hastily divested himself of his divine appearance, brilliant with his ear-rings, his head-ornament, and his lightning, and respectfully bowing to the Bodhisattva, spoke thus in order to appease him :
32. “O thou who art free from all selfishness, deign to forgive me the thoughtless deed I did with the aforesaid purpose; pardon it like a father, like a teacher!
33. “It is proper, indeed, to those whose eyes are not yet opened to wisdom, to offend against others, be they even their equals. Likewise it is proper to (the wise) who know the Self, to pardon such offences. Also for this reason, pray do not feel anger in thy heart concerning that deed!'
Having thus appeased him, Sakra disappeared on the spot.
In this manner, then, those who have learnt to appreciate the happiness of detachment are hostile to worldly pleasures; they will oppose them like one opposes a deception, an injury[1].
XX. The Story of the Treasurer.
(Cp. Pâli Gâtaka, No. 171, Fausb. II, 64, 65.)
An unfounded opinion of their possession of some virtue acts upon the virtuous like a stirring spur.
- ↑ In the original some lines follow here, bracketed by the editor. No doubt, we have here an interpolation, as is also indicated by its very collocation after the ethical maxim which must be the final part of our tale. This is its translation:
"And this gâtaka has thus been explained by the Lord:
34-36. “T, the son of Sâradvatî [viz. Sâriputra], Maudgalyâyana, Kâsyapa, Pûrna, Aniruddha, and Ânanda, we were the brothers of that time. Utpalâvarnâ was the sister and Kubgottarâ was the maidservant. Kitra the householder was then the male slave, Sâtâgiri the Yaksha, Pârileya the elephant, Madhudâtar the monkey, Kâlodâyin the Sakra of that time. Retain well this gâtaka thus explained.”'
Almost the same verses and names are found in the conclusion of this story in the Pâli Gâtaka.
