The Dummedha Jâtaka.[1]
How the Worship of Tree-Sprites, was put down.
In days gone by, when Brahmadatta reigned at Benares, the Bodhisat was reborn as the son of Brahmadatta, the principal queen being his mother. On the day appointed for naming him they called him Brahmadattakumâra. When he was sixteen years old he studied science in Takkasilâ, became versed in the three Vedas, and mastered the eighteen subjects of knowledge. Then (after a time) his father made him a viceroy. At that time the inhabitants of Benares were given over to the worship of tree-sprites; they paid reverence to them, and, having slaughtered many goats, cocks, and hogs, made offerings to them of the flesh and blood of the victims, together with various kinds of flowers and perfumes. The Bodhisat thought to himself "Now beings that observe festivals in honour of tree-sprites destroy much life. The people, I see, are, for the most part, wedded to this bad custom; but when, after my father's death, I come to the throne, I will by some device (without injuring any one) not allow them to deprive anything of life."
One day, on going out of the city in his chariot, he saw the multitude assembled together at a certain large banyan-tree doing reverence to the "sprite" that had been reborn in that tree; and desiring to obtain (by means of offerings, &c.) sons and daughters, fame and wealth, or whatever else they had most set their hearts upon, he came down from his chariot, drew near the tree, honoured it with perfumes and flowers, made a libation of water, solemnly perambulated it, and worshipped the "tree-sprite" like one of its regular devotees. Then going up into his chariot he returned to the city. Henceforth in this way, at intervals, he used to visit that tree and there pay due reverence to it as if he were addicted to the worship of the sprites.
On another occasion (after the death of his father, when firmly seated on the throne, he had abandoned the four evil ways, and, keeping strictly the ten royal virtues, was ruling his subjects justly) he thought to himself, "My great wish has been accomplished, I am established on the throne; but a certain matter about which I was
- ↑ Jâtaka Book, vol. i. No. 50, p. 259.
