Ja 401 min read

The Pit of Acacia Charcoal

Khadiraṅgārajātaka

“Far rather will I headlong plunge.”—This story was told by the Master while at Jetavana, about Anatha-pindika.

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

0.1JātakaStories of Past Lives 40
0.2EkakanipātaThe Book of the Ones
0.3KulāvakavaggaNests

0.410. KhadiraṅgārajātakaThe Pit of Acacia Coals: a past life story

1.1PTS 1.233“Kāmaṁ patāmi nirayaṁ,Fine, let me fall¹1.2uddhampādo avaṁsiro;head over heels into hell,1.3Nānariyaṁ karissāmi,but I shall not do what is ignoble.1.4handa piṇḍaṁ paṭiggahā”ti.Please accept my alms offering.

2.1Khadiraṅgārajātakaṁ dasamaṁ.

2.2Kulāvakavaggo catuttho.

3.1Tassuddānaṁ

4.1Sirimātali dhītara pakkhivaro,4.2Ratiyāgato mātāpitā ca puna;4.3Jagatīruha vuḍḍha sukakkaṭako,4.4Tathā nandakapiṇḍavarena dasāti.

Translator’s notes

Māra, in order to prevent the Bodhisatta from giving alms to a Paccekabuddha, creates an illusion of a vast pit burning with coals of acacia wood. But the Bodhisatta is not intimidated.
↩ ja40:1.1