Vessantara-Jataka in Pali and English - MyWebSpace

Translation 487 Vessantara-Jåtaka
[Fausbøll, Jåtaka, vol. VI, p. 487]
brought forth a son, and they laid him in a golden hammock, for which reason they gave
him the name of Prince Jāli. By the time he could go on foot the queen bore a daughter,
and they laid her in a black skin, for which reason they gave her the name of Kaṇhājinā.
Each month the Great Being would visit his six alms-halls six times, mounted upon his
magnificent elephant.
Dānakhaṇḍam
The Gift Section 1
Now at that time there was drought in the kingdom of Kāliṅga: the corn grew not, there
was a great famine, and men being unable to live used robbery. Tormented by want, the
people gathered in the king's courtyard and upbraided him. Hearing this the king said,
"What is it, my children?" They told him. He replied, "Good, my children, I will bring the
rain," and dismissed them. He pledged himself to virtue, and kept the holy-day vow, but
he could not make the rain come; so he summoned the citizens together, and said to them,
"I pledged myself to virtue, and seven days I kept the holy-day vow, yet I could not make
the rain come: what is to be done now?" They replied, "If you cannot bring the rain, my
lord, Vessantara in the city of Jetuttara, King Sañjaya's son, is devoted to charity; he has a
glorious elephant all white, and wherever he goes the rain falls; send brahmins, and ask
for that elephant, and bring him hither." The king agreed; and assembling the brahmins
he chose out eight of them, gave them provisions for their journey, and said to them, "Go
and fetch Vessantara's elephant." On this mission, the brahmins proceeded in due course
to Jetuttara city; in the alms-hall they received entertainment; sprinkled their bodies with
dust and smeared them with mud; and on the day of the full moon, to ask for the king's
elephant, they went to the eastern gate at the time the king came to the alms-hall. Early in
the morning, the king, intending a visit to the alms-hall, washed himself with sixteen
pitchers of perfumed water, and broke his fast, and mounted upon the back of his noble
elephant richly adorned proceeded to the eastern gate. The brahmins found no
opportunity there, and went to the southern gate, standing upon a mound and watched the
king giving alms at the eastern gate. When he came to the southern gate, stretching out
their hands they cried, "Victory to the noble Vessantara!" The Great Being, as he saw the
brahmins, drove the elephant to the place whereon they stood, and seated upon its back
uttered the first stanza:
1 [Title inserted from the scholiast. -- jrb]