Ja 203 The Birth Story about the Vow (That Protects) the Constituent Parts (2s)

Ja 203 Khandhavattajātaka See Cullavagga v. 6 (iii. 75 in Vinaya Texts, Sacred Books of the East), where the verses occur again. The verses partly recur in the ‘Bower MS,’ a Sanskrit MS lately found in the [101] ruins of an ancient city in Kashgaria (see Journal of the Pali Text Society, 1893, p. 64). The kinds of snakes mentioned cannot be identified. Snake charms are extremely common in Sanskrit; there are many in the Atharva Veda [cf. also AN 4:67.]
The Birth Story about the Vow (That Protects) the Constituent Parts (2s)

Alternative Title: Khandajātaka (Cst)

In the present one monk dies of a snake bite. The Buddha tells a story about sages of old who learned a protection charm, and were kept safe from the four families of snakes and other dangerous animals.

The Bodhisatta = the teacher of a group (gaṇasatthā),
the Buddha’s disciples = the seer’s followers (isigaṇa).

Past Compare: Vin Cv 5 (2.109).

Keywords: Danger, Protection, Animals.

“Virūpakkha snakes I love.” This story the Teacher told while living at Jetavana, about a certain monk.

As he sat, we are told, at the door of his living room, chopping sticks, a snake crept out of a rotten log, and bit his toe; he died on the spot. All the monastery learned how he had come by his sudden death.

In the Dhamma Hall [2.101] they began talking about it; saying how monk So-and-so was sitting at his door, chopping wood, when a snake bit him, and he died immediately of the bite. {2.145} The Teacher came in, and wanted to know what they were discussing as they sat there together. They told him. Said he, “Monks, if our monk had practised loving-kindness towards the four royal races of serpents, that snake would not have bitten him: wise ascetics in by-gone days, before the Buddha was born, by using kindness to these four royal races, were released from the fear that sprang from these serpents.” Then he told them a story.

In the past, during the reign of Brahmadatta king of Benares, the Bodhisatta came into the world as a young brahmin of Kāsi. When he came of age, he quelled his passions and took upon him the life of an ascetic; he developed the Super Knowledges and Attainments; he built a hermitage by the bend of the Ganges near the foot of the Himālayas, and there he dwelt, surrounded by a band of ascetics, lost in the rapture of meditation.

At that time there were many kinds of snakes upon the Ganges bank, which did mischief to the ascetics, and many of them perished by snake-bite. The ascetics told the matter to the Bodhisatta. He summoned all the ascetics to meet him, and thus addressed them, “If you showed goodwill to the four royal races of snakes, no serpents would bite you. Therefore from this time forward do you show goodwill to the four royal races.” Then he added this verse:

In this connection, I am friendly with the Virūpakkhas, I am friendly with the Virūpakkha royal snake family.

Erāpathas and so on also has the same method. This Erāpatha royal snake family, Chabyāputta royal snake family, Kaṇhāgotamaka royal snake family are the royal snake families.

After thus naming the four royal families of the snakes, he added, “If you can cultivate goodwill towards these, no snake creature will bite you or do you harm.” Then he repeated the second verse: {2.146}

In this connection, having made a special case with the first lines, towards all serpents having no feet, and towards fish he shows his friendliness, towards the two-footed humans, and to three-footed creatures such as birds, and all four-footed creatures such as elephants, horses and so on, and with the many-footed: scorpions, centipedes, caterpillars, worms, and so on.

Having declared the nature of the love within him, he uttered another verse by way of prayer:

In this connection, may the one without feet not hurt me, towards the one without feet and so on, may no one hurt me, harm me, thus entreating them, you must develop friendliness, this is the meaning.

In this connection, because of craving and views, clinging to, attaching to, sticking to, adhering to the five constituents in the round of existence, beings is said. There may be a play of the word satta here which (amongst other things) in Pāḷi can mean both being (Skt: sattva) and attached (Skt: sajjita). Because of breathing, through what is reckoned as continuing by breathing in and breathing out, living creatures is said.

Because of rebirth and the development of beings, beings is said. Thus the distinction of the words are to be understood. Without distinction all these many footed creatures are benefactors of all beings.

Entirely means in every way. This word is an encompassing word.

May all see prosperity, all of these beings may they see prosperity, auspiciousness, what is beneficial.

May nothing bad come to anyone, amongst these may not one being approach what is wicked, evil, suffering, may none arrive at, may none reach this, may all be free from hatred, free from oppression, happy, and free from suffering.

Thus did he set forth how one must show love and goodwill to all creatures without distinction; he reminded his hearers of the virtues of the Three Jewels, saying: “Measureless is the Buddha, measureless the Dhamma, and measureless the Saṅgha.”

In this connection, absent any measureable defilements, and absent any measureable virtues, the Buddha-jewel is measureless.

The Dhamma means the nine kinds of supermundane states. The four paths, four fruits and Nibbāna.

It is not possible to make of measure of this, so it is measureless.

By being endowed with a measureless nature the Saṅgha is measureless.

He said: “Remember the quality of the Three Jewels,” and thus having shown them the infinity of the Three Jewels, and wishing to show them that all beings are finite, he added, “Finite and measurable are creeping things, snakes, scorpions, centipedes, spiders, lizards, mice.”

In this connection, creeping things means what are called snakes or serpents. Slithering along they go, cursing with the head, so they are creeping things. This is an example of folk etymology that we sometimes come across in the commentaries. It is not really possible to make sense of it in translation. It suggests the word sarīsapa derives from sar- (recollection) + si- as in sira (head) + sapa- as in sapati, (curse).

Snakes and so on, this is a specific example of those of a similar form.

In this connection, spiders means arachnids. For him the web comes out like wool from the centre, therefore spiders is said. Another folk etymology.

Lizards means house lizards.

Then again, “As the passions and sensual desires in these creatures are the qualities which make them finite and limited, let us be protected night and day against these finite things by the power of the Three Jewels, which are infinite: wherefore remember the worth of the Three Jewels.” Then he recited this verse:

In this connection, I have made this protection, by recollecting the virtues of the three jewels I have made this guard, this protection, for myself.

I have made this safeguard means I have made safeguards for myself.

May all these beings go away! May all these these beings having bad intentions go away, depart from here.

I revere the Fortunate One, thus having made this safeguard, I worship all the Fortunate Buddhas who attained Nibbāna in the past.

I revere the seven Perfect Sambuddhas, specifically, in the past, in sequence, I revere the seven Perfect Sambuddhas who attained Nibbāna.

And bidding them also remember the seven Buddhas For the seven Buddhas, see Wilson, Select Works, ii. 5. while they did honour, the Bodhisatta composed this guardian charm and delivered it to his band of sages. Thenceforward the sages bore in mind the Bodhisatta’s admonition, and cherished loving-kindness, and remembered the Buddha’s virtues. As they did this, all the snake kind departed from them. And the Bodhisatta cultivated the Divine Abidings, and attained to Brahma’s Realm.