In a certain country there is a King, it is said. Near the city
there is also a mountain; on the mountain a [golden-coloured] Peacock
lodges. A Vaedda of that country saw that the Peacock lodges on the
mountain; having seen it the Vaedda for a long time made efforts to
seize the Peacock.
At that time the Peacock, getting to know that this Vaedda is saying,
"I will seize it," went to another mountain. Having gone, during
the time while it was at the mountain this Vaedda got to know of
it. Learning about it, the Vaedda went near that mountain also,
and made efforts to seize the Peacock. Age having gone to the Vaedda
while he was trying to catch [it], when he was about (lit., making)
to die he told the Vaedda's son about the matter of the Peacock. While
saying it the Vaedda died.
After the Vaedda's son became big he went near the mountain on which
the Peacock lodged. Having gone there, owing to its freedom from danger
(abiyata) he was unable to seize this Peacock. "I at least must seize
this Peacock," he thought.
After that, taking a pair of noose-posts (mala-kanu), and catching also
a peahen, he went there as the first light came, and having fixed the
pair of noose-posts he made the peahen cry out. When it was crying out
the Peacock came and perched (waehaewwa) near the peahen. Thereupon it
was fastened at the pair of noose-posts, and while it was fastened
the Vaedda went and seized the Peacock. The Vaedda, seizing it,
released the Peacock from the pair of noose-posts. Having released it
and said [to himself] that the Peacock is dead, he placed it on one
side. Having put it aside he opened the noose of the noose-posts. In
the twinkling of an eye the Peacock, having been as though dead,
flew away. The Vaedda sorrowed more than his first sorrow [at being
unable to catch it].
The Peacock having flown away, without staying in that country went
to another country. In that country it began to lodge on a mountain
of that country also. At the time when a Vaedda of that country was
going hunting he met with the Peacock alone, and told the King of that
country, "There is a gold-coloured Peacock at such and such a cave."
When he said it the King caused the notification tom-toms to be beaten,
and told all the Vaeddas of that country to come. Then all the Vaeddas
came. After they came the King said, "On such and such a mountain a
Peacock lodges. Catching the Peacock come back."
Then the Vaeddas having gone tried to catch it; the Vaeddas were unable
to catch it, so the Vaeddas told the King, "We cannot catch it." Then
the King having become angry with the Vaeddas said, "Without staying
in my country go ye to another country." So the Vaeddas went away.
Out of them one Vaedda stopped and said to the King, "O Lord, Your
Majesty, I will go quite alone and come back [after] catching it."
Then having said, "It is good," the King asked, "To catch the Peacock
what are the things you want?"
The Vaedda said, "I want, for five days, food-expenses and a pair of
noose-posts." So the King gave them.
Then the Vaedda, taking the articles also, went near the
mountain. Having gone there, he stayed for three or four days to get to
know the time when the Peacock comes and goes for food; he learnt the
times when the Peacock comes and goes. [After] learning them having
fixed the pair of noose-posts in the morning before it became light,
he made the peahen [which he had caught and brought with him] call in
the very same manner as at first. Then the Peacock came and perched
on the pair of noose-posts [and was caught]. Thereupon the Vaedda,
taking the Peacock, came near the King. The King took the Peacock,
and gave the Vaedda many presents and distinctions. Having given them
he kept the Peacock.
When it had been there in that way a considerable time, a King of
another country, taking his army also, came to seize that city. At
the time when he came, this King having prepared to go to the war and
having come carrying the Peacock, said, "Should I win in this war I
will free thee; if not, I will kill thee."
Then the Peacock said, "Taking my feather, and placing it on your
head, and tying it there, should you go you will win." So the King
having gone in that manner conquered in that war.
Having conquered he came to the palace, and having come near
the Peacock, he says, "By thy power, indeed, I conquered in this
war." Having said, "Because of it, half the kingdom is for thee,
the other half for me," dividing the kingdom he remained there.
North-western Province.
In The Jataka, No. 159 (vol. ii, p. 23), and also No. 491 (vol. iv,
p. 210), there is a story of a Golden Peacock. "The egg which contained
him had a shell as yellow as a kanikara bud; and when he broke the
shell, he became a Golden Peacock, fair and lovely, with beautiful
red lines under his wings." We learn that "when day dawned, as he
sat upon the hill [at Dandaka], watching the sun rise, he composed a
Brahma spell to preserve himself safe in his own feeding-ground." It
was as follows:--
There he rises, king all-seeing,
Making all things bright with his golden light.
Thee I worship, glorious being,
Making all things bright with thy golden light.
Keep me safe, I pray
Through the coming day. [343]
During the reign of six Kings it could not be captured on account
of the spell, but at last a hunter with the assistance of a tame
peahen owing to whose presence the bird forgot to utter the spell,
succeeded in catching it in a spring net. [344] The Peacock proved
to the satisfaction of the King that he had been a devout monarch
himself in a former life, keeping the five Precepts, and after being
rewarded with an existence in the heaven of Sakra had been re-born
on earth as a Golden Peacock. After this he was allowed to return to
"the golden hill of Dandaka." The bird admitted that "all who eat of
me become immortal and have eternal youth." In the second story the
Peacock was released by the hunter, whom he converted to Buddhism.
In all the earlier part of this Jataka tale there is no trace of
Buddhism; the Peacock was a sun worshipper, pure and simple. It is
evident that the latter part has been tacked on to it in order to
give it a Buddhist complexion.
It is possible, therefore, that the Sinhalese form of the tale
preserves an early version which the composer of the Jataka story
modified to suit his purpose. See my note in vol. i, p. 240, on the
story of the Jackal and the Turtle.