Kiṃchanda Jātaka

Once upon a time at Benares, Brahmadatta ruled his kingdom righteously. And being a believer, he was diligent in his observance of the fast day, keeping the precepts and giving alms. He also encouraged his ministers and the rest to take vows of charity and the like. But his family priest was a fraud and a cheat. He took bribes and gave unrighteous judgments.

On fast days, the King summoned his councilors and told them to keep the fast. But the priest did not take up the duties of the fast day. So one day when he had been taking bribes and giving false judgments, he went to court to pay his respects. After first asking each of his ministers if they were keeping the fast, the King questioned the priest. He said, “And are you, sir, fasting?” He told a lie and said “Yes,” and then he left the palace. Then another minister rebuked him, saying, “Surely you are not keeping the fast?” He said, “I took food early in the day, but when I go home, I will rinse my mouth and take on the duties of the fast day. I will eat nothing in the evening, and all night I will keep the moral law. In this way I will keep half the fast day.” “Very good, sir,” they said. And he went home and did so.

Now one day as he was seated in judgment, a certain woman, who kept the moral precepts, had a case. And not being able to go home, she thought, “I will not violate the observance of the fast day.” As the time drew near, she began to rinse her mouth. At that moment a lump of ripe mangoes was brought to the brahmin. He saw that the woman was observing the fast and said, “Eat this and then you can keep the fast.” She did so. So much for the action of the brahmin.

By and by he died. He was reborn in the Himalaya country in a mango grove. It was a lovely spot on the bank of the Kosiki branch of the Ganges. It was three leagues in extent. He was born on a splendid royal couch in a golden palace. He was like someone who had just awakened from sleep, well dressed and adorned. He was exceedingly beautiful, and he was accompanied by 16,000 nymphs. All night long he enjoyed this glory. But by being born as a spirit in a phantom palace, his reward was about to correspond to his deeds.

At the approach of dawn, he entered a mango grove. And at the moment of his entrance, his divine body disappeared. He assumed a form as big as a palm tree. He was 80 cubits high (118 feet, 36.5 meters), and his whole body was ablaze like a judas tree in full flower. He only had one finger on each hand. His nails were as big as spades. And with these nails, he dugs into the flesh on his back, tearing it out and eating it. Mad with pain, he cried out.

At sunset this body vanished, and his divine form reappeared. Heavenly dancing girls, with various musical instruments in their hands, attended on him. And enjoying this great honor, he ascended to a divine palace in a charming mango grove. This was all the result of giving a mango fruit to a woman who was keeping a fast. So he acquired a mango grove—three leagues in extent—but, because he had received bribes and given false judgments, he tore and ate the flesh from his own back. But because he kept half the fast, he enjoyed glory every night, surrounded by an escort of 16,000 dancing nymphs.

At about this time the King of Benares, conscious of the consequences of sensual desires, embraced the holy life. He took up his residence in a hut of leaves in a pleasant spot on the lower Ganges. He lived on what he could find. Now one day a ripe mango from that grove, the size of a large bowl, fell into the Ganges. It was carried by the stream to a spot opposite the landing place used by this ascetic. As he was rinsing his mouth, he saw the mango floating in mid-stream. And crossing over, he took it and brought it to his hermitage. He placed it in the cell where he kept his sacred fire. Then, splitting it up with a knife, he ate just enough of it to support life. And covering up the rest with the leaves of the plantain tree, he ate some of it day by day as long as it lasted. And when it had been consumed, he could not eat any other kind of fruit. He became a slave to his appetite for dainties. He vowed that he would eat only ripe mango. And going down to the riverbank, he sat looking at the stream, determined never to get up until he had found a mango.

So he fasted there for six consecutive days. He sat looking for the fruit until he had shriveled up from the wind and heat. On the seventh day a goddess of the river, by reflecting on the matter, found out the reason for his actions. She thought, “This ascetic, being a slave to his appetite, has sat fasting for seven days, looking at the Ganges. It is wrong to deny him a ripe mango. Without it he will perish. I will give him one.” So she went and stood in the air above the Ganges, and talking with him, she uttered the first stanza:

Why do you on this riverbank through summer heat remain?

Brahmin, what is your secret hope? What purpose would you gain?

On hearing this, the ascetic repeated nine stanzas:

Afloat upon the stream, fair nymph, a mango I did see,

With outstretched hand I seized the fruit and brought it home with me.

So sweet it was in taste and smell, I deemed it quite a prize,

Its comely shape might vie with biggest water-jar in size.

I hid it mid some plantain leaves, and sliced it with a knife,

A little served as food and drink to one of simple life.

My store is spent, my pangs appeased, but still I must regret,

In other fruits that I may find, no relish I can get.

I pine away, that mango sweet I rescued from the wave,

Will bring about my death, I fear. No other fruit I crave.

I’ve told you why it is I fast, though living by a stream

Whose broadening waves with every fish that swims are said to teem.

