Vessantara-Jataka in Pali and English - MyWebSpace

Translation 490 Vessantara-Jåtaka
[Fausbøll, Jåtaka, vol. VI, p. 490]
The citizens, trembling at heart for this gift, addressed themselves to the king. Therefore
it is said:
"Then prince and brahmin, Vesiya and Ugga, 1 great and small,
Mahouts and footmen, charioteers and soldiers, one and all,
The country landowners, and all the Sivi folk come by.
Seeing the elephant depart, thus to the king did cry:
"Thy realm is ruined, sire: why should Vessantara thy son
Thus give away our elephant revered by every one?
Why give our saviour elephant, pole-tuskèd, goodly, white, 2
Which ever knew the vantage-ground to choose in every fight?
With jewels and his yak-tail fan; which trampled down all foes;
Long-tuskèd, furious, white as Mount Kelāsa with his snows;
With trappings and white parasol, fit riding for a king,
With leech and driver, he has given away this precious thing."
After saying this, they said again:
"Whoso bestoweth food and drink, with raiment, fire and fleet,
That is a right and proper gift, for brahmins that is meet.
O Sañjaya, thy people's friend, say why this thing was done
By him, a prince of our own line, Vessantara, thy son?
The bidding of the Sivi folk if ye refuse to do,
The people then will act, methinks, against your son and you."
1 Ugga: a mixed caste, by a Kshatriya father from a Íūdra mother. The scholiast,
however, explains the word by uggatā paññātā, as though from uggacchati.
2 This entire description is repeated below (p. 515).