Dhammapada 2.9.p3

2.9.p3

Atīte himavante gaṅgātīre ekasmiṃ udumbaravane anekasahassā suvā vasiṃsu. Tatreko suvarājā attano nivāsarukkhassa phalesu khīṇesu yaṃ yadeva avasiṭṭhaṃ hoti aṅkuro vā pattaṃ vā taco vā, taṃ taṃ khāditvā gaṅgāyaṃ pānīyaṃ pivitvā paramappiccho santuṭṭho hutvā aññattha na gacchati. Tassa appicchasantuṭṭhabhāvaguṇena sakkassa bhavanaṃ kampi. Sakko āvajjamāno taṃ disvā tassa vīmaṃsanatthaṃ attano ānubhāvena taṃ rukkhaṃ sukkhāpesi. Rukkho obhaggo khāṇumatto chiddāvachiddova hutvā vāte paharante ākoṭito viya saddaṃ nicchārento aṭṭhāsi. Tassa chiddehi cuṇṇāni nikkhamanti. Suvarājā tāni khāditvā gaṅgāyaṃ pānīyaṃ pivitvā aññattha agantvā vātātapaṃ agaṇetvā udumbarakhāṇumatthake nisīdati. Sakko tassa paramappicchabhāvaṃ ñatvā, ‘‘mittadhammaguṇaṃ kathāpetvā varamassa datvā udumbaraṃ amataphalaṃ katvā āgamissāmī’’ti eko haṃsarājā hutvā sujaṃ asurakaññaṃ purato katvā udumbaravanaṃ gantvā avidūre ekassa rukkhassa sākhāya nisīditvā tena saddhiṃ kathento imaṃ gāthamāha –

Once upon a time several thousand parrots lived in a certain grove of fig-trees in the Himālaya country on the bank of the Ganges. One of them, the king-parrot, when the fruits of the tree in which he lived had withered away, ate whatever he found remaining, whether shoot or leaf or bark, drank water from the Ganges, and being very happy and contented, remained where he was. In fact he was so very happy and contented that the Abode of Sakka began to quake. Sakka considered the cause, and seeing the parrot, determined to put him to the test. Accordingly he employed his supernatural power and withered up the tree. Straightway the tree became a mere stump, full of holes and cracks. When the wind beat upon it, there came forth from the tree a hollow sound, and out of the holes and cracks came forth dust. The parrot ate the dust, drank water from the Ganges, and going nowhere else, remained perched on the top of the fig-tree, recking naught of wind and sun.

When Sakka observed how very happy and contented the parrot was, he said to himself, “I will go to him, let him talk of the virtue of friendship, grant him his heart’s desire, and cause the fig-tree to bear ambrosial fruit.” Accordingly Sakka assumed the form of a royal goose, and preceded by Wellborn in the form of an Asura nymph, went to the grove of fig-trees, alighted on the branch of a certain tree not far off, and entered into conversation with the parrot by pronouncing the following Stanza,