Ja 198 Rādhajātaka There are many variants of this story. Compare Gesta Romanorum, (Early Eng. Text Soc.), no. 45, pp. 174 ff.; Boke of the Knight de la Tour Landry (same series), p. 22. Compare no. 145. [I have restored the title as it doesn’t appear in the printed edition. It is given in the Table of Contents, and in the Text.]
The Birth Story about (the Parrot) Rādha (2s)
In the present one monk is tempted to go back to the lay life by the sight of a woman in her finery. The Buddha tells a story of how two adopted parrots were asked to keep their eye on a brahmin’s wife when their master was away, how she did wrong, and killed one of the parrots when questioned about her behaviour.
The Bodhisatta = (the parrot) Rādha,
Ānanda = (his brother) Poṭṭhapāda.
Past Compare: Ja 145 Rādha, Ja 198 Rādha.
Keywords: Lust, Murder, Animals, Birds.
“I come, my son.” This story the Teacher told while living at Jetavana, about a monk who was discontent.
We hear that the Teacher asked him if he really were discontent; and he replied, yes, he was. Being asked the reason, he replied, “Because my passions
In the past, when Brahmadatta was king of Benares, the Bodhisatta came into the world as a young parrot. His name was Rādha, and his youngest brother was named Poṭṭhapāda. While they were yet quite young, both of them were caught by a fowler and handed over to a brahmin in Benares. The brahmin cared for them as if they were his children.
The husband had to go away on business, and addressed his young parrots thus. “Little dears, I am going away on business. Keep watch on your mother in season and out of season; observe whether or not any man visits her.” So off he went, leaving his wife in charge of the young parrots.
As soon as he was gone, the woman began to do wrong; night and day the visitors came and went – there was no end to them. Poṭṭhapāda, observing this, said to Rādha, “Our master gave this woman into our charge, and here she is doing wickedness. I will speak to her.”
“Don’t,” said Rādha. But the other would not listen. “Mother,” said he, “why do you do wrong?”
How she longed to kill him! But making as though she would fondle him, she called him to her.
“Little one, you are my son! I will never do it again! Here, then, the dear!” So he came out; then she seized him crying, “What! You preach to me! You don’t know your measure!” and she wrung his neck, and threw him into the oven.
The brahmin returned. When he had rested, he asked the Bodhisatta: “Well, my dear, what about your mother – does she do wrong, or no?” and as he asked the question, he repeated the first couplet:
1. Pavāsā āgato, tāta, idāni nacirāgato,
Kaccinnu, tāta, te mātā, na aññam-upasevatī ti?
I have come from living abroad, dear, now I came not long ago, I wonder, dear, your mother, does she not consort with another?
This is the meaning: I, dear Rādha, have come from living abroad, now I have come, not long ago, therefore without knowing the story, I ask you: “I wonder, dear, does your mother not consort with another man?”
Rādha answered, “Father dear, the wise speak not of things which do not conduce to blessing, whether they have happened or not,” and he explained this by repeating the second couplet:
2. Na kho panetaṁ subhaṇaṁ giraṁ saccupasaṁhitaṁ,
Sayetha Poṭṭhapādo va, mummure upakūthito ti.
This is not a well-said utterance that is connected with truth, you should lie, like Poṭṭhapāda, who was baked on the hot ashes.
In this connection, utterance means a word.
But here this is the meaning: Dear, by a wise one an utterance connected with the truth, as it really is, a significant, sincere word, does not lead out, and is not well-said.
Speaking the truth does not lead out you should lie, like Poṭṭhapāda, who was baked on the hot ashes, just like Poṭṭhapāda lying on scorched ashes, you should lie in the same way.
Thus did the Bodhisatta hold forth to the brahmin; and he went on, “This is no place for me to live in either,” then bidding the brahmin farewell, he flew away to the woods.
When the Teacher had ended this discourse, he declared the Truths, and identified the Jātaka, at the conclusion of the Truths the discontented monk reached the Fruit of the First Path, “Ānanda was Poṭṭhapāda, and I myself was Rādha.”