Ja 246 Telovādajātaka
The Birth Story concerning the Advice about Oil (2s)
Alternative Title: Bālovādajātaka (Cst)
In the present the ascetic Nāthaputta blames the Buddha for eating meat. The Buddha tells a story of a past life in which he has been similarly blamed, and how he had said that it is not the one who eats, but the one who kills who is to blame for the meat.
The Bodhisatta = the ascetic (tāpasa),
Nigaṇṭha Nāthaputta = the landlord (kuṭumbika).
Keywords: Killing, Blame.
“The wicked kills.”
It is said that this man, after he had fled to the refuge, offered hospitality and then gave food with meat in it. The naked ascetics on hearing this were angry and displeased; they wanted to do the Tathāgata a mischief, “The ascetic Gotama,” sneered they, “with his eyes open, eats meat prepared on purpose for him.”
The monks discussed this matter in their Dhamma Hall, “Friend, Nāthaputta the naked ascetic He is one of the six titthiyas (Heretics), and generally called Nāthaputta (which is probably the right spelling here). The ‘naked ascetics’ were probably the Jains. goes about sneering, because, he says, ‘The ascetic Gotama eats meat prepared on purpose for him, with his eyes open.’ ” Hearing this, the Teacher rejoined, “This is not the first time, monks, that Nāthaputta has been sneering at me for eating meat which was got ready for me on purpose; he did just so in former times.” And he told them a story.
In the past, when Brahmadatta was king of Benares, the Bodhisatta was born a brahmin. When he came of age he embraced the ascetic life.
He came down from the Himālayas to get salt and seasoning, and next day walked the city, begging alms. A certain wealthy man designed to annoy the ascetic. So he brought him to his dwelling, and pointed out a seat, and then served him with fish.
After the meal, the man sat on one side, and said: “This food was prepared on purpose for you, by killing living creatures. Not upon my head is this wrong, but upon yours!” And he repeated the first verse:
1. Hantvā chetvā vadhitvā ca, deti dānaṁ asaññato,
Edisaṁ bhattaṁ bhuñjamāno sa pāpam-upalimpatī ti.
Having hit, cut, slaughtered, the unrestrained gives a gift, eating such food he is defiled with wickedness.
In this connection, having hit means having beaten.
Having cut means having exhausted. I do not understand this definition, in Pāḷi and Sanskrit kilametvā means having tired, fatigued, exhausted, but nowhere would it be a synonym of having cut, beaten, chopped, which it what chetvā means.
Having slaughtered means having killed.
The unrestrained gives a gift means the unrestrained, unvirtuous, having done this, gives a gift.
Eating such food he is defiled with wickedness, eating such specially prepared food the ascetic is surely defiled, fettered by wickedness.
On hearing this, the Bodhisatta recited the second verse:
2. Puttadāram-pi ce hantvā deti dānaṁ asaññato,
Bhuñjamāno pi sappañño na pāpam-upalimpatī ti.
Having slaughtered wife and son the unrestrained gives a gift, though the wise one is eating he is not defiled with wickedness.
In this connection, though the wise one is eating, let alone other meat, having slaughtered wife and son a gift is given by the unvirtuous one. The wise one endowed with virtues such as forbearance, loving-kindness and so on though eating them is not defiled with wickedness.
And the Bodhisatta with these words of instruction rose from his seat and departed.
This discourse ended, the Teacher identified the Jātaka, “Nāthaputta, the naked ascetic was this wealthy man, and I was the ascetic.”