him, and Punnaka told him why. Vidhura immediately perceived that all conceded had misinterpreted the Naga queen’s request for his heart. She had not meant his physical heart; it was the heart of his wisdom that she desired. It was then that the giant became deeply conscious of his wrongdoing. Vidhuraasked to be taken to the Naga kingdom and the offered his listeners his wisdom and heart. The Naga king and queen discovered that the heart of a sage is his wisdom, no longer desired the flesh of Vidhura’s heart. All questions resolved, the king gave his daughter to Punnaka in marriage. Punnaka rode Vidhura into the sky toward Indapatta, the sage’s home. This Jataka has shown the Bhodsatta supreme perfection of truthfulness.
Vessantara Jataka
Supreme Perfection of Charity
There once lived in the city of Jetuttara in the kingdom of Sivi, Phusati with 10 blessings from Sakka, king of gods, became the mother of Bodhisatta Vessantara. Vessantara gave a white elephant that had brought Sivi kingdom prosperity to eight Brahmins of Kalinga Kingdom. This caused the citizens to be angry; they asked his father to banish him. On the way, Vessantara bestowed a chariot and horses to Brahmins. He with his wife, Madri, his son Jali and his daughter, Kanha made a journey on foot to Vongod Mount, and he became a hermit. In Kalinga lived a poor Brahmin, Jujaka who had a beautiful young wife, Amitta, She suggested Jujaka seek Vessantara and ask him for his two children to serve her. On Jujaka’s travelling, he was attacked by watchogs of a hunter, Jetaputra. Jujaka showed him a case of chilly by saying that it was a case containing. King Sanjaya’s letter. She did the same to forest hermit, who reluctantly directed him to Vessantara’s hermitage. Jajaka waited until Madri had departed into the forest before he approached Vessantara to ask for his two children. Vessantara called his children who hid under the lotus palm in the pond and bestowed them to Jujaka. The Brahmin bound the children’s hands with a jungle creeper, whipping them on their way.
On the way back, the three deities who took the forms of a lion, a tiger and a leopard prevented Madri’s return to the hermitage and gave way to her until the right had fallen. Vessantara could not bring himself to tell her what had become of the children. She searched for them until dawn and collapsed in a faint. When she was restored, he told her about his gift of the children. Understanding his aim, she old not protests. Also Sakka assumed the guise of a Brahmin and approached to ask him for Madri whom he bestowed willingly to the Brahmin. Then, having seen that the Great Being was capable of supreme charity, Sakka returned Madri to him. Meanwhile deities guided the path of Jujaka to Sivi instead of Kalinga. There the children were recognized and brought before King Sanjaya with Jujaka who was paid for a great ransom and later died of overeating, King Sanjaya with Kanha and Jali made a royal procession to fetch Vessantara and Madri back to Sivi. So great was their joy at being reunited that all fell weeping on the ground in a faint. Then from the skies fell a shower of heavenly rain that revived the royal family. The six royal members with their army returned to Jetutara and Vessantara became king of Jetutara. This Jataka has shown the Bodhisatta’ supreme perfection of Charity.
1 comments:
November 12, 2014 at 5:14 PM
Can you translate to khmer about all his name?
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