🧚 Opening, part 16

Now at that moment the wise boar awoke, and hearing the words of the lioness, was delighted, and thought to himself: “This is the fruit of the merit which I have acquired in previous states of existence.1 I will satisfy the hunger of my friends with my own body and blood.”2 Then the wise boar arose from his bed and went out of his cave and said to the lion: “My good friend, do not despair.3 For here I am, ready to be eaten by you and your mate and your cub.4 Eat me, O lion!”5 Now when the lion heard these words, he was delighted, and said to his mate: “Let our cub eat first; then I will eat, and you shall eat after me.”6 The lioness agreed.7

So first the cub ate some of the flesh of the wise boar, and then the lion began to eat.8 And while he was eating, the wise boar said to him: “Be quick and drink my blood before it sinks into the ground, and satisfy your hunger with my flesh, and let your mate eat what is left.”9 So the lion gradually devoured the flesh until only the bones were left.10 But--wonderful to relate!--the wise boar did not die, for his life remained in him, as if to see how long his endurance would endure.11 In the meantime the lioness died of hunger in the cave, and the lion went off somewhere or other with his cub, and so the night came to an end.12

Then the monkey awoke and went out of the cave, and seeing the wise boar reduced to a heap of bones, became greatly excited and exclaimed: “What reduced you to a heap of bones?13 Tell me, O friend, if you can.”14 So the wise boar told him the whole story.15 Then the monkey did reverence to the wise boar, and said to him: “Tell me what you wish me to do, and I will do it.”16 The wise boar replied: “I wish only to have my body restored to me like as it was before, and to have the lioness that died of hunger restored to life again, that she may satisfy her hunger with my body and blood.”17 Thereupon, as the fruit of the merit which the wise boar had acquired, he was transformed into a sage, and the monkey into a sage likewise.18

_26.19 Fairy-Prince and Griffin.20

“_Eat me, O griffin!21

Adapted from C. H. Tawney, Ocean of the Streams of Story (Kathāsaritsāgara), Chapters 22 and 90.22

On a ridge of the Himālaya stands a city called the Golden City, for it gleams from afar like the rays of the sun. And in that city, once upon a time, lived the king of the fairies, and his name was Jīmūta-ketu.23 And in the garden of his palace grew a wishing-tree, and its name was Granter of Desires, for it granted all desires.24 By the favor of that tree the king obtained a son, who was none other than the Future Buddha, and his name was Jīmūta-vāhana.25 He was valiant in generosity, of mighty courage, and compassionate towards all living beings.26

When Jīmūta-vāhana was become of age, his father made him crown-prince.27 Thus did he become the fairy-prince.28 And when he had become the fairy-prince, the ministers of the kingdom came to him and said: “O fairy-prince, do reverence always to this wishing-tree, for it grants all desires, and cannot be resisted by any living creature.29 For so long as we possess this tree, we cannot suffer injury of any kind from anyone, even from Indra, king of the gods, much less from any other.”30

When Jīmūta-vāhana heard these words, he thought to himself: “Alas! our forefathers, for all their possession of this noble tree, obtained by the favor of this tree naught but wealth and victory over their enemies; thus did they demean themselves, and thus did they demean this tree likewise.31 For no such purposes as these will I employ this tree.32 For I know that the good things of this world endure but for a short while, and then perish and vanish utterly.33 But friendliness and compassion and generosity towards all living beings yield abundant fruit, both in this world and in the next.34 As for wealth, if it be not used for the benefit of others, it is like lightning which for an instant stings the eye, and then flickers and vanishes.35 Therefore if this wishing-tree which we possess, and which grants all desires, be employed for the benefit of others, we shall reap from it all the fruit that it can give.36 Accordingly I will so act that by the wealth of this tree all living beings shall be delivered from poverty and distress.”37

Then Jīmūta-vāhana went to the wishing-tree and said: “O tree-spirit, thou that dost grant to us the fruit that we desire, fulfil to-day this one wish of mine: Deliver all living beings from poverty and distress.”38 Straightway--wonderful to relate!--the wishing-tree showered a shower of gold upon the earth, and all living beings rejoiced thereat and became well-disposed to Jīmūta-vāhana, and the fame and glory of him spread both near and far.39 But the relatives of Jīmūta-ketu, seeing that his throne was firmly established by the glory of his son, were moved to jealousy and became hostile to him.40 And because the kingdom of Jīmūta-ketu was weak, they determined to attack it and overthrow it, and to take possession of the wishing-tree that granted all desires.41 And they assembled and met together and began preparations to attack the kingdom of Jīmūta-ketu and to overthrow it and to take possession of the wishing-tree that granted all desires.42

Thereupon Jīmūta-vāhana the fairy-prince said to Jīmūta-ketu the fairy-king his father: “Why should we seek to obtain new wealth, or to retain the wealth that we possess?43 Is not this body of ours like a bubble in the water, which bursts in an instant and vanishes?44 Is it not like a candle, which, when it is exposed to the wind, flickers for an instant and goes out?45 Should a wise man desire to obtain wealth or to retain it when it is obtained, by the killing of living beings?46 I will not fight with my relatives.47 Therefore I will leave my kingdom and go to some forest-hermitage.48 Let these miserable wretches do as they like, but let us not kill the members of our own family.”49

And Jīmūta-ketu the fairy-king said to Jīmūta-vāhana the fairy-prince his son: “Then will I too go, my son.50 For what desire for rule can I have, who am old, when you, who are young, out of compassion towards all living beings, abandon your kingdom as though it were so much straw and stubble?”51 Thereupon Jīmūta-vāhana, with his father and mother, went to the Malaya mountain, and took up his abode in a forest-hermitage, the dwelling of the fairy-magicians, the Siddhas, where the brooks were hidden by the sandalwood trees, and devoted himself to the care of his father and mother.52

One day, as he was roaming about with a companion, he came to a wood on the shore of the sea.53 There he saw many heaps of bones.54 And he said to his companion: “Whose bones are these?”55 His companion replied: “Give ear, and I will tell you the story in a few words.”56

_Griffin and snakes.57

In times past Kadrū and Vinatā, the two wives of Kashyapa, had a quarrel.58 Kadrū said that the horses of the Sun were black, and Vinatā said that they were white, and they made a wager that whichever of the two was wrong should become a slave of the other.59 Then Kadrū, bent on winning, actually induced her sons the snakes to defile the horses of the Sun by spitting venom over them; and showing them to Vinatā thus defiled, she conquered her by a trick and made her her slave.60