Mahasstava

　　In the remote past there lived a devout and powerful king named Maharattha. He had three sons by name, Maha Prashada, Maha Deva, and Mahasattva, all good and obedient.

　　One bright day the king, accompanied by the princes and attendants, went on an excursion to a forest park. The young princes, admiring the enchanting beauty of the flowers and trees, gradually penetrated far into the thick forest.

　　The attendants noticed their absence and reported the matter to the king. He ordered his ministers to go in search of them and returned to his palace.

　　The tree princes, wandering through the forest, reached a mountain top. From there the eldest saw a starving tigress with five cubs almost on the verge of death. For seven days since her delivery she had been without food. The cubs approached the mother to suck milk, but she had nothing to satisfy their hunger, and the tigress, driven by starvation, was clearly at the point of unnaturally devouring her own cubs.

　　The eldest brother was the first to see this pathetic spectacle. He showed the tigress to his brothers and said, "Behold that pitiful sight, O brothers! That starving tigress is about to devour her own cubs. How wretched is their condition!"

　　"What is their staple food, brother

　　" inquired Mahasattva.

　　"Flesh and blood is the staple food of tigers and lions." replied Maha Prashada.

　　"The tigress seems to be very weak. Evidently she is without food for some days. How noble if one could sacrifice one”s own body for their sake!"

　　"But who is willing to make such great sacrifice!" remarked Maha Deva.

　　"Surely, no one would be able to do so," stated Maha Prashada.

　　"I lack intelligence. Ignorant people like us would not be able to sacrifice their bodies for the sake of another. But there may be selfless men of boundless compassion who would be willingly do so," said Mahasattva in a merciful tone.

　　Thus they discussed amongst themselves and casting a last glance at the helpless tigress, they departed.

　　Mahasattva thought to himself, "Sacrifice I must this fleeting body for the sake of this starving tigress. Foul is this body, and is subject to decay and death. One may adorn and perfume it, but soon it will stink and perish."

　　Reflecting thus, he requested his brothers to proceed as he would retiring to the forest for some reason or other.

　　He retraced his steps to the place where the tigress was resting. Hanging his garments and ornaments on a tree, again he thought, "Work I must for the weal of others. Compassionate we must be towards all beings. To serve those who need our succour is our paramount duty. This foul body of mine will I sacrifice and thus save the tigress and her five cubs. By this meritorious act may I gain Samma Sambuddhahood and save all beings from the ocean of Samsara! May all beings be well and happy!"

　　Moved by compassion and inspired by the spirit of selfless service, dauntlessly he jumped off the precipice towards the tigress.

　　The fall did not result in an instantaneous death. The tigress, though ruthless by nature, pitied the Bodhisattva and would not even touch his body.

　　The Bodhisattva thought otherwise, "Obviously the poor animal is too weak to devour me!"

　　So he went in search of a weapon. He came across a bamboo splinter, and drawing near the tigress, he cut off his neck and fell dead on the ground in a pool of blood.

　　The hungry tigress greedily drank the blood and devoured the flesh leaving mere bones.

　　At the moment the Bodhisattva sacrificed his body, the earth quaked, the water of the ocean were disturbed, the sun”s ray dimmed, eye-sight was temporarily blurred, Devas gave cries of Sadhu, and Parijata flowers came down as rain from heaven.

　　Affected by the earthquake, the two elder brothers rightly guessed that thei…

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