No. 28. — 1884.] first fifty jatakas. 



107 



of life into periods. Makhadeva had been prince for 84,000 

 years, sub-king for the same, he had reigned a long time 

 when the grey hairs appeared, and he lived 84,000 years after- 

 wards as a hermit. Here is clearly a trace of the three 

 periods of Brahmin life— as student, householder, and 

 ascetic. And this Brahmanical character of this tale is 

 illustrative of the position which Brahmanism holds in the 

 Jataka Book throughout ; for while many strictly Brah- 

 manical customs, especially sacrifice of life, are condemned 

 in what concerns retirement and hermit-life, there is no 

 clear distinction between the Brahman and the Buddhist 

 monk. And I suspect the less distinctly these two terms 

 are distinguished in any Buddhist writing, the older it will 

 be found to be. 



When he beheld the white hair, it seemed to him as 

 though he saw the king of death come and stand before 

 him, and as if he himself had entered into a house on fire 

 Agitation seized him. " Foolish Makhadeva," he said to 

 himself, " even till grey hairs have come hast thou been still 

 unable to put away these desires ? " As he reflected and 

 reflected on his grey-headedness, a fire was kindled within 

 him; sweat flowed from his body ; he tore off his robes — 

 (so Batuwantudawa; Rhys Davids has, " his robes oppressed 

 him")— and they seemed as if they must be cast away. To- 

 day I must make renunciation, and enter on seclusion. He 

 gave the barber a rich village revenue, and, sending for his 

 eldest son, said : " Son, a white hair has appeared on my 

 head. I am grown old ; I have done with human desires, 

 now I will seek after divine ; my time of renunciation is 

 come : take thou this kingdom, and I will enter seclusion 

 and live a monk's life in the Makhadeva grove." Finding 

 him thus bent on seclusion, his ministers came and said : 

 u Sire, why shouldst thou enter on seclusion ? " The king 

 held up the white hair and uttered these lines : — 



On the topmost part of my frame are sprung these robbers 



of remaining life ; 

 Messengers from the gods appearing : it is my retiring time. 



I have come across no other passage worthy, as I think, in 

 a literary sense to be placed beside this, except in the Intro- 

 duction to the Nigrodha Jataka (12), where the innocent nun 

 who has been selfishly condemned by Devvadatta appeals to 



