Vessantara-Jataka in Pali and English - MyWebSpace

Translation 480 Vessantara-Jåtaka
[Fausbøll, Jåtaka, vol. VI, p. 480]
but he who did not, had not even a drop fallen upon his body. All who saw it were
astonished at the miracle, and cried one to another—"Lo a marvel! to a miracle! to the
power of the Buddhas, on whose kinsfolk such a shower of rain is falling!" On hearing
this, the Buddha said: "This is not the first time, Brethren, that a great shower of rain has
fallen upon my kinsfolk"; and then, at their request, he told a story of the past.
* * * * *
Once upon a time a king named Sivi, reigning in the city of Jetuttara in the kingdom of
Sivi, had a son named Sañjaya. When the lad came of age, the king brought him a
princess named Phusatī, daughter of king Madda, and handed over the kingdom to him,
making Phusatī his queen consort.
Her former connexion with the world was as follows. In the ninety-first age from this, a
Teacher arose in the world named Vipassī. Whilst he was dwelling in the deer-park of
Khema, near the city of Bandhumatī, a certain king sent to King Bandhuma a golden
wreath worth a hundred thousand pieces of money, with precious sandal wood. Now the
king had two daughters; and being desirous to give this present to them, he gave the
sandal wood to the elder and the golden wreath to the younger. But both declined to use
these gifts for themselves; and with the intent to offer them in respect to the Master, they
said to the king: "Father, we will offer to the Dasabala this sandal wood and this golden
wreath." To this the king gave his consent. So the elder princess powdered the sandal
wood, and filled with the powder a golden box; and the younger sister caused the golden
wreath to be made into a golden necklet, and laid it in a golden box. Then they both
proceeded to the hermitage in the deer-park; and the elder sister, reverently sprinkling the
Dasabala's golden body with the sandal wood powder, scattered the rest in his cell, and
said this prayer: "Sir, in time to come, may I be the mother of a Buddha like you." The
younger reverently placed upon the Dasabala's golden body the gold-lace necklet which
had been made out of the golden wreath, and prayed, "Sir, until I attain sainthood, may
this ornament never part from my body." And the Master granted their prayers.