Ja 210 Kandagalakajātaka
The Birth Story about (the Woodpecker) Kandagalaka (2s)
In the present Devadatta is going around trying to kill the Buddha. The latter tells a story about how a woodpecker had helped another bird in finding food, but the latter desiring to dig out the food himself had broken his beak on an acacia wood tree.
The Bodhisatta = (the woodpecker) Khadiravaniya,
Devadatta = (the woodpecker) Kandagalaka.
Keywords: Vanity, Imitation, Animals, Birds.
“O friend.” This was told by the Teacher, during a stay in Veḷuvana, about Devadatta’s attempts to imitate him. See above, note to Ja 208. [See Ja 143 Virocanajātaka, for more details about these events.] When he heard of these attempts to imitate him, the Teacher said: “This is not the first time Devadatta has destroyed himself by imitating me; the same thing happened before.” Then he told this story.
In the past, when Brahmadatta was king of Benares, the Bodhisatta entered into life as a woodpecker. In a wood of acacia trees he lived, and his name was Khadiravaniya, the bird of the acacia wood. He had a comrade named Kandagalaka, who got his food in a wood full of good fruit.
One day the friend went to visit Khadiravaniya. “My friend is come!” thought Khadiravaniya; and he led him into the acacia wood, and pecked at the tree-trunks until the insects came out, which he gave to his friend. As each was given him, the friend pecked it up, and ate it, as if it were a honey cake. As he ate, pride arose in his heart.
“Friend, don’t trouble yourself – I will get my own food in the acacia wood.” Then said the other, “You belong to a tribe of birds which finds its food in a forest of pithless silk-cotton trees, and trees that bear abundant fruit; but the acacia is full of pith, and hard. Please do not do so!”
“What!” said Kandagalaka – am I not a woodpecker?” And he would not listen, but pecked at an acacia trunk. In a moment his beak snapped off, and his eyes bade fair to fall out of his head, and his head split. So not being able to hold fast to the tree, he fell to the ground, repeating the first verse:
1. Ambho ko nāma yaṁ rukkho, sinnapatto sakaṇṭako,
Yattha ekappahārena, uttamaṅgaṁ vibhijjitan-ti?
Dear, what is that tree’s name, with sweaty leaves and thorns, where, with just one blow, my cranium has been split?
In this connection, dear, what is that tree’s name, good Khadiravaniya, what is the tree’s name?
With sweaty leaves mean with soft leaves. Rouse seems to have connected this word to sīta, and translated it cool-leaved. It seems, however, to be related to Vedic svinna, which Monier-Williams gives with the meanings: sweating, perspiring; and PED based on this also gives: sinna, wet with perspiration. It is this meaning which I employ here. I do not quite understand what the commentator thought the word meant, but acacia leaves are certainly not soft.
Where, with just one blow means on whatever tree, with just one blow.
My cranium has been split, my head has been split, not only the head, but also the beak is split. Because the pain was encountered at the acacia tree: being unable to understand: ‘What is the name of this tree?’ having been pained, he lamented with this verse.
Having heard this, Khadiravaniya recited the second verse:
2. Acāri vatāyaṁ vitudaṁ vanāni
Kaṭṭhaṅgarukkhesu asārakesu,
Athāsadā khadiraṁ jātasāraṁ,
Yatthabbhidā garuḷo uttamaṅgan-ti.
Roaming around this, striking in the woods on the pithless branches of useless trees, then hitting a pithy acacia tree, where the pecker shattered his cranium.
In this connection, roaming around this means roaming around this.
Striking in the woods, striking, piercing the pithless silk-cotton, flame-of-the-forest woods.
Branches of useless trees means the useless portions of trees in the woods.
On the pithless means those lacking pith, such as flame-of-the-forest, silk-cotton, and so on.
Then hitting a pithy acacia tree, then for the first time since his youth he encountered a pithy acacia.
Where the pecker shattered his cranium, where the pecker shattered means the acacia where he shattered, broke his beak.
Pecker means bird, for all birds this is a respectful, polite word.
So said Khadiravaniya; and added, “O Kandagalaka, the tree where you broke your head is hard and strong!” But the other perished then and there.
When the Teacher had ended this discourse, he identified the Jātaka, “Devadatta was Kandagalaka, but Khadiravaniya was I myself.”