Vessantara-Jataka in Pali and English - MyWebSpace

Translation 521 Vessantara-Jåtaka
[Fausbøll, Jåtaka, vol. VI, p. 521]
hies to the forest for wild roots and fruits, with which she fills her basket: at evening she
returns, lays the wild fruits in the cell, washes the children; then the four of them sit at the
door of the cell and eat their fruits. Then Maddī takes her two 1 children, and retires to her
own cell. Thus they lived in the recesses of the mountain for seven months. 2
Kumāra-paṅhaṁ
The Children's Section 3
At that time, in the kingdom of Kāliṅga, and in a Brahmin village named Dunniviṭṭha,
lived a brahmin Jūjaka. He by quest of alms having obtained a hundred rupees deposited
them with a certain brahmin family, and went out to get more wealth. As he was long
away, the family spent that money; the other came back and upbraided them, but they
could not return the money, and so they gave him their daughter named Amittatāpanā. He
took the maiden with him to Dunniviṭṭha, in Kāliṅga, and there dwelt. Amittatāpanā
tended the brahmin well. Some other brahmins, young men, seeing her dutifulness,
reproached their own wives with it: "See how carefully she tends an old man, whilst you
are careless of your young husbands!" This made the wives resolve to drive her out of the
village. So they would gather in crowds at the river side and everywhere else, reviling
her.
Explaining this, the Master said:
"Once in Kāliṅga, Jūjaka a brahmin spent his life,
Who had Amittatāpanā, quite a young girl, to wife.
The women who with waterpots down to the river came
Cried shame upon her, crowding up, and roundly cursed her name.
"A "foe" indeed your mother was, a "foe" your father too, 4
To let an old decrepit man wed a young wife like you.
Your people brewed a secret plot, a bad, mean, cruel plan,
To let a fine young girl be wed to an old decrepit man.
1 Read dva for deva.
2 "Here ends the Entering into the Forest (Vanappavesana-khaṇḍaṁ)."
3
[Title inserted from the scholiast. -- jrb]
4 A pun on amitto, "foe."