No. 16. TIPALLATTHA-MIGA JĀTAKA. The Cunning Deer.

“I’ve taught the deer in posture skilled.”—This the Master told when at the Badarika monastery in Kosambi, about his son Rāhula, who was over-anxious to observe the Rules of the Order.292

Once upon a time there was a king of Magadha reigning in Rājagaha. At that time the Bodisat came to life as a stag, and lived in the forest, attended by a herd of deer.

Now his sister brought her son to him, saying, “Brother! instruct this thy nephew in the devices of the deer.”

“Very well,” said the Bodisat, in assent, and directed his nephew, “Go away now, dear, and on your return at such and such a time you may receive instruction.”

And he failed not at the time appointed by his uncle, but went to him and received instruction.

One day as he was wandering about in the wood, he was caught in a snare. And he uttered a cry—the cry222 of a captive. Then the herd took to flight, and let the mother know that her son had been caught in a snare. She went to her brother, and asked him,—

“Brother! was your nephew instructed in the devices of the deer?”

“Suspect not your son of any fault,” said the Bodisat. “He has well learnt the devices of the deer. Even now he will come back to us and make you laugh for joy.” And he uttered this stanza:

I’ve trained the deer to be most swift, To drink at midnight only, and, abounding in disguise, To keep in any posture that he likes. Breathing through one nostril hid upon the ground, My nephew, by six tricks at his command Will yet outdo the foe!

Thus the Bodisat, pointing out how thoroughly his nephew had learnt the devices of the deer, comforted his sister.

But the young stag, when he was caught in the trap, struggled not at all. He lay down on the ground as best he could; stretched out his legs; struck the ground near his feet with his hoofs, so as to throw up earth and grass; let fall his head; put out his tongue; made his body wet with spittle; swelled out his belly by drawing in his breath; breathed through the lower nostril only, holding his breath with the upper; made his whole frame stiff and stark, and presented the appearance of a corpse. Even the bluebottles flew round him, and here and there crows settled!

When the hunter came up, he gave him a blow on the stomach; and saying to himself, “He must have been223 caught early in the morning, he is already putrid,” he loosed the bands which tied him. And apprehending nothing, he began to collect leaves and branches, saying to himself, “I will dress him at once, here on the spot, and carry off the flesh.”

But the young stag arose, stood on his feet, shook himself, stretched out his neck, and, swiftly as a cloud driven by a mighty wind, returned to his mother!

The Teacher having finished this discourse, in illustration of his words (“Not now only, mendicants, was Rāhula devoted to instruction; formerly also he was so,” etc.), made the connexion, and summed up the Jātaka: “At that time the nephew, the young stag, was Rāhula, the mother was Uppala-vaṇṇā, but the uncle was I myself.”

END OF THE STORY OF THE CUNNING DEER.293224 No. 17.

MALUTA JĀTAKA.

The Wind.

“Whenever the wind blows,” etc.—This the Master told when at Jetavana, about two Buddhist monks. They, we are told, were living a forest life in the country of Kosala; and one was called Dark and the other called Light. Now one day Light asked Dark, “Brother! at what time does the cold, as some people call it, come on?”

“In the dark half of the month!” said he.

But one day Dark asked Light, “Brother Light! at what time does the so-called cold come on?”

“In the light half of the month!” said he.

And neither of the two being able to solve the knotty point, they went to the Master, and after paying him reverence, asked him, “At what time, Sir, is the cold?”

When the Master had heard their story, he said, “Formerly also, O mendicants! I solved this question for you; but the confusion arising from change of birth has driven it out of your minds.” And he told a tale.

Once upon a time two friends, a lion and a tiger, were living in a certain cave at the foot of a hill. At that time the Bodisat, who had devoted himself to the reli225gious life of a hermit, was living at the foot of that same mountain.

Now one day a dispute arose between the friends about the cold. The tiger said it was cold in the dark half of the month, the lion said it was cold in the light half. And as neither of them could solve the difficulty, they asked the Bodisat, and he uttered this stanza:

“It is whenever the wind blows, In the dark half or in the light. For cold is caused by wind: and so You both are right.”

Thus the Bodisat pacified the two friends.

When the Master had finished this discourse (“Formerly also,” etc.), he proclaimed the Truths. And at the close thereof the two brethren were established in the Fruit of Conversion. The Master made the connexion, and summed up the Jātaka: “He who was then the tiger was Dark, the lion Light, but the ascetic who answered the question was I myself.”

END OF THE STORY ABOUT THE WIND.294

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