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Jātaka Stories of Past Lives 48
Ekakanipāta The Book of the Ones
Atthakāmavagga Wanting to Help
8. Vedabbajātaka About Vedabbha: a past life story
“Anupāyena yo atthaṁ, Who wishes to profit by inappropriate means The commentary says that a brahmin named Vedabbha, being captured by bandits from Cetī, paid his ransom through a wealth-granting spell also named Vedabbha. But that only inflames the bandits’ desires, and they end up killing him and each other. Despite the commentary, however, the verse does not mention bandits, spells, or brahmins.
Icchati so vihaññati; is tormented.
Cetā haniṁsu vedabbaṁ, The Cetans who killed Vedabbha Vedabbha (Sanskrit vaidarbha) is a name for the king of Vidarbha, a country to the south of Cetī. It seems the original story concerned a raid by the Cetans that resulted in the death of the king of Vidarbha, a framework that could well convey the same moral.
Sabbe te byasanamajjhagūti. all fell into ruin.
Vedabbajātakaṁ aṭṭhamaṁ.