Ja 261 min read

Damsel-face the Brigand

Mahiḷāmukhajātaka

“Through hearing first.”—This story was told by the Master while at the Bamboo-grove, about Devadatta, who, having secured the adherence of Prince Ajata-sattu, had attained both gain and honour. Prince Ajata-sattu had a Monastery built for Devadatta at Gaya-sisa, and every day brought to him five hundred kettles of perfumed three-year-old rice flavoured with all the choicest flavourings. All this gain and honour brought Devadatta a great following, with whom Devadatta lived on, without ever stirring out of his Monastery.

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

0.1JātakaStories of Past Lives 26
0.2EkakanipātaThe Book of the Ones
0.3KuruṅgavaggaThe Four-horned Antelope

0.46. MahiḷāmukhajātakaThe Elephant Named Ladyface: a past life story

1.1PTS 1.188“Purāṇacorāna vaco nisamma,Before, hearing the speech of the bandits,¹1.2Mahiḷāmukho pothayamanvacārī;Ladyface went on a rampage.1.3Susaññatānañhi vaco nisamma,But hearing the speech of the well-restrained,1.4Gajuttamo sabbaguṇesu aṭṭhā”ti.the supreme elephant is established <j>in all good qualities.²

2.1Mahiḷāmukhajātakaṁ chaṭṭhaṁ.

Translator’s notes

A good-natured royal elephant was corrupted after overhearing some bandits speaking evilly.
↩ ja26:1.1
Aṭṭhā is glossed with patiṭṭhito.
↩ ja26:1.4