Mahāhaṃsa Jātaka

[Full title: Jātakas and Avadānas in the Amarāvatī Art: Mahāhaṃsa Jātaka]

Story:-

When Samyana was ruling Banaras, Bodhisattva was living with a herd of 9000 swans at Chittakuṭa hill. One day queen Khemā in her dream saw some golden goose preaching law. Next day she requested the king to bring the geese so that she can listen to their preaching of the law. The king found out that the golden geese lived on the Dhatarattha and Chittakuṭa mountain of the Himālayas. He made plans to catch them through bird catchers. Accordingly he dug out a lake on the North of Banaras, planted trees and scattered grains on the banks of the tanks to attract the golden geese. The lake was named after queen Khemā. He also appointed a hunter named Khemā nishāda to watch over the lake. The news of the beautiful lake spread among the group of golden geese. The birds requested Sumukha to visit the lake along with the geese. The hunter reported to the king that five kinds of geese have been found feeding. The king took precautionary measure for safe landing of the bird.

One day the royal goose asked the geese about the Khemā lake. On hearing the beauty of the lake the royal goose requested Sumukha to inform King Dhataraṭṭa and get permission of his visit to the lake. Though the king warned the royal goose but they decided to go to the lake. They went to the lake and returned back safely.

On the seventh day the hunter fixed a noose upon a stick to trap the bird. The goose got trapped. Sumukha sensing the danger assured the goose of his release even at the cost of his life.

Sumukha approached the fowler and told him that he is king Dhataraṭṭha. If he is killed then the fowler will never escape from hell. The fowler relieved the Great Being from the noose. He told Sumukha that he committed this act according to the directive of Samyana, the King of Banaras. On hearing this Sumukha told the fowler to present them to the king. The king after seeing them was satisfied. The fowler informed the king about the incident. The king informed Sumukha that he brought them to hear their wise words and not to kill them. The king listened to the speech and honoured the birds^[1].

Depiction:-

The dome panel from Amarāvatī depicts the monoscenic mode of the Jātaka along with the Mandhāta Jātaka. On the extreme right side of the panel is a long necked bird probably the golden goose by the side of the seated king and queen in the palace. A crouching person at the feet appears to be the hunter who presented the goose to the royal couple. The scene represents the religious discourse by the goose to the king and the queen witnessed by the council of ministers and attendants^[2]. This specimen is preserved in the British Museum.

This [Mahā-haṃsa] Jātaka is also visible at Nāgārjunakoṇḍa.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Cowell E.B, Op.cit, vol V -VII, no 534, pp 186-202.

[2]:

Subrahmanyam B, Op.cit, p 53, pl 10, 10a.