Asilakkhaṇajātaka
“Our diverse fates.”—This story was told by the Master while at Jetavana, about a brahmin retained by the King of Kosala because of his power of telling whether swords were lucky or not. We are told that when the king’s smiths had forged a sword, this brahmin could by merely smelling it tell whether it was a lucky one or not. And he made it a rule only to commend the work of those smiths who gave him presents, while he rejected the work of those who did not bribe him.
Translated by Bhikkhu Sujato · Pāli: Mahāsaṅgīti Tipiṭaka · Public domain (CC0) via SuttaCentral
1.1PTS 1.458“Tadevekassa kalyāṇaṁ,That is good for some,11.2tadevekassa pāpakaṁ;ill for others.1.3Tasmā sabbaṁ na kalyāṇaṁ,Therefore not all is good,1.4sabbaṁ vāpi na pāpakan”ti.nor is all ill.
2.1Asilakkhaṇajātakaṁ chaṭṭhaṁ.
This innocuous verse is wryly deadpan in the context of the rather outrageous slapstick of the origin story.
