On Yuan Chwang's Travels in India, 629–645 A.D. v2.c17.s3.24

v2.c17.s3.24

The two Jātakas here summarized are told with some differences of detail in other works. Thus in the "Francolin Jātaka" as told in a wellknown śāstra the bird soaks his feathers in water, and then shakes himself in the burning forest; when Indra tries the sincerity of this compassion the Francolin says he is ready to go on until death; by the force of his merit and faith the fire is extinguished and since that time the forest has enjoyed an exemption, from great conflagrations.¹ In other versions of the Deer Jātaka instead of a lame hare we have a fawn as the last creature to be saved. This last animal was Subhadra in a previous birth, and as a man Subhadra was the last to be saved from sin and sorrow by the Buddha.²