Ja 277 The Birth Story about the Feathered One (3s)

In the present Devadatta goes about trying to kill the Buddha, who tells a story of a previous birth in which a sham ascetic took a liking to pigeon’s flesh and tried to kill the pigeons who would visit him hoping to hear some wisdom.

The Bodhisatta = the elder pigeon (pārāvatajeṭṭhaka),
Sāriputta = the virtuous ascetic (sīlavantatāpasa),
Devadatta = the cheating ascetic (kūṭatāpasa).

Keywords: Treachery, Falsity, Animals, Birds.

In the past, when Brahmadatta was king of Benares, the Bodhisatta became a pigeon, and with a large flock of pigeons he lived amidst the woodland in a cave of the hills. There was an ascetic, a virtuous man, who had built himself a hut near a frontier village not far from the place where the pigeons were, and there in a cave of the hills he lived. Him the Bodhisatta visited from time to time, and heard from him things worth hearing.

After living there a long time, the ascetic went away; and there came a sham ascetic, and lived there. The Bodhisatta, attended by his flock of pigeons, visited him and greeted him respectfully; they spent the day in hopping about the ascetic’s abode, and picking up food before the cave, and returned home in the evening. There the sham ascetic lived for more than fifty years.

One day the villagers gave him some pigeon’s flesh which they had cooked. He was taken with the flavour, and asked what it was. “Pigeon,” said they. He thought: “There come flocks of pigeons to my hermitage; I must kill some of them to eat.”

So he got rice and ghee, milk and cummin and pepper, and put it by all ready; in a corner of his robe he hid a staff, and sat down at the hut door watching for the pigeons’ coming.

The Bodhisatta came, with his flock, and spied out what wicked thing this sham ascetic would be doing. “That wicked ascetic sitting there goes under false pretences! Perhaps he has been feeding on some of our kind; I’ll find him out!”

So he alighted to leeward, and scented him. {2.383} “Yes,” said he, “the man wants to kill us and eat us; we must not go near him,” and away he flew with his flock. On seeing that he kept aloof, the ascetic thought: “I will speak words of honey to him, and make friends, and then kill and eat him!” and he uttered the two first verses:

In this connection, in excess of means in excess of equal. Sama means the same or equal, and adhika means in excess of.

Feathered one means with hair uprising, with well-washed coral-coloured eyes and feet, he addresses the pigeon, the Bodhisatta.

Being without doubt, so for more than fifty years amongst us dwelling in this mountain cave these birds did not have doubt about me even for one day, their minds being completely serene, formerly they came to my hand, to my open, stretched-out hand, this is the meaning.

Now … those means now those. Showing how to analyse the sandhi.

Bird, he calls on the Bodhisatta, all birds when rising up crook their necks, from rising up vakkaṅga crooked-limb, or bird is said. In Ja 36 Sakuṇajātaka this definition was given: sometimes their heads sit crooked on their necks, therefore vakkaṅga (crooked limb) is said. Birds are born crooked in both their wings, so vakkaṅga is said.

Why did means seeing what reason.

Agitated means being fretful.

Mountain grotto means from this mountain to another mountain grotto.

As before means as before these birds paid me respects, considered me dear, but now they do not consider me so, the ascetic who lived here formerly was another one, and this is another one, thinking thus, they do not have consideration for me, this is the explanation.

Are these not those who lived here a long time? Why do these who were absent for a long time, after the passing of a long time, come here without recognising me, thinking: “This is him,” or, those who, having serene minds amongst us, are they not those, but other, visiting birds, why do these not approach me, this is what he asks.

In this connection, we are not deluded, we are not deluded or heedless.

Your mind is corrupted against our folk, we do recognise that he is surely not you, and we are surely not them, but moreover, your mind is corrupted against our folk, and has risen to kill us.

Ājīvika means for the sake of livelihood, one gone-forth, a corrupt ascetic. All of these are vocative forms.

That’s why we are afraid, for that reasoning we are afraid, scared of you, and do not approach.

“They have found me out!” thought the false ascetic. He threw his [2.262] staff at the bird, but missed him. “Get away!” said he, “I’ve missed you!”

“You have missed us,” said the Bodhisatta, “but you shall not miss the four hells! If you stay here, I’ll call the villagers and make them catch you for a thief. Run off, quick!” Thus he threatened the man, and flew away. The ascetic could live there no longer.