And now I pray you tell to me, and do not flee in fear,

O lovely maiden, who you are, and why that you are here.

Fair are the handmaids of the gods, like burnished gold are they,

Graceful as tiger brood along their mountain slopes that play.

Here also in the world of men are women fair to see,

But none among the gods or men may be compared to thee.

I ask you then, O lovely nymph, endowed with heavenly grace,

Declare to me your name and kin and the source of your race.

Then the goddess uttered eight stanzas:

O’er this fair stream, by which you sit, O brahmin, I preside,

And live in vasty depths below, ‘neath Ganges’ rolling tide.

All clad with forest growth I own a thousand mountain caves,

From flow as many flooded streams to mingle with my waves.

Each wood and grove, to Nāgas dear, sends forth full many a rill,

And yields its store of waters blue, my ample course to fill.

(A “rill” is a small stream.)

Oft borne upon these tribute streams are fruits from every tree,

Rose-apples, breadfruit, dates and figs, with mangoes one may see.

And all that grows on either bank and falls within my reach,

I claim as lawful prize, and none my title may impeach.

Well knowing this, hearken to me, O wise and learned King,

Cease to indulge your heart’s desire—renounce the cursed thing.

O ruler from the broad domains, your act I cannot praise,

To long for death, in prime of youth, great folly, sure, betrays.

Brahmins and angels, gods and men, all know your deed and name,

And saints who by their holiness attain on earth to fame—

Yea, all that wise and famous are, your wrongful act proclaim.

Then the ascetic uttered four stanzas:

One who knows how frail our life is, and how transient things of sense,

Never thinks to slay another, but abides in innocence.

Honored once by saints in council, owner of a virtuous name,

Now with wicked men conversing, you do win an evil fame.

Were I on your banks to perish, nymph with comely form endowed,

Ill repute would rest upon you, like the shadow of a cloud.

Therefore, goddess fair, I pray you, every wicked deed eschew,

Lest, a bye-word of the people, you have cause my death to rue.

On hearing him, the goddess replied in five stanzas:

Well I know the secret longing, yours to bear so patiently,

And I yield myself your servant and the mango give to thee.

Lo! foregoing wicked pleasures, pleasures hard to be resigned,

You have gained, to keep forever, holiness and peace of mind.

He that, freed from early bondage, hugs the chains he once forswore,

Rashly treading ways unholy, ever straying more and more.

I will grant your earnest craving, and will bid your troubles cease,

Guiding you to cool recesses, where you may abide in peace.

Herons, mynah birds and cuckoos, with the ruddy geese that love

Nectar from the bloom to gather, swans aloft in troops that move,

Paddy-birds and lordly peacocks, with their song awake the grove.

Saffron and kadamba blossoms lie as chaff upon the ground,

Ripest dates, the palms adorning, hang in clusters all around,

And, amid the loaded branches, see how mangoes here abound!

And singing the praises of the place, she transported the ascetic there. She bid him to eat mangoes in this grove until he had satisfied his hunger, then she went on her way. The ascetic ate mangoes until he had satisfied his appetite, and then he rested awhile. Then, as he wandered in the grove, he saw this spirit in a state of suffering. He did not have the heart to speak to him. But at sunset, he saw him attended by nymphs in the enjoyment of heavenly glory. So he addressed him in three stanzas:

All the night anointed, fitted, with a crown upon your head,

Neck and arms bedecked with jewels—all the day in anguish dread!

Many thousand nymphs attend you. What a magic power is this!

How amazing this to vary from a state of woe to bliss!

What has led to your undoing? What the deed that you do rue?

Why from your own back do ever eat the flesh each day anew?

The spirit recognized him and said, “You do not recognize me, but I was once your chaplain. This happiness that I enjoy in the night is due to you, as the result of my keeping half the fast day. But the suffering I experience by day is the result of the evil that I committed. For I was put by you on the seat of judgment, and I took bribes and gave false decisions. I was a deceiver, and in consequence of the evil that I did by day, I now undergo this suffering.” And he uttered a couple of stanzas:

Once in holy lore delighting I in wicked toils was cast,

Working evil for my neighbor, through the lengthening years I passed.

He that shall, backbiting others, love on their good name to prey,

Flesh from his own back will ever rend and eat, as I today.

And so saying, he asked the ascetic why he had come here. The ascetic told him his story at length. “And now, holy sir,” the spirit said, “will you stay here or go away?” “I will not stay. I will return to my hermitage.” The spirit said, “Very well, holy sir. I will constantly supply you with a ripe mango.” And using his magic power, he transported him to his hermitage. He wished him to live there contentedly. Then he exacted this assurance from him and went on his way. From then on, the spirit constantly supplied him with mango fruit. The ascetic enjoyed the fruit. He performed the preparatory practices to induce deep meditation and was destined to be reborn in the Brahma realm.