Vessantara-Jataka in Pali and English - MyWebSpace

Translation 571 Vessantara-Jåtaka
[Fausbøll, Jåtaka, vol. VI, p. 571]
Then Sakka, seeing her excellent resolution, gave her praise; and the Master explained it
thus:
"Thereat spake Sakka, seeing how her wishes did incline:
"Conquered is every obstacle, both human and divine.
The earth did rumble, and the sound the highest heaven fills,
The lightning flares, the thunder wakes the echoes of the hills.
Now Nārada and Pabbata to hear this mighty voice,
Yea, all the Three and Thirty Gods at this hard feat rejoice.
’Tis hard to do as good men do, to give as they can give,
Bad men can hardly imitate the life that good men live.
And so, when good and evil go to pass away from earth,
The bad are born in hell below, in heaven the good have birth. 1
This is the Noble Vehicle: 2 both wife and child were given,
Therefore let him descend 3 no more, but this bear fruit in heaven."
When thus Sakka had expressed his approval, he thought, "Now I must make no more
delay here, but give her back and go"; and he said:
1 This stanza is also found in Jataka No. 180 (Fausbøll, vol. II, p. 86; Cowell, vol. II, p.
59), and No. 450 (Fausbøll, vol. IV, p. 65; Cowell, vol. IV, p. 42).
2 "Noble Vehicle" = brahmayånam. No trace has hitherto been found in the South of the
Three Vehicles of Northern Buddhism (C. Bendall and W. H. D. Rouse, Íik∑āsamuccaya
(1922), p. 292; cp. M. E. Burnouf, Lotus de la Bonne Loi (1852), p. 315-316); it is
therefore worthwhile quoting the scholiast's note on the word brahmayānaṁ:
"seṭṭhayānaṁ, tividho hi sucaritadhammo evarūpo dānadhammo ariyamaggassa paccayo
hotīti, brahmayānam ti vuccati."
3
anokkamma: "apāyabhūmim anokkamitvā" used absolutely. No example in Childers.