Bodhisatta’s Virtue and Temptation: Udaya Jataka Story

In this Jataka, the Bodhisatta is first born as a prince and later as Indra, the king of the gods, across two consecutive lives. As a prince, he is characterized by his wisdom, virtue, and complete detachment from worldly desires. He is so pure and virtuous that he never even thinks of women, not even in his dreams. His father, seeing the prince’s wisdom and virtue, wishes to pass the crown on to him, but the Bodhisatta is not interested in ruling. He proposes a condition: he will become king only if his parents can find a woman as beautiful as a golden statue of a woman he has had made. Despite sending the statue across India in search of a match, no woman is found who is as beautiful. Eventually, the king’s other wife, who has a daughter, notices that the daughter (the Bodhisatta’s half-sister) is even more beautiful than the statue. They force the two to marry.

Although they are married, the Bodhisatta and his queen live a virtuous, celibate life, making a vow that whoever dies first will return from heaven to inform the other.

When the Bodhisatta turns seven hundred years old, he dies and is reborn as Indra, the king of the gods. For the first seven days (which correspond to seven hundred years on earth), he forgets his past life, but after this time, his memories return. He descends to earth to fulfill his promise and to test his wife’s devotion to virtue.

The Temptation:

The Bodhisatta, in his celestial form, appears before his wife in the middle of the night while she is meditating in her palace. He pretends to be a magical goblin and offers her a golden bowl full of gold coins, with the condition that she sleep with him. She, remaining virtuous, tells him to leave, stating that she has no interest in relations with any being, whether goblin, god, or man.

The next night, the Bodhisatta returns, offering a silver bowl filled with gold coins. This time, the queen remains silent, hoping that her silence will show her resolve. However, the Bodhisatta leaves, only to return again the following night, this time with an iron bowl. The queen asks why he offers her less each time, and the Bodhisatta replies that it is because her beauty fades with age. In contrast, the beauty of gods increases over time, and if she lives a life of virtue, generosity, and free from sin, she will eventually be reborn as a goddess in heaven.

At this revelation, the Bodhisatta discloses his true identity to her. Overcome with joy and relief, the queen bursts into tears upon realizing that her beloved husband has returned. The Bodhisatta urges her to remain virtuous, and then he returns to his celestial abode.

The queen, after this experience, leaves the palace and chooses the path of asceticism. Upon her death, she is reborn in heaven as a servant of the Bodhisatta.

In the Lifetime of the Buddha:

The story of the Bodhisatta’s life serves as a lesson for one of the Buddha’s disciples, a man of noble birth who had given up his comfortable life to follow the dhamma. One day, while on an alms round, the disciple sees a beautiful woman and becomes infatuated with her. Overcome with passion, he stops taking care of his appearance—his hair and nails grow long, his skin turns yellow, and his health deteriorates. He becomes thin and weak, and his life of solitude and spiritual pursuit brings him no joy.

When the Buddha learns of the disciple’s struggle, he tells him this story. The Buddha explains that in a previous life, he had lived for seven hundred years with a woman as beautiful as a heavenly nymph, yet he never once looked at her with desire. By hearing this story, the disciple realizes the importance of controlling his desires and maintaining his focus on the dharma, just as the Bodhisatta had done in his past lives. Inspired by this, the disciple overcomes his passion and regains his health.

Moral:

The Udaya Jataka teaches profound lessons on virtue, detachment, and spiritual discipline. The Bodhisatta’s resistance to temptation and his ability to live a life of virtuous celibacy despite being married show the strength of his moral character. His wife, too, demonstrates steadfastness and commitment to righteousness, even when faced with the temptation of riches and sensual pleasure.

The story highlights the transformative power of virtue and generosity, illustrating that true beauty comes not from physical appearance, but from one’s inner goodness and commitment to spiritual principles. It also underscores the importance of self-control and purity of mind, as demonstrated by the Buddha’s disciple, who, by hearing the Bodhisatta’s example, is able to regain his spiritual health.

The Bodhisatta’s wife is an important figure in this Jataka, embodying the ideal of virtuous devotion, and her ultimate rebirth in heaven as the Bodhisatta’s servant represents the reward for living a life of righteousness.

The tale also shows the profound bond between the Bodhisatta and his queen, who together embody the values of compassion, wisdom, and selflessness—key virtues in Buddhist teachings.