The Way the Rākshasī Died

In a certain city there is a Rākshasī, it is said. The Rākshasī seizing each man who is going along, eats him. While a Brāhmaṇa was going along, she seized the Brāhmaṇa, but because the Brāhmaṇa had a good beautiful figure, putting him in her rock-house (cave) and shutting the door, she remained without eating him.

During the time while he was there a child was borne to the Brāhmaṇa by the Rākshasī; the child was like the Brāhmaṇa. Having sought food she continued to give it to the Brāhmaṇa and the little one. While the Rākshasī was there in that way the youngster (paeṭiyā) became big.

One day having waited until the time when the Rākshasī goes to seek food, the youngster asked at the hand of the Brāhmaṇa, “Father, what is [the reason why] you have one form and mother a [different] form?”

Then the Brāhmaṇa says, “Son, your mother is a Rākshasī. Seizing each man who is going past this place, she eats him. I also came to go this way. Then seizing me she put me in the rock cave. She has not done any harm to me yet.”

The youngster said, “Father, we cannot remain in this way. Rākshasīs and men cannot be in one place.”

Then the Rākshasī came, bringing food. So the youngster said, “Mother, when you are not here how will it be for us? Tell us the limits [of the power] of these persons” (that is, those who lived there).

The Rākshasī said, “In width they are five gawwas (twenty miles); in length they are ten gawwas (forty miles).”

On the following day, during the time when the Rākshasī went to seek food, the Brāhmaṇa and the youngster having taken a large quantity of excellent (hon̆da hon̆da) goods, the two persons bounded off to go by the quarter that was ten gawwas long, and went away. Then the Rākshasī having come [after] seeking food, when she looked neither Brāhmaṇa nor youngster [was there].

After that, while the Rākshasī was going along continuing to cry aloud, these two persons had not yet succeeded in bounding through the forest that was ten gawwas in length. The Rākshasī, weeping and weeping, having said, “What was this need for you to abandon me?” came back, summoning these two [to accompany her].

On the following day, after the Rākshasī went to seek food, these two persons having bounded through the quarter that was five gawwas in width, reached the far bank of a river.

Then the Rākshasī having come [after] seeking food, when she looked these two were not [there]. After that, as the Rākshasī was coming continuing to cry aloud, these two came to this bank of the river; the Rākshasī, sitting down on the bank on that [other] side, remained crying aloud.

While she was there the Rākshasī said, “Son, there is a spell of mine; [after] learning it go.”

Thereupon the youngster said, “I will not [return to learn it]; say it while sitting there.”

Afterwards the Rākshasī, sitting on the bank on that side, said the spell. The youngster, sitting on the bank on this side, learnt the spell. “When you have uttered that spell, on this side of twelve years you will meet with any lost thing,” the Rākshasī said.

After that, the Brāhmaṇa and the youngster came away to the Brāhmaṇa’s village. That Rākshasī having been looking while a trace of the heads of these two was visible, through the affection there was for the two persons, when those two were hidden [from her view] the Rākshasī’s bosom was rent, and she died.

While that Brāhmaṇa and the youngster, having gone to the village, were staying there, certain goods of the King’s having been lost, the King published a proclamation by beat of tom-toms that to a person who found and gave the goods he will give wealth [amounting] to a tusk elephant’s load, and a district from the kingdom.

Then the Brāhmaṇa’s youngster having said, “I can,” and having uttered the spell taught by that Rākshasī, obtained the goods and gave them to the King. He having given them, the King gave to the Brāhmaṇa’s youngster wealth [amounting] to a tusk elephant’s load, and a district from the kingdom.

North-western Province.

This is the first part of the Jātaka story No. 432 (vol. iii, p. 298), in which the King and family priest hid some valuable jewels taken by them out of the treasury, in order to test a youngster’s power. He discovered them, but the King insisted on his declaring also who was the thief. He endeavoured to avoid doing this, and when at last he made it known, the people rose, killed the King and priest, and set the youngster (who was the Bōdhisatta) on the throne.

In Cinq Cents Contes et Apologues (Chavannes), vol. ii, p. 360, a similar story is also given. The Brāhmaṇa was seized by a Kinnarī, who is afterwards termed a Yakshī. When the son and father escaped she did not die, but sent the boy a guitar by playing on which he would preserve his life. If, however, he touched the first string with his finger he would experience misfortune; of course he did this.