VighāsādajātakaJātaka 393 · Volume 3, translated by H. T. Francis and R. A. Neil (1897)

Public domain. H. T. Francis and R. A. Neil’s translation was published in 1897. The Pali is the Mahāsaṅgīti edition published by SuttaCentral under CC0. The canonical Pali Jātaka consists of the verses only (6 verses here); the prose story around them comes from the later commentary, which the English translates in full. So the verses are shown beside the whole English story, not verse by verse.

Pali verses

“Susukhaṁ vata jīvanti,
ye janā vighāsādino;
Diṭṭheva dhamme pāsaṁsā,
samparāye ca suggatī”.

“Sukassa bhāsamānassa,
na nisāmetha paṇḍitā;
Idaṁ suṇātha sodariyā,
amhevāyaṁ pasaṁsati”.

“Nāhaṁ tumhe pasaṁsāmi,
kuṇapādā suṇātha me;
Ucchiṭṭhabhojino tumhe,
na tumhe vighāsādino”.

“Sattavassā pabbajitā,
mejjhāraññe sikhaṇḍino;
Vighāseneva yāpentā,
mayañce bhoto gārayhā;
Ke nu bhoto pasaṁsiyā”.

“Tumhe sīhānaṁ byagghānaṁ,
vāḷānañcāvasiṭṭhakaṁ;
Ucchiṭṭheneva yāpentā,
maññivho vighāsādino.

Ye brāhmaṇassa samaṇassa,
aññassa vā vanibbino;
Datvāva sesaṁ bhuñjanti,
te janā vighāsādino”ti.

English Francis and Neil 1897

"Happy life is theirs," etc.—The Master told this tale while dwelling in the East Garden, concerning some Brethren who were given to amusement. The great Moggallāna had shaken their dwelling and alarmed them. The Brethren sat discussing their fault in the Hall of Truth. The Master being told this said to them, "They are not given to amusement for the first time," and so told an old tale.

Once upon a time when Brahmadatta was reigning in Benares, the Bodhisatta was Sakka. Seven brothers in a certain village of Kāsi seeing the evil of desires had renounced them and become ascetics: they dwelt in Mejjhārañña but lived in various kinds of amusement, not practising devotion diligently and being of full habit of body. Sakka, king of gods, said, "I will alarm them;" and so he became a parrot, came to their dwelling-place and perching on a tree spoke the first stanza to alarm them:—

[311]Happy life is theirs who live on remnants left from charity:
Praise in this world is their lot, and in the next felicity.

Then one of them hearing the parrot's words called to the rest, and spoke the second stanza:—

Should not wise men listen when a parrot speaks in human tongue:
Hearken, brethren: ’tis our praises clearly that this bird has sung.

Then the parrot denying this spoke the third stanza:—

Not your praises I am singing, carrion-eaters: list to me,
Refuse is the food you eat, not remnants left from charity.

When they heard him, they all together spoke the fourth stanza:—

Seven years ordained, with duly tonsured hair,
In Mejjhārañña here we spend our days,
Living on remnants: if you blame our fare,
Who is it then you praise?

The Great Being spoke the fifth stanza, putting them to shame:—

Leavings of the lion, tiger, ravening beast, are your supply:
Refuse truly, though ye call it remnants left from charity.

[312] Hearing him the ascetics said, "If we are not eaters of remnants, then who pray are?" Then he telling them the true meaning spoke the sixth stanza:—

They who giving alms to priests and brahmins, wants to satisfy
Eat the rest, ’tis they who live on remnants left from charity.

So the Bodhisatta put them to shame and went to his own place.

After the lesson, the Master declared the Truths and identified the Birth: "At that time the seven brothers were the sportive Brethren, Sakka was myself."

English source