Vessantara-Jataka in Pali and English - MyWebSpace

Translation 542 Vessantara-Jåtaka
[Fausbøll, Jåtaka, vol. VI, p. 542]
"Yes, yes, my father, I behold the brahmin whom you see;
He comes as though a boon to ask; our guest he needs must be."
And with these words, to shew him honour, the boy rose up from his seat, and went to
meet the brahmin, offering to relieve him of his baggage. The brahmin looked at him, and
thought, "This must be Jāli, the son of Vessantara: from the very first I will speak harshly
to him." So he snapt his fingers at him, crying—"Go away, go away!" The boy thought,
"A harsh man this, to be sure!" and looking at his body, he perceived in him the eighteen
blemishes of a man. But the brahmin came up to the Bodhisatta, and politely greeting
him, said:
"O holy man, we trust that you are prosperous and well,
With grain to glean and roots and fruit abundant where you dwell.
Have you been much by flies and gnats and creeping things annoyed,
Or from wild beasts of prey have you immunity enjoyed?"
The Bodhisatta answered politely:
"I thank you, brahmin, and reply: we prosper and are well
With grain to glean and roots and fruit abundant where we dwell.
From flies and gnats and creeping things we suffer no annoy,
And from wild beasts of prey we here immunity enjoy. 1
Seven months we have lived happy in this forest, and have not
Once seen a brahmin, as we now see you, godlike, I wot,
With vilva-staff and tinder-box, and with the waterpot.
Welcome, O brahmin! blest the chance directed you this way;
Come, enter with a blessing, come and wash your feet, I pray.
The tindook and the piyal leaves, the kāsumāri sweet,
And fruits like honey, brahmin, take the best I have, and eat.
And this cool water from a cave high hidden on a hill,
O noble brahmin, take of it, drink if it be your will." 2
After these words, the Great Being thought: "Not without cause is this brahmin come to
this great forest; I will ask him the reason without delay "; and he recited this stanza:
1 See p. 532, line 16, above; Fausbøll, vol. V, p. 323, line 16, and p. 377, line 21 (Cowell,
vol. V, pp. 171 and 199); cp. Fausbøll, vol. IV, p. 427, line 26 (Cowell, vol. IV, p. 266).
2 See p. 532, line 31, above.