Dummedhajātaka
“A thousand evildoers.”—This story was told by the Master while at Jetavana, about actions done for the world’s good, as will be explained in the Twelfth Book in the Maha-Kanha-jataka.
Translated by Bhikkhu Sujato · Pāli: Mahāsaṅgīti Tipiṭaka · Public domain (CC0) via SuttaCentral
1.1PTS 1.260“Dummedhānaṁ sahassena,A sacrifice of simpletons by the thousand11.2yañño me upayācito;was pledged by me.21.3Idāni khohaṁ yajissāmi,Now I shall sacrifice1.4bahu adhammiko jano”ti.many an unrighteous man.
2.1Dummedhajātakaṁ dasamaṁ.
2.2Atthakāmavaggo pañcamo.
3.1Tassuddānaṁ
4.1Atha mittaka mātu kapotavaro,4.2Tathā veḷuka eḷamūgo rohiṇī;4.3Kapi vāruṇi cetacarā ca puna,4.4Tathā tāraka yaññavarena dasāti.
5.1Paṭhamo paṇṇāsako.
The Bodhisatta, though an unbeliever, regularly offers flowers to a deity while still the crown prince. On ascending the throne, he announces that he must pay back the deity by offering a thousand evildoers in sacrifice. The bluff had the intended effect, for from that day not a single evildoer was to be found.
Upayācita here has the same meaning as in Sanskrit, a promise or pledge made to propitiate a deity. It occurs at Ja 544:122.1 in the same sense.
