The Gâtakamâlâ; Or, Garland of Birth-StoriesAryasura
Religion
The Gâtakamâlâ; Or, Garland of Birth-Stories
Aryasura
Gautama Buddha -- Pre-existence
[190] Considering the abruptness of the narration, it seems there
is something wanting in the text. In the Pâli redaction it is told
that the Bodhisattva, having warned the monkeys that a fruit of
that tree would fall in the water and bring them mischief, causes
them to destroy all germs of fruit on that branch in blossom-time.
2. Spreading about its delicious smell of great excellency and
delightful to the nose, that fruit made the different other odours
disappear, that exhaled there from the garlands, the rum, and the
perfumes of the bathing women, however those scents were intensified by
the union of the women interlacing each other.
3. This smell soon enchanted the women; they enjoyed it with prolonged
inhalations and half-shut eyes. And being curious to know its origin,
they cast their eyes in all directions.
And while casting their eyes, stirred by curiosity, all around, the
women perceived that banian fig, surpassing by its size a ripe
palmyra-nut, as it stuck to the net-work of the fence, and having once
discovered it, they could not keep their eyes from it. Nor was the king
less curious to know the nature of that fruit. He had it brought to him,
and after examination by reliable physicians tasted it himself.
4. Its marvellous flavour (rasa) raised the king's amazement, as (in a
dramatic composition) the marvellous sentiment (rasa), ravishing (the
mind of the spectators) by a good representation, rouses their
admiration.
5. Had its extraordinary colour and smell stirred his surprise before,
now its flavour filled him with the highest admiration, and agitated him
with lust.
Though accustomed to dainties, the king became so eager to enjoy that
relish that this thought came to him:
6. 'If one does not eat those fruits, in truth, what fruit does one
enjoy from his royalty? But he who gets them is really a king, and this
without the toil of exercising royal power.'
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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