Jathaka stories:

Nigrodha Miga Jathakaya

Retold by Risitha DEELAKA WICKMAL SUBASINGHE

There was a rich aristocrat in Rajagahanuwara in ancient India, whose pretty daughter had given up mundane attachments and was eager to enter the order of nuns. Her father protested against his daughter's peculiar desire, but yet she was not discouraged by her parents effort to hold her back. She thought to and pacified herself thus. "Well, my parents may not allow me to enter the holy order of nuns which would be a supreme bliss but I would somehow make it happen when I get married", she vowed.

When she attained age, her parents gave her in marriage to another rich aristocrat in the city. Though she had the need of renouncing her lay life, she remained faithful to the wedlock, by being a loyal wife to her husband.

On one festive occasion, their countrymen gathered to celebrate the day at an auspicious time, clad in finest clothes with whatever rich jewellery they had. She did not crave to adorn herself with rich attire though she had them in abundance and instead wore simple clothes and was seated in a corner of the chamber. Her husband, on seeing the looks of his loving wife on that particular day, where even the poorest were clad in their finest attire they could afford, astonishingly asked the princess, "Oh, my dear wife! What is this I wonder? Don't you know that today is the day of the biggest festival in the country and every one as a custom are clad in the best of clothes? What has gone wrong with you? If people see you like this they would mistake me that I ill-treat you".

"Dear prince, I have no attachment for this body. This body is only a cover for a raft of carcasses. Inside the body it is extremely disgusting. So, I do not want to adorn that outer cover of that disgusting carcasses. I am very much attracted towards the life of nuns", said the princess. "Dear, are you trying to renounce lay life?, asked the man with a note of disappointment.

"If you permit me to do that I am ready for that even at this very moment". The woman replied in a tone which was filled with anxiety.

"Do not worry! I will make your aspiration come true", said the husband and later made necessary arrangements for her to enter into the order of nuns. She was ordained under the sect of Ven. Dewdath thera.

Pregnancy

When time passed by, the nun showed tell tale signs of pregnancy when other nuns inquired of her. "It looks that you have become pregnant. How could that happen to a nun?" "I have strictly adhered to all rules that a nun should follow and according to my knowledge I have not misbehaved." The other nuns refused to accept her explanation. And the head of that sector, Ven Dewdath Thera, without even holding a fair inquiry, expelled her from the Ashram.

Meanwhile the story that "A nun who in the Buddha Sasana has become pregnant" spread to other Ashrams.

The Buddha too came to know of this disgraceful price of news. He sought the help of the king to solve this confusion. The Buddha called on the king Kosol, Aneka Pindika Sitano, Visaka Situ Diyani and four -fold followers of the Buddha Sasana.

Upali Thera requested Visaka Situ Diyani to verify the conception as to see whether it had happened before she was ordained or after.

As Upali Thera requested, with several female witnesses Visaka Situ diyani examined the nun's belly and informed the assembly that by giving by the growth of the foetus the conception had occurred before she was ordained.

She was thus exonerated from the allegation made by the Dewdath sector and later bore a son. Until the king Kosol made arrangements to look after the child by the king's nurses the nun had to, though it was not advisable, look after the child.

Kumara Kashyapa, the nun's son entered the holy order at the age of seven.

One day when the monks were at a discussion, the Buddha who arrived in the hall, inquired of them,' what was the topic were you discussing?". "Lord, we were talking about how you had helped an innocent nun, the mother of Kumara Kashyapa Thera, who was about to be expelled by the Dewdath Thera", Monks replied.

"Monks, this is not the first time the Buddha has helped them. I would relate to you another similar story". The Buddha then preached them the Nigrodha Miga Jathakaya to the monks who had thronged the hall.

Once upon a time in Varanasi, there lived a king named Brahmadatta. At the same time there lived two dear clans and the two leaders were namely Nigrodhamiga and Sakha and had golden complexion.

The king Brahmadatta had this habit taking a meal with meat. So, the king made all the men in the country to join him on a hunting trip which resulted in the men of the country having no time for their trade and their families suffered without food as a result. But those men had no other option but to obey the king's order. They were faced with a dilemma whether to go hunting every day without engaging in their trade, or to let their families starve!

Eventually they planned out a fine strategy. They grew grass in the royal park and dug small ponds. They made a special trap door for animals who could enter but will not be able to get out. People went out and chased herds of deer into the royal park. Then they approached to the king to inform him that he would have a good number of deer in his park, and asked for his permission to go back to their families and their trades.

The king was exhilarated on seeing the number of deer in his park. Out of the herd the king released two gold coloured ones from being slaughtered for meat but though allowed them to live in the park. King's cook killed a deer a day when many suffered injuries and more than one died in pain. Nigrodhamiga told about the mishap to the Sakha and then Sakha inquired as to how to prevent them by killing with arrows. Nigrodhamiga thought of a strategy. He met the king and suggested not to kill deer with arrows but to arrange a place near the kitchen to sever their heads so that others in the herd would not suffer.

"But how can we do that?", The king was puzzled.

"I would ask each deer to go to the place of slaughter once their turn comes, So that others can live without any fear". King agreed to this suggestion made by the deer leader Nigrodhamiga.

Rest of the herd agreed to the leader's decision and did as they were told.

Sacrifice

One day the turn came for a pregnant deer of the Sakha's gang. She went to her leader Sakha and pleaded, "Master, I am pregnant. I will bear the child so that there will be two for two days. Please ask someone else to sacrifice his life in my place. Soon after I give birth I will sacrifice my life".

"No, I cannot ask anyone else to sacrifice his life. Everyone in the world likes to live for one more second. There is no option. You cannot miss your turn," said the cruel leader Sakha.

But she did not give up. She went to the other leader Nigrodhamiga and told her plight. "Ok, I will release you," said Nigrodhamiga and rushed to the slaughter spot. The cook informed the king that the golden deer who was released from being slaughtered has taken his turn that day. The king wondered and asked the golden deer Nigrodhamiga, " I have released you, how come you are here today? Nigrodhamiga related the pregnant deer's story. "Great king! Today is the turn of a pregnant deer. She came to me and pleaded for a favour from me. She wanted me to exchange her turn with some other deer. She told me that after giving birth, she and the child can both take turns twice. And great king, how can I ask someone else to die for someone else? So, I decided to give my life to her, said Nigrodha Miga. Highly taken up with the attitude of the deer, king Brahmadatta remarked, though you are an animal you seemed to possess noble qualities which even humans fail to have. I respect your sublime qualities and free both you and the pregnant deer from death.

"But great king, there are others and they will live in fear of losing their lives," said Nigrodha Miga. "I will release the entire pack from death and you will be their only king".

"Although all would be freed from death, there are other animals as well and when you need meat you will have to kill them." "I, from this moment itself, will issue an order to the people of this country not to kill any animal. So that all animals will be freed from untimely death. I, Nigrodha Miga promise you that", assured the king.

Nigrodha Miga preached Dhamma to the king. He taught him Dasaraja Dhamma(ten commandments for a ruler) and other disciplines.

Nigrodha Miga, after freeing all animals from death, led his deer community who were in the royal park, to the wilderness. All the animals thanked Nigrodha Miga for his noble effort.

After living his life happily and righteously, Nigrodha Miga was born as a deity in heavens after his death.

The Bodhisatva was born as Nigrodha Miga , Kumara Kashyapa Thera's mother as pregnant deer, and Dewdath Thera as Sakha in that life.