Minor Collection
5. Well-Meant Advice

The Pole Acrobat: a past life story

Khuddaka Nikāya
5. Atthakāmavagga
Veḷukajātaka
Minor Collection
5. Well-Meant Advice
The Pole Acrobat: a past life story
Khuddaka Nikāya
5. Atthakāmavagga
Veḷukajātaka
The Pole Acrobat: a past life story

“The headstrong man.”—This story was told by the Master while at Jetavana, about a certain headstrong Brother. For the Blessed One asked him whether the report was true that he was headstrong, and the Brother admitted that it was. “Brother,” said the Master, “this is not the first time you have been headstrong: you were just as headstrong in former days. Also, and as the result of your headstrong refusal to follow the advice of the wise and good, you met your end by the bite of a snake.” And so saying, he told this story of the past.

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The Pole Acrobat: a past life story
3. Veḷukajātaka
The Pole Acrobat: a past life story
3. Veḷukajātaka
The Pole Acrobat: a past life story3. Veḷukajātaka

One who does not follow advice when instructed*The commentary relates the story of an ascetic who kept a viper as a pet, despite being warned it will turn on him one day. Similar to Aesop’s fable The Farmer and the Viper, this story is retold in modern songs and politics. The viper was named Veḷuka because it lived in a tube of bamboo (veḷu), and the ascetic cared for it like a father. Note, however, that the verse says nothing about a viper.by an ally who wants to help,ends up destroyedlike the pole acrobat’s father.*Compare SN 42.19, where a low-caste acrobat who engages in a dangerous balancing act with their student is protected by the fact that they listen to each other’s wise advice. There, the “pole acrobat” is vaṁsika, whereas here it is the synonymous veḷuka.

“Yo atthakāmassa hitānukampino, Ovajjamāno na karoti sāsanaṁ; Evaṁ so nihato seti, Veḷukassa yathā pitā”ti.

One who does not follow advice when instructed*The commentary relates the story of an ascetic who kept a viper as a pet, despite being warned it will turn on him one day. Similar to Aesop’s fable The Farmer and the Viper, this story is retold in modern songs and politics. The viper was named Veḷuka because it lived in a tube of bamboo (veḷu), and the ascetic cared for it like a father. Note, however, that the verse says nothing about a viper.
“Yo atthakāmassa hitānukampino,
by an ally who wants to help,
Ovajjamāno na karoti sāsanaṁ;
ends up destroyed
Evaṁ so nihato seti,
like the pole acrobat’s father.*Compare SN 42.19, where a low-caste acrobat who engages in a dangerous balancing act with their student is protected by the fact that they listen to each other’s wise advice. There, the “pole acrobat” is vaṁsika, whereas here it is the synonymous veḷuka.
Veḷukassa yathā pitā”ti.

One who does not follow advice when instructed*The commentary relates the story of an ascetic who kept a viper as a pet, despite being warned it will turn on him one day. Similar to Aesop’s fable The Farmer and the Viper, this story is retold in modern songs and politics. The viper was named Veḷuka because it lived in a tube of bamboo (veḷu), and the ascetic cared for it like a father. Note, however, that the verse says nothing about a viper.“Yo atthakāmassa hitānukampino, by an ally who wants to help,Ovajjamāno na karoti sāsanaṁ; ends up destroyedEvaṁ so nihato seti, like the pole acrobat’s father.*Compare SN 42.19, where a low-caste acrobat who engages in a dangerous balancing act with their student is protected by the fact that they listen to each other’s wise advice. There, the “pole acrobat” is vaṁsika, whereas here it is the synonymous veḷuka.Veḷukassa yathā pitā”ti.

Veḷukajātakaṁ tatiyaṁ.

Veḷukajātakaṁ tatiyaṁ.

Veḷukajātakaṁ tatiyaṁ.