Aṭṭhāna Jātaka

Aṭṭhāna Jātaka is the 425th story in the Jataka tales, a canonical corpus of literature in Theravāda Buddhism that recounts the previous lives of the Buddha. It belongs to the Aṭṭhaka-nipāta (The Book of Eights). The story shows that some things are impossible (aṭṭhāna), no matter how hard you try, and it stresses the importance of being able to tell the difference and make good decisions.[1]

Story

According to the canonical account, the story was narrated by the Buddha while he was staying at Jetavana Monastery. It was told regarding a monk who had become dissatisfied with his monastic life and wished to disrobe. The monk was lovesick for his former wife, who had persuaded him to return to the lay life. The Buddha told this story to demonstrate that this same woman had been ungrateful and treacherous to the monk in a past existence as well, and that he had once been wise enough to reject her.[2][1]

In the past, when King Brahmadatta was ruling in Benares (Varanasi), the Bodhisatta (the Buddha-to-be) was born into a wealthy merchant family. The Bodhisatta fell in love with a beautiful courtesan. For many years, he visited her daily, paying her a fee of one thousand pieces of money for her companionship. He was a loyal patron and lavished his fortune upon her.[2]

One evening, the Bodhisatta arrived at her residence late and empty-handed, having forgotten to bring the usual fee. Despite their long-standing relationship and the immense wealth he had previously given her, the courtesan refused to receive him. She ordered her servants to physically remove him from the premises, stating that she did not offer her company on credit. The Bodhisatta's infatuation was broken by this act of cold calculation. He lost faith in the world after realizing that her love was purely materialistic and devoid of true affection. He left the city right away, journeyed to the Himalayas, and developed the jhānas (meditative absorptions) as an ascetic.[2]

The King Brahmadatta, who was a friend of the merchant, asked about his disappearance. The King called the courtesan to him after he found out that her greed had driven his friend away. He told her to bring the merchant back and said he would kill her if she didn't. The courtesan was so scared that she went into the woods and finally found the Bodhisatta's hermitage. She begged him to forgive her and asked him to come back to Benares so they could live together again. The Bodhisatta said no to her request. He didn't show his anger; instead, he read a series of stanzas about things that go against the laws of nature. He said he would only come back to her if these things that couldn't happen happened.[3]

The central verse (gāthā) of the text is given as follows:[3]

"Ganggā kumudinī santā, saṅkhavaṇṇā ca kokilā
Jambū tālaphalaṃ dajjā, atha nūna tadā siyā."

Translation:

"When the Ganges stands still and becomes covered with sacred lotus; When the black cuckoos turn white like a conch-shell; When the rose-apple tree bears palm fruits— then, and only then, might [our reunion] be."

He is listing things that violate the laws of nature such as the Ganges River being covered with lotus (which is impossible because it flows), a black bird turning white, or a tree bearing the wrong fruit to tell her that his return to worldly life is equally impossible.[3]

The courtesan returned to the King and repeated the verse. The King, understanding that his friend would never return, spared the courtesan's life but accepted that his friend was gone forever. Having delivered this discourse and expounded the Truths, at the conclusion, the Bodhisatta was established in the Fruit of Stream-Entry (Sotāpatti-phala), the first stage of enlightenment.[3]

Analysis

The Aṭṭhāna Jātaka is frequently cited by Indologists as an example of the "motif of impossible conditions" in Indian literature. The American philologist Maurice Bloomfield categorized the story as a rhetorical "fable of impossible conditions" (adynaton), where a character uses a string of natural impossibilities.[4]

The story features the economic power of courtesans (gaṇikā) in ancient India. The courtesan in the Aṭṭhāna Jātaka is depicted as a strong woman who manages her own finances and household. The Indian scholar Professor Anil Kumar Tyagi describes her as an "omnipotent dictator" in her home, with the authority to dismiss even a long-term lover if he cannot pay her daily fee.[5] Her rule, "I do not give my favours without a thousand pieces," shows that her work was purely business in the Mauryan era and that emotional feelings were seen as harmful to that business.[5]

References

  1. ^ a b Win, U Aung Nyunt (2008). ငါးရာ့ငါးဆယ် အနှစ်ချုပ်. Khin Cho Tun Sarpay. p. 555.
  2. ^ a b c The Jataka Tales (Complete). Library of Alexandria. p. 425. ISBN 978-1-4655-7312-4.
  3. ^ a b c d Cowell, Edward B. (1897). The Jātaka or stories of the Buddha's former births. Cambridge University Press. p. 284.
  4. ^ Bloomfield, Maurice (1919). "The Fable of the Crow and the Palm-Tree: A Psychic Motif in Hindu Fiction". American Journal of Philology. 40 (1). Johns Hopkins University Press: 1–36. doi:10.2307/289311.
  5. ^ a b "Women Workers in the Jatakas". Proceedings of the Indian History Congress. 45. Indian History Congress: 121–128. 1984. JSTOR 44140189.
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