Minor Collection
8. The Temple Tree

The Warding Tree: a past life story

Khuddaka Nikāya
8. Varuṇavagga
Varuṇajātaka
Minor Collection
8. The Temple Tree
The Warding Tree: a past life story
Khuddaka Nikāya
8. Varuṇavagga
Varuṇajātaka
The Warding Tree: a past life story

“Learn thou from him.”—This story was told by the Master while at Jetavana, about the Elder named Tissa the Squire’s Son. Tradition says that one day thirty young gentlemen of Savatthi, who were all friends of one another, took perfumes and flowers and robes, and set out with a large retinue to Jetavana, in order to hear the Master preach. Arrived at Jetavana, they sat awhile in the several enclosures—in the enclosure of the Iron-wood trees, in the enclosure of the Sal-trees, and so forth,—till at evening the Master passed from his fragrant sweet-smelling perfumed chamber to the Hall of Truth and took his seat on the gorgeous Buddha-seat. Then, with their following, these young men went to the Hall of Truth, made an offering of perfumes and flowers, bowed down at his feet—those blessed feet that were glorious as full-blown lotus-flowers, and bore imprinted on the sole the Wheel!—and, taking their seats, listened to the Truth. Then the thought came into their minds, “Let us take the vows, so far as we understand the Truth preached by the Master.” Accordingly, when the Blessed One left the Hall, they approached him and with due obeisance asked to be admitted to the Brotherhood; and the Master admitted them to the Brotherhood. Winning the favour of their teachers and directors they received full Brotherhood, and after five years’ residence with their teachers and directors, by which time they had got by heart the two Abstracts, had come to know what was proper and what was improper, had learnt the three modes of expressing thanks, and had stitched and dyed robes. At this stage, wishing to embrace the ascetic life, they obtained the consent of their teachers and directors, and approached the Master. Bowing before him they took their seats, saying, “Sir, we are troubled by the round of existence, dismayed by birth, decay, disease, and death; give us a theme, by thinking on which we may get free from the elements which occasion existence.” The Master turned over in his mind the eight and thirty themes of thought, and therefrom selected a suitable one, which he expounded to them. And then, after getting their theme from the Master, they bowed and with a ceremonious farewell passed from his presence to their cells, and after gazing on their teachers and directors went forth with bowl and robe to embrace the ascetic life.

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The Warding Tree: a past life story
1. Varuṇajātaka
The Warding Tree: a past life story
1. Varuṇajātaka
The Warding Tree: a past life story1. Varuṇajātaka

Whoever wishes to do afterwards*A lazy pupil takes a nap while others are gathering firewood. At the last moment, he carelessly snaps a green branch off the Warding Tree, hurting his eye in the process; and when it came time for breakfast, the fire would not light.tasks they should have done before,like the one who broke a branch off the Warding Tree,*Varaṇa (or varuṇa, Crateva religiosa) is from the root var “to ward”. It is associated with Vedic rites of the dead and with “warding off” demons, foes, and all manner of ills (Atharva Veda 10.3). Vedic ritualists were very particular about what wood was to be used for what purpose (eg. Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa 13.8.4.1), and varaṇa wood, due to its association with the rites of death, was not to be used to make offerings in the life-giving Homa fire ritual (Maitrāyaṇī Saṁhitā 1.6.7). The association of the varaṇa with death is maintained in the commentarial story behind Ja 38, where the crane kills fish on a branch of this tree. This verse, I suggest, was originally a warning against using the wrong wood for the ritual.afterwards is tormented by regrets.

“Yo pubbe karaṇīyāni, pacchā so kātumicchati; Varuṇakaṭṭhabhañjova, *Varuṇakaṭṭhabhañjova → varaṇakaṭṭhabhañjova (bj, pts-vp-pli1); varuṇakaṭṭhaṁ bhañjova (sya1ed, sya2ed)sa pacchā manutappatī”ti.

Whoever wishes to do afterwards*A lazy pupil takes a nap while others are gathering firewood. At the last moment, he carelessly snaps a green branch off the Warding Tree, hurting his eye in the process; and when it came time for breakfast, the fire would not light.
“Yo pubbe karaṇīyāni,
tasks they should have done before,
pacchā so kātumicchati;
like the one who broke a branch off the Warding Tree,*Varaṇa (or varuṇa, Crateva religiosa) is from the root var “to ward”. It is associated with Vedic rites of the dead and with “warding off” demons, foes, and all manner of ills (Atharva Veda 10.3). Vedic ritualists were very particular about what wood was to be used for what purpose (eg. Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa 13.8.4.1), and varaṇa wood, due to its association with the rites of death, was not to be used to make offerings in the life-giving Homa fire ritual (Maitrāyaṇī Saṁhitā 1.6.7). The association of the varaṇa with death is maintained in the commentarial story behind Ja 38, where the crane kills fish on a branch of this tree. This verse, I suggest, was originally a warning against using the wrong wood for the ritual.
Varuṇakaṭṭhabhañjova, *Varuṇakaṭṭhabhañjova → varaṇakaṭṭhabhañjova (bj, pts-vp-pli1); varuṇakaṭṭhaṁ bhañjova (sya1ed, sya2ed)
afterwards is tormented by regrets.
sa pacchā manutappatī”ti.

Whoever wishes to do afterwards*A lazy pupil takes a nap while others are gathering firewood. At the last moment, he carelessly snaps a green branch off the Warding Tree, hurting his eye in the process; and when it came time for breakfast, the fire would not light.“Yo pubbe karaṇīyāni, tasks they should have done before,pacchā so kātumicchati; like the one who broke a branch off the Warding Tree,*Varaṇa (or varuṇa, Crateva religiosa) is from the root var “to ward”. It is associated with Vedic rites of the dead and with “warding off” demons, foes, and all manner of ills (Atharva Veda 10.3). Vedic ritualists were very particular about what wood was to be used for what purpose (eg. Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa 13.8.4.1), and varaṇa wood, due to its association with the rites of death, was not to be used to make offerings in the life-giving Homa fire ritual (Maitrāyaṇī Saṁhitā 1.6.7). The association of the varaṇa with death is maintained in the commentarial story behind Ja 38, where the crane kills fish on a branch of this tree. This verse, I suggest, was originally a warning against using the wrong wood for the ritual.Varuṇakaṭṭhabhañjova, *Varuṇakaṭṭhabhañjova → varaṇakaṭṭhabhañjova (bj, pts-vp-pli1); varuṇakaṭṭhaṁ bhañjova (sya1ed, sya2ed)afterwards is tormented by regrets.sa pacchā manutappatī”ti.

Varuṇajātakaṁ paṭhamaṁ. *Varuṇajātakaṁ → varaṇajātakaṁ (pts-vp-pli1)

Varuṇajātakaṁ paṭhamaṁ. *Varuṇajātakaṁ → varaṇajātakaṁ (pts-vp-pli1)

Varuṇajātakaṁ paṭhamaṁ. *Varuṇajātakaṁ → varaṇajātakaṁ (pts-vp-pli1)