Kapi Jataka: The ungrateful Hunter

Kapi Jataka: The ungrateful Hunter

Ajanta Caves,Gupta Period, 5th Century CE

           Once a hunter fell into a deep ditch in a forest. He shouted for help as he could not come out of the ditch. The Bodhisattva who was a golden monkey took pity. He pulled the hunter out and carried him through the forest on his back. As night fell, both slept on the forest floor. In the morning when the hunter got up he thought if I could kill this golden monkey , I could earn a lot by selling his skin. He threw a stone on the monkey 's head. The injured monkey ran to the lake near by and washed his wounds. The hunter followed him. Feeling thirsty,  the hunter drank from the lake. Since the monkey's blood had mingled with  the water, the moment the hunter drank the water, he became a leaper. He was shunned by others in the village. 

            Here we see the monkey sleeping on the forest floor and the hunter about to hit him with a stone. The injured monkey admonishes the hunter on the left side of the painting. 

           Many a times we hurt others out of greed or jealousy or anger. But we don't realise that by our ungrateful acts we are hurting ourself and our interests. We may see ourselves as winners, but slowly people shun our company. Instead, we should be grateful to those who have carried us through the difficult terrains of life. Rather than think that by hurting them, we will gain wealth and fame. We will only become an outcaste like the hunter.