No. 377.

SETAKETU-JATAKA.

"Friend, be not angry," etc.--The Master told this tale at Jetavana, of a deceitful Brother. The occasion of the story will appear in the Uddala Birth.

Once upon a time when Brahmadatta was king in Benares, the Bodhisatta was a far-famed teacher and taught the sacred texts to five hundred pupils. The senior of them, Setaketu by name, was born of a brahmin family from the north, and was very proud on account of his caste. One day he went out of the town with other pupils, and when coming in again he saw a [233] candala. "Who are you?" he said. "I am a candala." He feared the wind after striking the candala's body might touch his own body, so he cried, "Curse you, you ill-omened candala, get to leeward," and went quickly to windward, but the candala was too quick for him and stood to windward of him. Then he abused and reviled him the more, "Curse you, ill-omened one." The candala asked, "Who are you?" "I am a brahmin student." "Very well, if you are, you will be able to answer me a question." "Yes." "If you can't, I will put you between my feet." The brahmin, feeling confident, said, "Proceed." The candala, making the company understand the case, asked the question, "Young brahmin, what are the quarters? " "The quarters are four, the East and the rest." The candala said, "I am not asking about that kind of quarter: and you, ignorant even of this, loathe the wind that has struck my body," so he took him by the shoulder and forcing him down put him between his feet. The other pupils told their teacher of the affair. He asked, "Young Setaketu, have you been put between a candala's feet?" "Yes, teacher: the son of a slave put me between his feet, saying, "He doesn't know even the quarters"; but now I shall know what to do to him," and so he reviled the candala angrily. The teacher admonished him: "Young Setaketu, be not angry with him, he is wise; he was asking about another kind of quarter, not this: what you have not seen, or heard, or understood is far more than what you have": and he spoke two stanzas by way of admonition:

Friend, be not angry, anger is not good:
Wisdom is more than you have seen or heard:
[234] By "quarter" parents may be understood,
And teacher is denoted by the word.

The householder who gives food, clothes and drink,
Whose doors are open, he a "quarter" is:
And "quarter" in the highest sense, we think,
Is that last state where misery shall be bliss.