Bhojājānīyajātaka
“Though prostrate now.”—This story was told by the Master while at Jetavana about a Brother who gave up persevering. For it was then that the Master addressed that Brother and said, “Brethren, in bygone days the wise and good persevered even amid hostile surroundings, and, even when they were wounded, still did not give in.” And, so saying, he told this story of the past.
Translated by Bhikkhu Sujato · Pāli: Mahāsaṅgīti Tipiṭaka · Public domain (CC0) via SuttaCentral
1.1PTS 1.180“Api passena semāno,Though lying on my side11.2sallebhi sallalīkato;pierced by many arrows,1.3Seyyova vaḷavā bhojjo,the king’s stallion beats a gelding—21.4yuñja maññeva sārathī”ti.harness me now, charioteer.3
2.1Bhojājānīyajātakaṁ tatiyaṁ.
A wounded warhorse urges its rider to take one last stand.
Bhoja is a common name or term for a king. The commentary says the bhojja was a stallion from Sindh (today a province of Pakistan).
Vaḷavā is normally “mare”, but here it is masculine ablative, glossed with the masculine khaluṅkasso (“wild colt”, see AN 8.14:9.1). It is said to be not from Sindh. Monier-Williams defines vaḍaba as “a male horse resembling a mare”, perhaps a gelding.
Read yuñja maṁ yeva.
