Minor Collection
8. The Temple Tree

The Fish: a past life story

Khuddaka Nikāya
8. Varuṇavagga
Macchajātaka
Minor Collection
8. The Temple Tree
The Fish: a past life story
Khuddaka Nikāya
8. Varuṇavagga
Macchajātaka
The Fish: a past life story

“Pajjunna, thunder!”—This story the Master told while at Jetavana, about the rain he caused to fall. For in those days, so it is said, there fell no rain in Kosala; the crops withered; and everywhere the ponds, tanks, and lakes dried up. Even the pool of Jetavana by the embattled gateway of Jetavana gave out; and the fish and tortoises buried themselves in the mud. Then came the crows and hawks with their lance-like beaks, and busily picked them out writhing and wriggling, and devoured them.

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The Fish: a past life story
5. Macchajātaka
The Fish: a past life story
5. Macchajātaka
The Fish: a past life story5. Macchajātaka

Thunder forth, Pajjuna!*Due to drought, a pond dried out and the crows feasted on the fish. One of the fish prayed for salvation to the god of rain, Pajjuna, who appears also in DN 20:17.7. The previous verse featured Vāta, the wind, following which comes Pajjuna, the thunderstorm. Thus the two go together, as they do often in the Vedas. | The story and this verse appears in Cp 30, where it illustrates the perfection of truth.Disperse the trove of the crow!*The commentary says the sense is that the stranded fish are the “trove” (nidhi) of the feasting crow, which is “wiped out” by being covered with water.Subject the crow to sorrow,*Pajjuna is fructifying and blessed, but also fearful and destructive (Rig Veda 5.83).and free me from sorrow!*Cp 30:7.6 has macche (“the fish”) instead of mañca (“me”). If mañca is accepted, there is no mention of fish in the verse. The original verse may have focused more specifically on the “trove of the crow”, i.e. the deathly drought, from which the waters offer relief. | In Vedic tradition, the waters are invoked to save one from the sin wiped by the crow’s mouth, the kiss of the dread goddess of black death, Nirṛti (Atharva Veda 7.64). The wish to harm the crow is distinctly un-Buddhist and more characteristic of the Atharva. Otherwise, though, the two passages are not similar, except they both end with the same verb.

“Abhitthanaya pajjunna, nidhiṁ kākassa nāsaya; Kākaṁ sokāya randhehi, mañca sokā pamocayā”ti.

Thunder forth, Pajjuna!*Due to drought, a pond dried out and the crows feasted on the fish. One of the fish prayed for salvation to the god of rain, Pajjuna, who appears also in DN 20:17.7. The previous verse featured Vāta, the wind, following which comes Pajjuna, the thunderstorm. Thus the two go together, as they do often in the Vedas. | The story and this verse appears in Cp 30, where it illustrates the perfection of truth.
“Abhitthanaya pajjunna,
Disperse the trove of the crow!*The commentary says the sense is that the stranded fish are the “trove” (nidhi) of the feasting crow, which is “wiped out” by being covered with water.
nidhiṁ kākassa nāsaya;
Subject the crow to sorrow,*Pajjuna is fructifying and blessed, but also fearful and destructive (Rig Veda 5.83).
Kākaṁ sokāya randhehi,
and free me from sorrow!*Cp 30:7.6 has macche (“the fish”) instead of mañca (“me”). If mañca is accepted, there is no mention of fish in the verse. The original verse may have focused more specifically on the “trove of the crow”, i.e. the deathly drought, from which the waters offer relief. | In Vedic tradition, the waters are invoked to save one from the sin wiped by the crow’s mouth, the kiss of the dread goddess of black death, Nirṛti (Atharva Veda 7.64). The wish to harm the crow is distinctly un-Buddhist and more characteristic of the Atharva. Otherwise, though, the two passages are not similar, except they both end with the same verb.
mañca sokā pamocayā”ti.

Thunder forth, Pajjuna!*Due to drought, a pond dried out and the crows feasted on the fish. One of the fish prayed for salvation to the god of rain, Pajjuna, who appears also in DN 20:17.7. The previous verse featured Vāta, the wind, following which comes Pajjuna, the thunderstorm. Thus the two go together, as they do often in the Vedas. | The story and this verse appears in Cp 30, where it illustrates the perfection of truth.“Abhitthanaya pajjunna, Disperse the trove of the crow!*The commentary says the sense is that the stranded fish are the “trove” (nidhi) of the feasting crow, which is “wiped out” by being covered with water.nidhiṁ kākassa nāsaya; Subject the crow to sorrow,*Pajjuna is fructifying and blessed, but also fearful and destructive (Rig Veda 5.83).Kākaṁ sokāya randhehi, and free me from sorrow!*Cp 30:7.6 has macche (“the fish”) instead of mañca (“me”). If mañca is accepted, there is no mention of fish in the verse. The original verse may have focused more specifically on the “trove of the crow”, i.e. the deathly drought, from which the waters offer relief. | In Vedic tradition, the waters are invoked to save one from the sin wiped by the crow’s mouth, the kiss of the dread goddess of black death, Nirṛti (Atharva Veda 7.64). The wish to harm the crow is distinctly un-Buddhist and more characteristic of the Atharva. Otherwise, though, the two passages are not similar, except they both end with the same verb.mañca sokā pamocayā”ti.

Macchajātakaṁ pañcamaṁ.

Macchajātakaṁ pañcamaṁ.

Macchajātakaṁ pañcamaṁ.