page_title: Vessantara Jātaka
section_title: Banishment and life as hermit
hierarchical_section_title: Vessantara Jātaka / Accounts / Banishment and life as hermit
context_page_description: The Vessantara Jātaka is one of the most popular apadānas of Theravada Buddhism. The Vessantara Jātaka tells the story of one of Gautama Buddha's past lives, about a compassionate prince, Vessantara, who gives away everything he owns, including his children, thereby displaying the virtue of perfect generosity. It is also known as the Great Birth Sermon.
  The tale of Prince Vessantara is celebrated as an annual festival in Thailand, Laos, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Cambodia.
context_section_description: One day, Vessantara gave away the magical white elephant, which had brought rain to his kingdom, to envoys from Kalinga, a neighboring country which was facing a drought
  . The citizens of Vessantara's kingdom were distressed by the fear of drought because of the loss of the elephant. Thus, they convinced King Sanjaya to resume control of the kingdom and banish his son Vessantara.
  The king readily gave away his kingdom to his father. Before leaving the city and going to live in the forest as a rishi (hermit) with his wife Madri and their two children, Jali and Kanha, he also gave away his wealth.
  One of his loyal courtiers suggested that the family should live at Vamka Mountain. They left the city on a four-horse chariot. Along the way Vessantara gave away his horses and four deities appeared in the form of stags to pull the chariot. Then he gave away his chariot. The family walked on foot through a forest. The young prince and princess saw wild fruit hanging on high branches, but their parents could not reach it. Miraculously, all the trees bent their branches for them.
  The family then arrived at the neighbouring kingdom of Ceta. The king of Ceta was informed of their arrival and rushed to greet the prince. He was touched by their story and offered his throne, but the prince declined. He and his family also declined to stay in a palace. They started to live celibate lives on a mountain called Vamka. The king of Ceta ordered a hunter to patrol the entrance to the mountain, to prevent anyone from disturbing the family.
  Meanwhile, Jujaka, a greedy old brahmin who lived as a beggar, had a very young wife, Amittada, who was also very beautiful and hard-working. During the drought, Amittada regularly brought water from the well for her old husband.  The husbands of the other women in the village held her up as an example of a good industrious wife. One day, in a fit of jealousy, all the village women gathered by the well and beat up the Brahmin's young wife, tearing her clothes.
  From that day onwards Amittada refused to go to the well any longer. She pushed Jujaka telling him to find her some servants in order to spare her more ridicule. She did not give her husband any peace.
  Jujaka met a forester guarding the entrance to the Vamka Mountain and tricked him by claiming that Vessantara's banishment had been revoked. He met a hermit and tricked him as well. Finally, the brahmin Jujaka went to the forest to prince Vessantara while his wife Madri was away. He asked him for his two children, which Vessantara readily gave away. Jali and Kanha went to hide in a lotus pond. Their father found them and asked if they would help their father achieve his highest goal, the attainment of Buddhahood a future life. Both agreed and became Jujaka's servants. Vessantara told the brahmin to bring the children to their grandfather, saying, "The king will reward you for bringing his beloved grandchildren back to him". Jujaka disagreed, stating the Sunjaya would execute him instead. The brahmin tied both children with vines and dragged them like cattle. Both children begged their father to help them while the old man scolded and beat them with his stick. Vessantara could not stand this scene and reached for his weapon he kept in his hut. However, he overcame all anger and let his children be taken away.
  Madri's return passage to their residence was blocked by tigers (actually deities in disguise). When she didn't see her children, she wandered around all night looking for them and finally collapsed before her husband. Vessantara thought she was dead so he lamented his loss. He put her head on his lap and realised that she was still breathing. He revived Madri with water. She woke up and rose immediately to keep a distance appropriate for her vow of celibacy. Vessantara told her what had happened. After Madri learnt that her husband gave away their children, she praised him for his greatness.
  Fearing that Vessantara would  give away his wife as well, the deity Śakra intervened and in disguise, asked for his wife Madri, who Vessantara readily gave him
caption: In Chapter 11, the children are cared for while Jujaka sleeps. This painting is from the 19th century, Thailand. In the collection of the Walters Art Museum
exif: {}