Jataka 292
Supatta Jātaka
The Story of Supatta
as told by Eric Van Horn
originally translated by William Henry Denham Rouse, Cambridge University
originally edited by Professor Edward Byles Cowell, Cambridge University
This is a story about loyalty, honor and self-sacrifice. Everything works out well except for the poor cook! A nice touch to this story is the kindness of the King who makes sure to send the nun good food to keep her in good health.
“Here, in Benares city.” The Master told this story while at Jetavana. It is about a meal of rice mixed with new ghee (clarified butter) with red fish to flavor it. It was given by Elder Sāriputta to Bimbādevī. The circumstances are like those given above in the Abbhantara birth tale (Jātaka 281). Here, too, the holy sister had a pain in her stomach. The excellent Rāhula told the Elder. He seated Rāhula in his waiting room and went to the King to get the rice, red fish, and new ghee. Rāhula gave it to the holy sister, his mother. No sooner had she eaten than the pain subsided. The King sent messengers to make enquiries, and after that he always sent her that kind of food. One day they began to talk about it in the Dharma Hall. “Friend, the Captain of the Faith (Sāriputta) satisfied the sister with special food.” The Master came in and asked what they were talking about. They told him. He said, “This is not the first time, brother, that Sāriputta has given Rāhula’s mother what she wanted. He did this before.” So saying, he told them this story from the past.
Once upon a time, when Brahmadatta was King in Benares, the Bodhisatta was born as a crow. He grew up and became the chief of 80,000 crows, a crow king. His name was Supatta, or “Fairwing.” His chief mate went by the name of Suphassā, or “Softie.” His chief Captain was called Sumukho, or “Prettybeak.” He lived with his 80,000 subjects near Benares.
One day he and his mate were in search of food when they passed over the King’s kitchen. The King’s cook had been preparing a host of dishes with all sorts of fish, and he had uncovered the dishes for a moment to cool them. Queen Crow smelled the food and longed for some of it. But on that day, she said nothing.
However, the next day, when King Crow suggested that they go looking for food, she said, “Go by yourself. There is something I want very much!”
“What is it?” he asked.
“I want some of the King’s food to eat, and if I can’t get it, I am going to die.”
The crow sat down to think. Prettybeak approached him and asked if anything had displeased him. King Crow told him what it was. “Oh, that will be all right,” said the Captain. Then he said, “you stay where you are today, and I’ll fetch the meat.”
So he gathered the crows together and told them the situation. “Now come, and let’s get it!” he said, and off they all flew together to Benares. He posted them in companies here and there. Some were near the kitchen to watch. And he, with eight champions, sat on the kitchen roof. While waiting for the king’s food to be served, he gave his instructions: “When the food is taken up, I’ll make the man drop the dishes. Once that is done that will be the end of me. So four of you must fill your mouths with the rice and four with the fish and go feed our royal couple with them. And if they ask where I am, say I’m coming."
Well, the cook got his various dishes all ready. He hung them on a balance pole and went off towards the King’s rooms. As he passed through the court, the crow Captain made a signal to his followers flew, and then he flew onto the cook’s chest. He struck him with extended claws. He pecked at the man’s nose with his beak, which was as sharp as a spear point. And with his two feet he stomped on his jaws.
The King was walking up and down upon an upper floor. When he looked out of a large window he saw what the crow was doing. He hailed the cook, “Hello you! Put down with the dishes and catch the crow!” So the man dropped the dishes and caught the crow.
“Come here!” cried the King.
Thee crows ate all they wanted. Then the eight champions picked up the rest of the food as they had been told and carried it off. Next all the remaining crows flocked up and ate what was left. The eight champions gave the food to their King and Queen to eat, and the craving of Softie was appeased.
The servant who was carrying the dinner brought his crow to the King.
“Oh, crow!” he said, “you have shown no respect for me! You have broken my cook’s nose! You have smashed my dishes! You have recklessly thrown away your life! What made you do such things?”
Figure: The loyal crow explains
The crow answered, “Oh, great King! Our King lives near Benares, and I am Captain of his forces. His wife—whose name is Softie—had a great longing and wanted a taste of your food. Our King told me what she wanted. At once I devoted my life to this task, and now I have sent her the food.” My mission is accomplished. This is the reason why I acted as I did.” And to explain the matter, he said:
“Here in Benares city, Oh great King,
There dwells a king crows whose name is Fairwing,
Who is attended by a following
Of eighty thousand crows.
“Softie, his mate, had one over-mastering wish,
She craved a supper of the King’s own fish,
Fresh caught, cooked in his kitchen, such a dish
As to Kings' tables goes.
“You now behold me as their messenger.
It was my royal master sent me here.
And for that I my monarch do revere,
I wounded that man’s nose.”
When the King heard this, he said, “We often do great honor to men and yet cannot make loyal friends of them. Even though we make presents of such things as a whole village, we can find no one willing to give his life for us. But this creature, crow as he is, sacrifices life for his King. He is very noble, sweet speaking, and good.” He was so pleased with the crow’s good qualities that he did him the honor of giving him a white umbrella (the symbol of royal authority). But the crow saluted the King with this, his own gift, and gave a lengthy discourse on the virtues of Fairwing. The King sent for him and heard his teaching. He sent both of them food of the same sort as he ate himself, and for the rest of the crows he had cooked each day a large measure of rice. He himself walked according to the admonition of the Bodhisatta. He protected all creatures and practiced virtue. The admonitions of Fairwing the crow were remembered for 700 years.
When the Master had ended this discourse, he identified the birth: “At that time the King was Ānanda, the Captain was Sāriputta, and I was Supatta.”
