In long-past times, when the Bodisat was in a state of indefinite
merit-aggregation, he was the prince of a band of five hundred
gazelles. Now a hunter had prepared a great many traps, nets, and
springs, for the purpose of catching gazelles. As the gazelle prince
carelessly enjoyed life, wandering about the forest with a troop of
five hundred gazelles, he was caught in a net one day while heading the
troop of gazelles. When the other gazelles saw him caught in the net,
they all fled away, except one doe which remained beside the prince.
Although the gazelle prince struggled hard, he was not able to tear the
net. When the doe saw that, as she ran to and fro, she said, “As the
hunter has prepared this net, exert thyself, O blessed one, exert
thyself, O head of the gazelles.”
He replied, “Although I press my hoofs firmly against the ground, yet
as the net which binds me is strong, and my feet are sorely wounded, I
cannot tear the net. What then is to be done?”
Presently came the hunter towards that spot, dressed in brown clothes
and bearing a bow and arrows. The doe saw the hunter draw nigh in order
to kill the gazelle prince. Having seen him, she hurriedly exclaimed in
verse—
“As this is the hunter who prepared this net, exert thyself, O highly
blessed gazelle prince, exert thyself.”