Jātaka Tales 230

This verse is not included in this edition.

Dutiya-Palayi-Jataka

“Countless are my banners,” etc.—This story the Master told whilst living at Jetavana, about this same gadabout mendicant.

This verse is not included in this edition.

At that time, the Master, with a large company round him, sitting on the beautifully adorned throne of the truth, upon a vermilion dais, was discoursing like a young lion roaring with a lion’s roar. The mendicant, seeing the Buddha’s form like the form of Brahma, his face like the glory of the full moon, and his forehead like a plate of gold, turned round where he had come, in the midst of the crowd, and ran off, saying, “Who could overcome a man like this”

This verse is not included in this edition.

The crowd went in chase, then came back and told the Master. He said, “Not only now has this mendicant fled at the mere sight of my golden face; he did the same before.” And he told an old-world tale.

This verse is not included in this edition.

Once on a time, the Bodhisatta was king in Benares, and in Takkasila reigned a certain king of Gandhara. This king, desiring to capture Benares, went and compassed the city about with a complete army of four divisions. And taking his stand at the city gate, he looked upon his army, and said he, ‘“Who shall be able to conquer so great an army as this” and describing his army, he uttered the first stanza:—

Dutiyapalāyitajātaka

“Dhajamaparimitaṁ anantapāraṁ, Duppasahaṁ dhaṅkehi sāgaraṁva; Girimiva anilena duppasayho, Duppasaho ahamajjatādisena”.

“Countless are my banners: rival none they own: Flocks of crows can never stem the rolling sea— Never can the storm-blast beat a mountain down:— So, of all the living none can conquer me”

This verse is not included in this edition.

Then the Bodhisatta disclosed his own glorious countenance, in fashion as the full moon; and threatening him, thus spoke: “Fool, babble not vainly! Now will I destroy your host, as a maddened elephant crushes a thicket of reeds” and he repeated the second stanza:—

“Mā bāliyaṁ vilapi na hissa tādisaṁ, Viḍayhase na hi labhase nisedhakaṁ; Āsajjasi gajamiva ekacārinaṁ, Yo taṁ padā naḷamiva pothayissatī”ti.

“Fool! and hast thou never yet a rival found? Thou art hot with fever, if thou seekst to wound Solitary savage elephants like me! As they crush a reed-stalk so will I crush thee”

This verse is not included in this edition.

When the king of Gandhara heard him threaten thus, he looked up, and beholding his wide forehead like a plate of gold, for fear of being captured himself he turned and ran away, and came again even unto his own city.

This verse is not included in this edition.

This discourse ended, the Master identified the Birth:—“The vagrant gadabout was at that time the king of Gandhara, and the king of Benares was I myself.”