Vessantara-Jataka in Pali and English - MyWebSpace

Translation 479 Vessantara-Jåtaka
[Fausbøll, Jåtaka, vol. VI, p. 479]
"Ten boons," etc. This story the Master told while dwelling near Kapilavatthu in the
Banyan Grove, about a shower of rain.
When the Master turning the precious Wheel of the Law came in due course to Rājagaha,
where he spent the winter, with Elder Udāyi leading the way, and attended by twenty
thousand saints, he entered Kapilavatthu: whereupon the Sakya princes gathered together
to see the chief of their clan. They inspected the Blessed One's abode, saying, "A
delightful place this Banyan Grove, worthy of Sakka." Then they made all due provision
for guarding it; and making ready to meet him with fragrant posies in their hands, they
sent first all the youngest boys and girls of the township dressed in their best, next the
princes and princesses, and amongst these themselves did honour to the Master with
fragrant flowers and powders, escorting the Blessed One as far as the Banyan Park;
where the Blessed One took his seat, surrounded by twenty thousand saints upon the
Buddha's goodly seat, which was appointed for him. Now the Sākiyas are a proud and
stiff-necked race; and they, thinking within themselves, "Siddhattha's boy is younger than
we; he is our younger brother, our nephew, our grandson," said to the younger princes:
"You do him obeisance; we will sit behind you." As they sat there without doing
obeisance to him, the Blessed One, perceiving their intent, thought to himself: "My
kinsfolk do me no obeisance; well, I will make them do so." So he caused to arise in him
that ecstasy which is based on transcendent faculty, rose up into the air, and as though
shaking off the dust of his feet upon their heads, performed a miracle like the twofold
miracle at the foot of the knot-mango tree. 1 The king, seeing this wonder, said, "Sir, on
the day of your birth, when I saw your feet placed upon the head of Brahmin Kāladevala
who had come to do you obeisance, I did obeisance to you, and that was the first time. On
the day of the Plowing Festival, 2 when you sate on the royal seat under the shade of a
rose-apple tree, when I saw that the shadow of the tree moved not, I did obeisance to your
feet; and that was the second time. And now again, I see a miracle which never I saw
before, and do obeisance to your feet: this is the third time." But when the king had thus
done obeisance, not one Sākiya could sit still and refrain, they did obeisance one and all.
The Blessed One, having thus made his kinsfolk do him obeisance, came down from the
air and sat upon the appointed seat; when the Blessed One was there seated, his kinsfolk
were made wise, and sat with peace in their hearts. Then a great cloud arose, and burst in
a shower of rain: down came the rain red and with a loud noise, and those who desired to
be wet were wetted,
1 See Jataka No. 483 (Cowell, vol. IV, p. 167).
2
See Jataka No. 467 (Cowell, Vol. IV. p. 104); and R. Spence Hardy, A Manual of
Budhism [sic] in its Modern Development (London, 1853), p. 150: "Five months after
the birth of Sidhártta there was a festival, at which the king was accustomed to hold the
plough."