Vessantara-Jataka in Pali and English - MyWebSpace

Translation 533 Vessantara-Jåtaka
[Fausbøll, Jåtaka, vol. VI, p. 533]
"Accepted is your offering, and your oblation, sir.
I seek the son of Sañjaya, once banisht far away
By Sivi's people: if you know where he abides, please say."
The ascetic said:
"You seek the King of Sivi, sir, not with a good intent:
Methinks your honour's real desire upon his wife is bent:
Kaṇhājinā for handmaiden, Jāli for serving-man,
Or you would fetch the mother with her children, if you can,
The prince has no enjoyments here, no wealth or food, my man."
On hearing this, Jūjaka said:
"I wish no ill to any man, no boon I come to pray:
But sweet it is to see the good, pleasant with them to stay.
I never saw this monarch, whom his people sent away:
I came to see him: if you know where he abides, please say."
The other believed him. "Good, I will tell you; only stay with me here to-day." So he
entertained him with wild fruits and roots; and next day, stretching out his hand, he
shewed him the road.
"Sir brahmin, yonder rocky mount is Gandhamādan hill
Where lives the King Vessantara with wife and children still.
With brahmin's dress, with hook 1 and spoon, the ascetic's matted hair,
Skinclad he lies upon the ground and tends the fire with care. 2
1 āsadañcamasañjaṭaṁ. The division of the words is doubtful. Scholiast: ākaḍḍhitvā
phalānaṁ gaṇhanattham aṁkusañ ca aggidahanañ ca jaṭañ ca dhārento. I see nothing to
suggest a "hook," unless perhaps āsada, "food-giver" (cf. Skt. åßa, "food"): but the rest of
the couplet describes the religious trappings of the ascetic. camasa should be "bowl" or
"spoon," and āsada, perhaps "fire," as suggested by schol. B d , aggijuhana-kaṭacchusankhātimasañ
ca. This couplet might have described the ascetic who comes in later.
2 These two stanzas are repeated from above (p. 528).