Jataka 409
Daḷhadhamma Jātaka
King Daḷhadhamma
as told by Eric Van Horn
originally translated by H.T. Francis and R.A. Neil, Cambridge University
originally edited by Professor Edward Byles Cowell, Cambridge University
This is a sweet story about a faithful elephant and how the Bodhisatta and Buddha were able to restore her dignity. I happen to love elephants, so this story is particularly touching for me. And of course it is about honoring people who deserve honor, and not forgetting their service to us. This is particularly true as people who have been good to us age. It is easy to forget sometimes that those aging parents whose bodies and minds are failing, once walked us as crying babies the whole night through.
“I carried for the King.” The Master told this story when he was living in the Ghosita forest near Kosambī. It is about Bhaddavatikā, King Udena’s female elephant. The way in which this elephant was decorated and a description of the royal lineage of Udena will be set forth in the Mātaṅga Birth (Jātaka 497).
One day this elephant went out of the city in the morning. She saw the Buddha surrounded by a multitude of arahants in the incomparable majesty of a Buddha as they entered the city for alms. She fell at the Tathāgata’s feet, and with great sorrow she entreated him: “Lord who knows all, savior of the whole world, when I was young and able to do work, Udena, the rightful King, loved me. He said to me, ‘My life and kingdom and Queen are all due to her.’ He gave me great honor. He adorned me with many ornaments. He had my stall covered with perfumed earth. He had colored hangings put all around it. There was a lamp lit with perfumed oil, and a dish of incense set there. He had a golden pot set on my dunghill. I stood on a colored carpet. He gave me royal food of many choice flavors. But now that I am old and cannot do any work, he has cut off all that honor. Unprotected and destitute, I live by eating ketaka fruit (a type of pine tree with poor quality fruit) in the forest. I have no other refuge. Please make Udena remember my merits and restore me once again to my old honor, O Lord.” The Master said, “Go. I will speak to the King and get your old honor restored.”
And so he went to the door of the King’s dwelling. The King bade the Buddha to enter. The King gave a great celebration in the palace to the assembly of monks who were following Buddha. When the meal was over, the Master gave thanks to the King. Then he asked, “O King, where is Bhaddavatikā?” “Lord, I do not know.” “O King, after giving honor to servants, it is not right to take that away from them in their old age. It is proper to be grateful and thankful. Bhaddavatikā is now old. She is worn with age and unprotected. She lives by eating ketaka fruit in the wood. It is not appropriate for you to leave her unprotected in her old age.” So reminding the King of Bhaddavatikā’s service, he said, “You should restore all her former honors.” Then he left.
The King did as the Master had asked. It was spread over the whole city that the former honor was restored because the Buddha had reminded the King of her merits. This became known in the community of the monastics, and the monastics discussed it in their meeting. The Master arrived, and hearing that this was their subject, he said, “Brothers and Sisters, this is not the first time that the Buddha has got her former honors restored by expounding her merits.” And then he told them this story from the past.
Once upon a time there was a King named Daḷhadhamma reigning in Benares. At that time the Bodhisatta was born into a minister’s family, and when he grew up, he served the King. He received a great deal of honor from the King, and he took the position of the King’s most valued minister.
The King had a certain female elephant. She was endowed with might and was very strong. Once she traveled a hundred leagues (300 miles or 555 km) in one day so she could act as a messenger for the King. And once in battle she fought and crushed the enemy. The King said, “She is of great service to me.” He gave her all kinds of ornaments and caused great honor to be given her, just as Udena had given to Bhaddavatikā.
Then when she was weak from age, the King took away all her honor. From that time on she was unprotected. She lived by eating grass and leaves in the forest. One day when the vessels in the King’s court were not sufficient, the King sent for a potter. He said, “The vessels are not sufficient” “O King, I have no oxen to yoke in carts to bring cow dung for baking clay.” Hearing this, the King said, “Where is our she-elephant?” “O King, she is wandering about at her own will.” So the King gave her to the potter, saying, “From now on, use her to haul the cow dung.” The potter said, “So be it, O King,” and he did so.
Then one day she was coming out of the city when she saw the Bodhisatta coming in. She fell at his feet, lamenting: “In my youth, Lord, the King considered me to be of great service. He gave me great honor. Now that I am old, he has taken it all away. He has completely forgotten about me. I am unprotected and live by eating grass and leaves in the forest. In this misery he has now given me to a potter to yoke to a cart. Except for you, I have no refuge. You know my services to the King. Help me to restore the honor I have lost.” And she spoke three stanzas:
I carried for the King of old. Was he not satisfied?
With weapons at my breast, I faced the fight with mighty stride.
My feats in battle done of old does not the King forget?
And such good services I did for couriers as are set?
Helpless and kinless now am I. Surely my death is near.
Now I serve a potter as his lowly dung carrier.
Figure: The great elephant pays homage to the Bodhisatta
The Bodhisatta, hearing her tale, comforted her, saying, “Do not grieve. I will talk to the King and restore your honor.”
And so he entered the city. He went to the King after his morning meal and started a conversation, saying, “Great King, did not a female elephant enter battle with weapons bound on her breast, and on a certain day with a message on her neck, did she not travel a hundred leagues to deliver that message? You once gave her great honor. Where is she now?” “I gave her to a potter for carrying dung.” Then the Bodhisatta said, “Is it right, great King, for you to give her to a potter to be yoked to a cart?” And in admonition he spoke four stanzas:
By selfish hopes men regulate the honors that they pay,
As you the elephant, they throw the outworn slave away.
Good deeds and services received whenever men forget,
Ruin pursues the business still on which their hearts are set.
Good deeds and services received if men do not forget,
Success attends the business still on which their hearts are set.
To all the multitude around this blessed truth I tell,
Be grateful all, and for reward you long in heaven shall dwell.
With this the Bodhisatta instructed all who were gathered there. And upon hearing this, the King gave the old elephant her former honor. And having established himself in the Bodhisatta’s instruction, he gave alms and did works of merit, and thus became destined for heaven.
After the lesson, the Master identified the birth: “At that time the she-elephant was Bhaddavatikā, Ānanda was the King, and I was the minister.”
