Ja 152 The Birth Story about the Jackal (Who Was in Love) (2s)

Alternative Title: Siṅgālajātaka (Cst)

In the present a barber falls in love with a highborn lady and dies while his love is unreciprocated. The Buddha tells how, in a past life, a jackal fell in love with a lioness, but was rejected by her; and how her brothers, trying to avenge her, and the jackal himself, all came to a bad end.

The Bodhisatta = the elder lion (jeṭṭhabhātikasīho),
certain elders = the (lion’s) six brothers,
the princess from Licchavi = the youthful lioness (sīhapotikā),
the barber’s son = the jackal (sigāla).

Keywords: Attachment, Rejection, Devas, Animals.

“Who rashly undertakes.” This story the Teacher told while staying in his gabled chamber, about a barber who lived at Vesāli.

This man, as we are told, used to do shaving and hairdressing and cross-plaiting for the royal household, kings and queens, princes and princesses, indeed he did all of that kind that had to be done. He was a true believer, sheltered in the Three Refuges, Buddha, the Dhamma, and the Saṅgha. resolved to keep the Five Precepts; and from time to time he would listen to the Teacher’s discourses.

One day he set out to do his work in the palace, taking his son with him. The young fellow, seeing a Licchavi girl dressed up fine and grand, like a Devaccharā, fell in love for desire of her. He said to his father, as they left the palace in company, “There is a girl, if I get her, I shall live; but if I don’t, there’s nothing but death for me.” He would not touch a morsel of food, but lay down hugging the bedstead. His father found him and said: “Why, son, don’t set your mind on forbidden fruit. You are a nobody, a barber’s son; this Licchavi girl is a highborn lady. You’re no match for her. I’ll find you somebody else; a girl of your own place and station.” But the lad would not listen to him. Then came mother, brother, and sister, aunt and uncle, all his kinsfolk, and all his friends and companions, trying to pacify him; but pacify him they could not. So he pined and pined away, and lay there until he died.

Then the father performed his obsequies, and did what is usual to do for the spirits of the dead. {2.6} By and by, when the first edge of grief had worn off, he thought he would wait upon the Teacher. Taking a large present of flowers, scents, and perfumes, he repaired to the Great Grove, and did reverence to the Teacher, saluted him, and sat down on one side. “Why have you kept out of sight all this time, layman?” the Teacher asked. Then the man told him what had happened. Said the Teacher, “Ah, layman, ’tis not the first time he has perished by setting his heart on what he must not have; this is only what he has done before.” Then at the layman’s request, he told a story of the past. [2.5]

In the past, while Brahmadatta was king of Benares, the Bodhisatta came into the world as a young lion in the region of the Himālayas. Of the same family there were some younger brothers, and one sister; and all of them lived in a Golden Cave.

Now nearby this cave was a Cave of Crystal on a silver hill, where a jackal lived. By and by the lions lost their parents by the stroke of death. Then they used to leave the lioness, their sister, behind in the cave, while they ranged for food; which when they obtained, they would bring it back for her to eat.

Now the jackal had caught sight of this lioness, and fell in love with her; but while the old lion and lioness lived, he could win no access. Now, when the seven brothers went to seek food, out he came from his Crystal Cave, and made all haste to the Golden Cave; where, taking his stand before the young lioness, he addressed her slyly with these seductive and tempting words:

“O lioness, I am a fourfoot creature, and so are you. Therefore do you be my mate, and I will be your husband! We will live together in friendship and amity, and you shall love me always!”

Now on hearing this the lioness thought to herself, “This jackal here is mean amongst beasts, vile, and like a man of low caste: but I am esteemed to be one of royal issue. That he to me should so speak is unseemly and evil. How can I live after hearing such things said? I will hold my breath until I shall die. “Then, bethinking her awhile, “Nay,” said she, “to die so would not be comely. My brothers will soon be home again; I will {2.7} tell them first, and then I will put an end to myself.”

The jackal, finding that no answer came, felt sure she cared nothing for him; so back he went to his Crystal Cave, and lay down in much misery.

Now one of the young lions, having killed a buffalo, or an elephant, or what not, himself ate some of it, and brought back a share for his sister, which he gave her, inviting her to eat. “No, brother,” says she, “not a bite will I eat; for I must die!” “Why must that be?” he asked. And she told him what had happened. “Where is this jackal now?” he asked. She saw him lying in the Crystal Cave, and thinking he was up in the sky, i.e. because of the transparency. she said: “Why, brother, cannot you see him there on Silver Mountain, lying up in the sky?”

The young lion, unaware that the jackal lay in a Crystal Cave, and deeming that he was truly in the sky, made a spring, as lions do, to kill him, and struck against the crystal: which burst his heart asunder, and falling to the foot of the mountain, he perished straightaway. [2.6]

Then came in another, to whom the lioness told the same tale. This lion did even as the first, and fell dead by the mountain foot.

When six of the brother lions had perished in this way, last of all entered the Bodhisatta. When she had told her story, he enquired where was the jackal now? “There he is,” said she, “up in the sky, above Silver Mountain!” The Bodhisatta thought: “Jackals lying in the sky? Nonsense. I know what it is: he is lying in a Crystal Cave.” So he repaired to the mountain’s foot, and there he saw his six brothers lying dead. “I see how it is,” thought he, “these were all foolish, and lacked the fulness of wisdom; not knowing that this is the Crystal Cave, they beat their hearts out against it, and were killed. This is what comes of acting in rashness without due reflection,” and he repeated the first verse:

In this connection, those who quickly undertake work, without consideration, fall, that person who is one who likes to do work, without considering, having disregarded the fault in it, being too quick, too hasty, to do that work, falls, leaps into it, follows that course of action, who quickly undertake that work falls, thus they regret, grieve over, are weary with, those works.

In what way? Like they would something hot crammed into the mouth, just as with eating, having disregarded: “This is cool, this is hot,” when placing a hot edible inside the mouth and eating the mouth and the throat and the stomach burn, and he grieves, is wearied, so such a person, regret those works.

After repeating these lines, the lion continued, “My brothers wanted to kill this jackal, but did not have skill in means; so they leapt up too quickly at him, and so came by their death. This I will not do; but I will make the jackal burst his own heart as he lies there in the Crystal Cave.” So he espied out the path whereby the jackal used to go up and down, and turning that way he roared thrice the lion’s roar, that earth and heaven together were all one great roaring! The jackal lying in the Crystal Cave was frightened and astounded, so that his heart burst; and he perished on the spot incontinently.

The Teacher continued, “Thus did this jackal perish on hearing the lion roar.” And, after Fully Awakening, he repeated the second verse:

In this connection, lion, there are four lions: a green lion, DṬ: Tiṇasīho ti tiṇasadisaharitavaṇṇo sīho; a green lion means a lion having green colour, like grass. a white lion, a black lion, a maned lion with red paws. Amongst these, here the maned lion is intended.

Resounded... on the mount Daddara, with this most frightful lion’s roar, like the sound of a falling thunderbolt, resounding on that silver mountain it made a reverberating noise.

Dwelt near Daddara, dwelling near the silver mountain mixed with quartz.

Experienced fright, became terrified, he experienced dread in the mind, fright with the fear of death.

And his heart burst apart, because of that, through fear his heart burst apart.

Thus did our lion do this jackal to death. Then he laid his brothers together in one grave, and told the sister they were dead, and comforted her; and he lived the rest of his days in the Golden Cave, until he passed away to the place which his merits had earned for him. [2.7]