Ja 225 Khantivaṇṇanajātaka
The Birth Story in Praise of Patience (2s)
Alternative Title: Khantivaṇṇajātaka (Cst)
In the present a courtier had an affair in the king of Kosala’s harem, and the king asked the Buddha advice as to what he should do. The Buddha told a story of courtier who was intriguing in the harem, while his attendant was intriguing with his own wife! When he complained about the attendant the king explained his own course of action was to be patient.
The Bodhisatta = the king of Benares (Bārāṇasirājā).
Keywords: Adultery, Forgiveness, Women.
“There is a man.” This story the Teacher told at Jetavana, about the king of Kosala. A very useful subordinate intrigued in the harem. [cf. Ja 195 Pabbatūpattharajātaka.] Even though he knew about the culprit, the king pocketed the affront, because the fellow was useful, and told the Teacher of it. The Teacher said: “Other kings in days long gone by have done the same,” and at his request, told the following story.
In the past, when Brahmadatta was king of Benares, a man of his court fell into an intrigue in the king’s harem, and an attendant of this courtier did the same thing in the courtier’s house. The man could not endure to be thus affronted. So he led the other before the king, saying: “My lord,
1. Atthi me puriso, deva, sabbakiccesu byāvaṭo,
Tassa cekoparādhatthi, tattha tvaṁ kinti maññasī ti?
There is a person for me, king, who’s concerned with all the duties, and this one, he has an offence, what do you think about this case?
In this connection, and this one, he has an offence, and this person has an offence.
What do you think about this case? what do you think should be done about this case in which this person has an offence? In whatever way it comes to your mind, Lit: in whatever way your mind arises, which is not idiomatic in English. that will be a suitable punishment to impose on him, this is the explanation.
On hearing this, the king uttered the second verse:
2. Amhākam-patthi puriso, ediso idha vijjati,
Dullabho aṅgasampanno, khanti-r-asmāka’ ruccatī ti.
For us also there is a person, such a person here is found, rare are those endowed with these qualities, for us we like patience.
This is the meaning: for our king there is such a one who is very helpful in the house, but he is a offending person, he can be found here, now also he can be found here, we officers tolerate him referring to his great help, but also you who are not a king, must carry this burden of toleration. Endowed with qualities, endowed with all these virtuous components, that person is known as rare, for this reason our liking is for patience and toleration in such a position.
The courtier saw that these words of the king were aimed at him; and for the future did do no wrong in the king’s house. And the servant likewise, having come to know that the matter had been told to the king, in the future did that thing no more.
This discourse ended, the Teacher identified the Jātaka, “I was the king of Benares.” And the courtier on this occasion found out that the king had told of him to the Teacher, and never did such a thing again.