answer he went to the palace and said, "My son, Sire, has completed his education: what is he to do?" "Master, let him wait on us." "What do you decide, Sire, about his expenses?" "Let him receive a thousand pieces of money daily." He readily agreed to this, and returning home he called his boy to him and said, "Dear son, you are to serve the king." Thenceforth he received every day a thousand pieces of money and attended on the king. The king's attendants were offended; "We do not see that Jotipala does anything, and he receives a thousand pieces of money every day. We should like to see a specimen of his skill." The king heard what they said and told the priest. He said, "All right, Sire," and told his son. "Very well, dear father," he said, "on the seventh day from this I will show them: let the king assemble all the archers in his dominion." The priest went and repeated what he said to the king. The king, by beat of drum through the city, had all his archers gathered together. When they were assembled, they numbered sixty thousand. The king, on hearing that they were assembled, said: "Let all that dwell in the city witness the skill of Jotipala." And making proclamation by beat of drum, he had the palace yard made ready, and, followed by a great crowd, [129] he took his seat on a splendid throne, and, when he had summoned the archers, he sent for Jotipala. He put the bow and quiver and coat of mail and diadem, which had been given to him by his teacher, beneath his under garment, and had the sword carried for him, and then came before the king in his ordinary garb and stood respectfully on one side. The archers thought, "Jotipala, they say, has come to give us a specimen of his skill, but from his coming without a bow he will evidently want to receive one at our hands," but they all agreed they would not give him one. The king, addressing Jotipala, said, "Give us proof of your skill." So he had a tent-like screen thrown round about him, and taking his stand inside it, and doffing his cloak, he girt on his armour, and got into his coat of mail and fastened the diadem on his head. Then he fixed a string of the colour of coral on his ram's-horn bow, and binding his quiver on his back and fastening his sword on his left side, he twirled an arrow tipt with adamant on his nail, and threw open the screen and sallied forth like a Naga prince bursting out of the earth, splendidly equipped, and stood making an obeisance to the king. The multitude, on seeing him, jumped about and shouted and clapped their hands. The king said, "Jotipala, give us a specimen of your skill." "Sire," he said, "amongst your archers are men who pierce like lightning , able to split a hair, and to shoot at a sound (without seeing) and to cleave a (falling) arrow . Summon
Chapters
- Book XVI: Story 511 — KIMCHANDA-JATAKA.
- Book XVI: Story 512 — KUMBHA-JATAKA.
- Book XVI: Story 513 — JAYADDISA-JATAKA.
- Book XVI: Story 514 — CHADDANTA-JATAKA. [*1]
- Book XVI: Story 515 — SAMBHAVA-JATAKA.
- Book XVI: Story 516 — MAHAKAPI-JATAKA.
- Book XVI: Story 518 — PANDARA-JATAKA.
- Book XVI: Story 519 — SAMBULA-JATAKA.
- Book XVI: Story 520 — GANDATINDU-JATAKA.
- Book XVII: Story 521 — TESAKUNA-JATAKA.
- Book XVII: Story 522 — SARABHANGA-JATAKA.
- Book XVII: Story 523 — ALAMBUSA-JATAKA.
- Book XVII: Story 524 — SAMKHAPALA-JATAKA.
- Book XVII: Story 525 — CULLA-SUTASOMA-JATAKA.
- Book XVIII: Story 526 — NALINIKA-JATAKA.
- Book XVIII: Story 527 — UMMADANTI-JATAKA. [*1]
- Book XVIII: Story 528 — MAHABODHI-JATAKA. [*1]
- Book XIX: Story 529 — SONAKA-JATAKA. [*1]
- Book XIX: Story 530 — SAMKICCA-JATAKA.
- Book XX: Story 531 — KUSA-JATAKA. [*1]
- Book XX: Story 532 — SONA-NANDA-JATAKA.
- Book XXI: Story 533 — CULLAHAMSA-JATAKA. [*1]
- Book XXI: Story 534 — MAHAHAMSA-JATAKA. [*1]
- Book XXI: Story 535 — SUDHABHOJANA-JATAKA [*2].
- Book XXI: Story 536 — KUNALA-JATAKA [*1].
- Book XXI: Story 537 — MAHA-SUTASOMA-JATAKA [*1].
Book XVII: Story 522 — SARABHANGA-JATAKA.