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Ja 1591 min read

The Peacock

Morajātaka

“There he rises, king all-seeing,” etc.

Translated by Bhikkhu Sujato · Pāli: Mahāsaṅgīti Tipiṭaka · Public domain (CC0) via SuttaCentral

  • 0.1JātakaStories of Past Lives 159
  • 0.2DukanipātaThe Book of the Twos
  • 0.3DaḷhavaggaThe Chapter on the Strong

0.49. MorajātakaThe Peacock: a past life story

1.1PTS 2.33“Udetayañ cakkhumā ekarājā,This Clear-eyed One arises, the One King,11.2Harissavaṇṇo pathavippabhāso;palomino-colored, shining over the earth.21.3Taṁ taṁ namassāmi harissavaṇṇaṁ pathavippabhāsaṁ,I bow especially to you, palomino-colored, shining over the earth:31.4Tayājja guttā viharemu divasaṁ.guarded by you let us live out this day.4

2.1PTS 2.34Ye brāhmaṇā vedagū sabbadhamme,Those brahmins who are knowledge-masters with respect to all things,2.2Te me namo te ca maṁ pālayantu;I worship them, may they keep me safe.2.3Namatthu buddhānaṁ namatthu bodhiyā,Hail the Awakened Ones, hail Awakening!2.4Namo vimuttānaṁ namo vimuttiyā;Homage to the freed ones, homage to freedom!2.5Imaṁ so parittaṁ katvā,Having made this protection,2.6Moro carati esanā.the peacock wanders seeking.5

3.1PTS 2.35Apetayaṁ cakkhumā ekarājā,This Clear-eyed One sets, the One King,3.2Harissavaṇṇo pathavippabhāso;palomino-colored, shining over the earth.3.3Taṁ taṁ namassāmi harissavaṇṇaṁ pathavippabhāsaṁ,I bow especially to you, palomino-colored, shining over the earth:3.4Tayājja guttā viharemu rattiṁ.guarded by you let us live out this night.

4.1Ye brāhmaṇā vedagū sabbadhamme,Those brahmins who are knowledge-masters with respect to all things,4.2Te me namo te ca maṁ pālayantu;I worship them, may they keep me safe.4.3Namatthu buddhānaṁ namatthu bodhiyā,Hail the Awakened Ones, hail Awakening!4.4Namo vimuttānaṁ namo vimuttiyā;Homage to the freed ones, homage to freedom!4.5Imaṁ so parittaṁ katvā,Having made this protection,4.6Moro vāsamakappayī”ti.the peacock made his home.

5.1Morajātakaṁ navamaṁ.

Translator’s notes

  1. A golden peacock-king, having fled deep in the mountains for safety, recites this verse every day. The poem takes straightforward solar worship in the Vedic style and adds quite separate Buddhistic verses.

    “One king” (ekarāja) is used of an actual king at Ja 303 and Ja 542. Indra is called the “one king” at Rig Veda 8.37.3. Here, of course, it is the sun.

    ↩ ja159:1.1

  2. Harissa is Vedic haryaśva, “yellow horse” or more commonly “he of the yellow horses”, a name of Indra. He is named such in worship of the sun and dawn at Rig Veda 3.30.12–13 and Rig Veda 3.44.2.

    ↩ ja159:1.2

  3. For the expression taṁ taṁ see note on Snp 5.5:10.3.

    ↩ ja159:1.3

  4. While the supplicant is singular (“I worship”), he wishes safety for all (“let us live out”).

    ↩ ja159:1.4

  5. Commentary: the peacock sets out in search of fruits and flowers in his pasture.

    ↩ ja159:2.6