Vessantara-Jataka in Pali and English - MyWebSpace
Vessantara-Jataka in Pali and English - MyWebSpace
Vessantara-Jataka in Pali and English - MyWebSpace
You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles
YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.
Translation 546 <strong>Vessantara</strong>-Jåtaka<br />
[Fausbøll, Jåtaka, vol. VI, p. 546]<br />
he followed their footpr<strong>in</strong>ts to the lakeside, <strong>and</strong> then see<strong>in</strong>g a footpr<strong>in</strong>t where they went<br />
down <strong>in</strong>to the water, he perceived that they must have gone <strong>in</strong>to the water: so he called,<br />
"Jāli, my boy!" recit<strong>in</strong>g these two stanzas:<br />
"Come hither, my beloved son, my perfect state fulfil;<br />
Come now <strong>and</strong> consecrate my heart, <strong>and</strong> follow out my will.<br />
Be thou my ship to ferry me safe o’er existence’ sea,<br />
Beyond the worlds of birth <strong>and</strong> gods I'll cross <strong>and</strong> I'll be free."<br />
"Come, Jāli, my boy!" cried he; <strong>and</strong> the lad hear<strong>in</strong>g his voice thought thus:—"Let the<br />
brahm<strong>in</strong> do with me what he will, I, will not quarrel with my father!" He raised his head,<br />
parted the lily-leaves, <strong>and</strong> came out of the water, throw<strong>in</strong>g himself upon the Great<br />
Be<strong>in</strong>g's right foot; embrac<strong>in</strong>g the ankle he wept. Then the Great Be<strong>in</strong>g said: "My boy,<br />
where is your sister?" He answered, "Father, all creatures take care of themselves <strong>in</strong> time<br />
of danger." The Great Be<strong>in</strong>g recognized that the children must have made a barga<strong>in</strong><br />
together, <strong>and</strong> he cried out, "Here, Kaṇhā!" recit<strong>in</strong>g two stanzas:<br />
"Come hither, my beloved girl, my perfect state fulfil,<br />
Come now <strong>and</strong> consecrate my heart, <strong>and</strong> follow out my will.<br />
Be thou my ship to ferry me safe o’er existence’ sea,<br />
Beyond the worlds of men <strong>and</strong> gods I'll cross <strong>and</strong> lift 1 me free!"<br />
She also thought, "I will not quarrel with my father "; <strong>and</strong> <strong>in</strong> a moment out she came, <strong>and</strong><br />
fall<strong>in</strong>g on her father's left foot clasped his ankle <strong>and</strong> wept. Their tears fell upon the Great<br />
Be<strong>in</strong>g's feet, coloured like a lily-leaf; <strong>and</strong> his tears fell on their backs, which had the<br />
colour of golden slabs. Then the Great Be<strong>in</strong>g raised up his children <strong>and</strong> comforted them,<br />
say<strong>in</strong>g, "My son Jāli, don't you know that I have gladly given you away? So do that my<br />
desire may atta<strong>in</strong> fulfilment." And then <strong>and</strong> there he put a price on the children, as one<br />
puts a price on cattle. To his son he said: "Son Jāli, if you wish to become free, you must<br />
pay the brahm<strong>in</strong><br />
1<br />
uddharissam: of com<strong>in</strong>g out of the river on the other side. So <strong>in</strong> the Kacchapa-Jåtaka of<br />
the Mahavastu (Émile Senart, Mahāvastu, vol. II (1890), p. 244, l<strong>in</strong>es 8-9): nadīto<br />
kacchapo uddharitvā. [J. J. Jones, The Mahāvastu, vol. II (1952), p. 231, has: "It<br />
plunged <strong>in</strong>to the river <strong>and</strong> came up aga<strong>in</strong> to the bank not far away". -- jrb]