Vessantara-Jataka in Pali and English - MyWebSpace

Translation 556 Vessantara-Jåtaka
[Fausbøll, Jåtaka, vol. VI, p. 556]
Maddipabba◊
The Chapter of Maddī 1
Now whereas the king gave his dearly beloved children to the brahmin, the earth did
resound with a great uproar that reached even to Brahma's heaven and pierced the hearts
of the deities which dwelt in Himavat: who, hearing the children's lamentation as the man
drove them along, thought with themselves, "If Maddī come betimes to the hermitage,
not seeing her children she will ask Vessantara about it; great will be her longing when
she hears that they have been given away; she will run after them, and will get into great
trouble: so they instructed three 2 of the gods to take upon them the shape of a lion and a
tiger and a pard, and to obstruct 3 her way, not to let her go back for all her asking until
the setting of the sun, that she might only get back by moonlight, guarding her safe from
the attacks of lions and other wild beasts.
Explaining this, the Master said:
"A Lion, Tiger, and a Pard, three creatures of the brake,
Which heard this lamentation loud, thus each to other spake:
"Let not the princess back return at eve from seeking food,
Lest the wild beasts should slay her in our kingdom of the wood.
If lion, pard, or tiger should the auspicious mother slay,
O where would then Prince Jāli be, O where Kaṇhājinā
The parent and the children both do you preserve this day."
They agreed, and obeyed the words of the gods. Becoming a lion, a tiger, and a pard, they
lay down near the road by which she must go Now Maddī was thinking to herself,
1 [Title inserted from the scholiast. -- jrb]
2
te. So the Burmese version. The versicle has tayo.
3
rumbhitvā?