ELEPHANT JATAKAS WITH A TIMELESS MESSAGE

INDIAN tradition has warned us since the ancient times of the 'Shadripu' or six enemies within us that every human being has to fight in order to become our better selves. They are kama (desire), krodha (anger), lobha (greed), mada (ego), moha (attachment), and matsarya (partiality). These are the negative qualities which prevent us from attaining 'moksha' or liberation from the endless cycle of birth and death.

- RENUKA NARAYANAN

The elephant is highly regarded in Indian tradition and some jatakas take up the theme of the Shadripu, using an elephant as the protagonist.

One story goes that the Bodhisattva or Buddha in a previous birth was born as the king of the 'Chaddanta' or six-tusked elephants. The elephant king had a pure white body with his feet and face flushed an attractive rosy red. He lived in a golden cave on the banks of a beautiful lake with his two queens, Mahasubhadda and Chullasubhadda, and ruled his herd with patience and wisdom.

One day, after bathing in the lake with his wives, the king elephant playfully hit a sal tree in full bloom. By chance, the dry leaves and red ants from the tree fell on Chullasubhadda whereas the flowers and the pollen fell on Mahasubhadda. This offended Chullasubhadda deeply and she disappeared into the jungle, burning with anger.

Nobody could find her although they searched far and wide.

Soon after, Chullasubhadda died and was reborn as a princess of the Madda kingdom. When she grew up, she was married to the king of Varanasi and became his chief queen. But she could not forget her anger in her previous birth. She persuaded her husband to obtain the king elephant's tusks for her. The king summoned all the hunters of the kingdom and finally picked an experienced man called Sonuttara.

However, it took seven years, seven months and seven days for Sonuttara to find the Chaddantas. When he did, he dug a pit and covered it with dry leaves and branches. When the king elephant was about to pass over it, Sonuttara took aim at him with a poisoned arrow.