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JÄtaka Stories of Past Lives 71
EkakanipÄta The Book of the Ones
Varuį¹avagga The Warding Tree
1. Varuį¹ajÄtaka The Warding Tree: a past life story
āYo pubbe karaį¹Ä«yÄni, Whoever wishes to do afterwards A lazy pupil takes a nap while others are gathering firewood. At the last moment, he carelessly snaps a green branch off the Warding Tree, hurting his eye in the process; and when it came time for breakfast, the fire would not light.
pacchÄ so kÄtumicchati; tasks they should have done before,
Varuį¹akaį¹į¹habhaƱjova, like the one who broke a branch off the Warding Tree, Varaį¹a (or varuį¹a, Crateva religiosa) is from the root var āto wardā. It is associated with Vedic rites of the dead and with āwarding offā demons, foes, and all manner of ills (Atharva Veda 10.3). Vedic ritualists were very particular about what wood was to be used for what purpose (eg. Åatapatha BrÄhmaį¹a 13.8.4.1), and varaį¹a wood, due to its association with the rites of death, was not to be used to make offerings in the life-giving Homa fire ritual (MaitrÄyaį¹Ä« Saį¹hitÄ 1.6.7). The association of the varaį¹a with death is maintained in the commentarial story behind Ja 38, where the crane kills fish on a branch of this tree. This verse, I suggest, was originally a warning against using the wrong wood for the ritual.
sa pacchÄ manutappatÄ«āti. afterwards is tormented by regrets.
Varuį¹ajÄtakaį¹ paį¹hamaį¹.