Udanavarga 3.55

3.55

法句譬喻經塵垢品第二十六

Having concluded these stanzas, the World-honoured One related this anecdote:—"There was in days gone by a certain King, who loved above all things the flesh of the wild goose for his daily food. Consequently he used to keep a hunter (or fowler) for the express purpose of snaring these birds, and providing flesh for the royal table. One day the fowler having gone out for this purpose, there came a flock of geese, 500 in number, with their king at their head, and alighted in search of food just where the snares were set. In consequence the king of the birds was trapped, and remained entangled in the toils. Then the rest, in consternation, flew round and round the place, but would not leave it. One of the geese in particular kept flying close by the net, and, undaunted by the arrows of the fowler, kept uttering piteous cries, whilst the drops of blood (from her wounds) kept falling on the ground, and so from morn till eve she continued to act. Then the fowler, moved with compassion, liberated the king of the birds, and joyfully he flew away to rejoin the flock. On relating this to the King, he highly approved of what he had done in liberating the bird. Now at that time, Buddha said, I was the king of the wild geese, Ānanda was the faithful bird that would not leave me, you, O King! were the King of the country, and the huntsman was Devadatta, who has ever sought to do me harm (but on this occasion I do not withhold from him some portion of praise for his humane conduct) [such at least appears to be the moral of the story].”