Prince Five-Weapons

Once on a time when Brahmadatta was reigning in
Benares, it was as his queen's child that the Bodhisatta
came to life once more. On the day when he was to
be named, the parents enquired as to their child's destiny
from eight hundred brahmins, to whom they gave their
hearts' desire in all pleasures of sense. Marking the
promise which he shewed of a glorious destiny, these
clever soothsaying brahmins foretold that, coming to the
throne at the king's death, the child should be a mighty
king endowed with everv virtue ; famed and renowned for
it his exploits with five weapons, he should stand peerless in
all Jambudlpa 1 . And because of this prophecy of the brah-
mins, the parents named their son Prince Five- Weapons.

Now, when the prince was come to years of discretion,
and was sixteen years old, the king bade him go away
and study.

" With whom, sire, am I to study ? " asked the prince.

" With the world-famed teacher in the town of Takka-
sila in the Gandhara country. Here is his fee," said the
king, handing his son a thousand pieces.

So the prince went to Takkasila and was taught there.
When he was leaving, his master gave him a set of five
weapons, armed with which, after bidding adieu to his old
master, the prince set out from Takkasila for Benares.

On his way he came to a forest haunted by a goblin
named Hairy -grip ; and, at the entrance to the forest,
men who met him tried to stop him, saying : " Young
student, do not go through that forest; it is the haunt
of the goblin Hairy -grip, and he kills every one he meets."
But, bold as a lion, the self-reliant Bodhisatta pressed on,
till in the heart of the forest he came on the goblin. The
monster made himself appear in stature as tall as a palm-
tree, with a head as big as an arbour and huge eyes like
bowls, with two tusks like turnips and the beak of a
hawk ; his belly was blotched with purple ; and the palms
of his hands and the soles of his feet were blue-black !
" Whither away ? " cried the monster. " Halt ! you are my
prey." " Goblin," answered the Bodhisatta, " I knew what
I was doing when entering this forest. You will be ill-
advised to come near me. For with a poisoned arrow
I will slay you where you stand." And with this defiance,
he fitted to his bow an arrow dipped in deadliest poison
and shot it at the goblin. But it only stuck on to the
monster's shaggy coat. Then he shot another and another,
till fifty were spent, all of which merely stuck on to the
goblin's shaggy coat. Hereon the goblin, shaking the
arrows oft' so that they fell at his feet, came at the Bod-
hisatta ; and the latter, again shouting defiance, drew his
sword and struck at the goblin. But, like the arrows, his
sword, which was thirty-three inches long, merely stuck
fast in the shaggy hair. Next the Bodhisatta hurled his
spear, and that stuck fast also. Seeing this, he smote the
goblin with his club; but, like his other weapons, that
too stuck fast. And thereupon the Bodhisatta shouted,
" Goblin, you never heard yet of me, Prince Five-Weapons.
When I ventured into this forest, I put my trust not in
my bow and other weapons, but in myself! Now will
I strike you a blow which shall crush you into dust." So
saying, the Bodhisatta smote the goblin with his right
hand ; but the hand stuck fast upon the hair. Then, in
turn, with his left hand and with his right and left feet,
he struck at the monster, but hand and feet alike clave to
the hide. Again shouting "I will crush you into dust !" he
butted the goblin with his head, and that too stuck fast.

Yet even when thus caught and snared in fivefold wise,
the Bodhisatta, as he hung upon the goblin, was still
fearless, still undaunted. And the monster thought to
himself, " This is a very lion among men, a hero without
a peer, and no mere man. Though he is caught in the
clutches of a goblin like me, yet not so much as a tremor
will he exhibit. Never, since I first took to slaying
travellers upon this road, have I seen a man to equal
him. How comes it that he is not frightened?" Not
daring to devour the Bodhisatta offhand, he said, " HOW
is it, young student, that you have no fear of death ? "

"Why should I?" answered the Bodhisatta. "Each
life must surely have its destined death. Moreover,
within my body is a sword of adamant, which you will
never digest, if you eat me. It will chop your inwards
into mincemeat, and my death will involve yours too.
Therefore it is that I have no fear." (By this, it is said,
the Bodhisatta meant the Sword of Knowledge, which
was within him.)

Hereon, the goblin fell a-thinking. " This young
student is speaking the truth and nothing but the truth,"
thought he. " Not a morsel so big as a pea could I digest
of such a hero. I'll let him go." And so, in fear of his
life, he let the Bodhisatta go free, saying, " Young student,
you are a lion among men ; I will not eat you. Go forth
from my hand, even as the moon from the jaws of Rahu,
and return to gladden the hearts of your kinsfolk, your
friends, and your country/'

" As for myself, goblin," answered the Bodhisatta, " I
will go. As for you, it was your sins in bygone days that
caused you to be re-born a ravening, murderous, flesh-
eating goblin ; and, if you continue in sin in this existence,
you will go on from darkness to darkness. But, having
seen me, you will be unable thenceforth to sin any more.
Know that to destroy life is to ensure re-birth either in
hell or as a brute or as a ghost or as a titan. Or, if the
re-birth be into the world of men, then such siu cuts short
the davs of a man's life."

In this and other ways the Bodhisatta shewed the evil
consequences of the five bad courses, and the blessing
that comes of the Five Commandments ; and so wrought in
divers ways upon that goblin's fears that by his teaching
he converted the monster, imbuing him with self-denial
and establishing him in the Five Commandments. Then
making the goblin the divinity of that forest, with a right
to receive offerings, and charging him to remain steadfast,
the Bodhisatta went his way, making known the change in
the goblin's mood as he issued from the forest. And in
the end he came, armed with the five weapons, to the
city of Benares, and presented himself before his parents.
In later days, when king, he was a righteous ruler ; and
after a life spent in charity and other good works he
passed away to fare thereafter according to his deserts.