The story of the householder reborn as a golden swan is a Jataka tale, which is a collection of Buddhist tales that depict previous lives of the Buddha as an animal or human. These tales were meant to provide moral lessons and offer guidance for ethical behavior. The Jataka tales were widely popular in ancient India and were used as a tool for storytelling and religious instruction.
A virtuous householder in Varanasi died and was reborn as a golden swan. The memories and attachments from his previous life were still present, and he would visit his former wife and daughters in Varanasi. He would give them a golden feather to help alleviate their poverty, but his wife became greedy and one day, when the daughters were not present, she forcibly took all of the golden feathers from the swan. When she tried to sell them, they turned into ordinary feathers. The daughters found the swan covered in blood and took care of him until his wings grew back, but they were no longer golden. The swan eventually flew away and was never seen again.
The Story of the Golden Swan ~ Jatak Tales In English
Once upon a time there used to be a dutiful and virtuous householder in Varanasi. He had a small house, with three daughters and a wife. But he died at a young age.
After death, that householder was reborn as a golden swan. The elements and impressions of the previous birth were so strong in him that he could not forget the course of events and the language of his human form. The fascination and attachment towards the family of the previous birth was affecting his present life as well. One day, in a fit of infatuation, he flew away to Varanasi where his pre-birth wife and three daughters used to live.
When he saw his wife and daughters on the threshold of the house, he felt sad because after his death the economic condition of his family had become pathetic. His wife and daughters were now seen in rags instead of beautiful clothes. All the things of glory had also disappeared from there. Nevertheless, with full glee, he embraced his wife and daughters and introduced himself to them, and before returning, he also gave them one of his golden feathers, which his family could sell to alleviate their poverty.
After this incident, Hans used to come to Varanasi to meet him from time to time and used to give him a gold feather every time.
The daughters were satisfied with the charity of the swan, but his wife was very greedy. He thought why not take out all the feathers of that swan and become rich in a moment. He told his mind to the daughters also. But his daughters strongly opposed him.
The next time the swan visited, his daughters were absent. Deceptively, his wife beckoned him over with affectionate words. Unknowingly, the swan approached her happily, but was met with a brutal attack. The wife grabbed the swan by the neck and violently plucked all of its feathers, leaving its body blood-soaked and discarded in a wooden vessel. When she attempted to collect the golden feathers, she was left with only ordinary feathers as they lost their shine and value after being forcibly taken.
When the daughters returned home, they saw their pre-born father covered in blood; His golden wings were also missing. He understood the whole thing and immediately took care of the swan and made him healthy in a few days.
Naturally his wings started coming again. But now they were not of gold. When the swan's wings grew so much that it was able to fly. Then he flew away from that house. And was never seen again in Varanasi.
In the specific Jataka tale summarized above, the moral lesson is about the dangers of greed and the importance of living a virtuous life. The householder's wife represents greed, as she is so consumed with the desire for wealth that she disregards the well-being of the swan, who was her husband in a previous life. On the other hand, the daughters represent compassion and selflessness, as they take care of the swan and oppose their mother's plan to take the feathers. The transformation of the golden feathers into ordinary feathers serves as a reminder that wealth obtained through unethical means is not truly valuable.
0 Comments