The Gajakumbha Jâtaka.[1]
The slow Worm.
In days long since past, when Brahmadatta reigned at Benares, the Bodhisat was his jewel of a minister. The King of Benares was of a slothful disposition. "I'll teach the king a lesson," said the Bodhisat, and as he went about he looked out for some expedient. It came to pass one day, as the king was going to his garden, attended by his ministers, he saw a slow-creeping gajakumbha. It is indeed of so sluggish a nature that even if it goes on a whole day it only advances one or two inches. On seeing it the king asked, "What may that be?" The Bodhisat replied, "Sire, that's surely a gajakumbha. Such is its sluggish nature that if it goes on moving for a whole day it only gets over one or two inches of ground at the most." Then addressing himself to the gajakumbha, he said, "O worm, slow is thy gait; what will you do if a fire breaks out in this wood?" Then he gave utterance to the following gâtha:—
"Oh! tell me, I pray, were this wood to take fire,
What steps you would take to get clear of the flames?
Your gait is so tardy, your progress so slow,
No chance of escape would you have I do trow."
On hearing this the gajakumbha spake the following gâtha:—
"In the trees find we chinks, and holes in the ground,
Into which we may crawl and find a retreat.
If these chance to fail us then sad is our lot,
Of escape there's no way but death in the flames."
Then the Bodhisat replied in the following gâthas:—
"Who slowly doth move when speed he should use,
Or rashly will act when caution he needs,
His fortune will crumble like leaves in the wood
When trodden and crushed by men under foot.
But who so doth tarry when slow he should be,
And hurries along when speed he most needs.
Will bring to perfection whate'er he attempts,
And daily wax great and full like the moon."
After hearing the word of the Bodhisat the king from that time forward became (more) energetic.
- ↑ Jâtaka Book, vol. iii. No. 345, p. 139.
