Justice and Righteousness: The Manicora Jataka

In this tale, the Bodhisatta was once a king, but before ascending the throne, he was simply an ordinary man living a peaceful life with his beloved wife, a woman of divine beauty and perfect virtue. One day, the couple traveled to visit her parents in the city. As they entered through the city gate, the king, who was riding a splendid elephant, saw the wife walking behind the wagon. He became immediately enamored by her beauty and sent someone to find out if she was married. Upon learning that she was, in fact, married to the Bodhisatta, the king decided to rid himself of the man.

To carry out his plan, the king gave a jeweled crest to a man and instructed him to drop it in the Bodhisatta’s wagon. The king then loudly proclaimed, “I have lost a jeweled crest!” and ordered the city gates to be shut. He commanded his men to search for the thief, and soon enough, the crest was found in the Bodhisatta’s wagon. The king’s men immediately beat and kicked the Bodhisatta, dragging him before the king, who ordered, “Off with his head!”

The Bodhisatta was paraded through the city, whipped and tormented by the king’s men at every street corner. Ultimately, he was taken out of the city to be executed at the south gate. Throughout the ordeal, his wife, who was deeply sorrowful, cried out in despair, wishing that some divine intervention might save her righteous husband.

Divine Intervention

Her sorrow was so intense that it reached the heavens, causing the throne of Indra, the king of the gods, to warm. Indra, curious about the cause, descended from his celestial abode to see what had happened. Upon understanding the situation, Indra, in his divine wisdom and compassion, decided to intervene. Just before the executioner’s axe could fall, Indra switched the places of the Bodhisatta and the wicked king.

In this miraculous moment, Indra consecrated the Bodhisatta and his wife as the new king and queen, bringing joy and celebration to the people. The wicked king, now in the Bodhisatta’s place, was no longer in power, and the people rejoiced at the fall of their cruel ruler. The Bodhisatta, now king, ruled with justice and generosity, earning the love and admiration of his subjects.

In the Lifetime of the Buddha

In this Jataka, the wicked king is identified as Devadatta, a disciple of the Buddha who later became one of his greatest adversaries. Devadatta had plotted to kill the Buddha on several occasions, and the Buddha recounted this story to his disciples to illustrate that Devadatta had also attempted to kill him in past lives but had failed.

The Bodhisatta’s wife in this story was an earlier birth of Yasodhara, the Buddha’s wife in his final life, and Indra was an earlier incarnation of Anuruddha, one of the Buddha’s top disciples. Anuruddha was known for his deep wisdom and his role as a close confidant of the Buddha.

Moral of the Story

The Manicora Jataka teaches several important lessons:

• Divine intervention and justice: It illustrates the power of divine forces to correct wrongdoing and ensure that justice prevails, especially when human systems fail. The Bodhisatta, as king, embodies the qualities of justice and generosity.
• Karma and retribution: The wicked king’s actions mirror his past lives, showing that even the most powerful beings eventually face the consequences of their cruelty. Devadatta’s wickedness in past lives foreshadows his future actions and ultimate downfall.
• The power of righteousness: The story underscores that virtuous people, even in the most dire situations, can invoke divine intervention through their sincerity and good actions, as demonstrated by the Bodhisatta’s wife.
• Leadership with compassion: The Bodhisatta’s eventual rule is marked by wisdom and fairness, which is the ideal form of leadership. His reign contrasts sharply with the selfish and destructive leadership of the king, offering a model for how rulers should act.

Moral Lesson

The story emphasizes that true power lies in righteousness, compassion, and justice. While those who act out of greed and malice may seem to succeed in the short term, they will ultimately face the consequences of their actions.