वाराणसी
में राज्य करता हुआ घतकुमार नाम के एक
राजा ने अपने हरम में एक मंत्री के दुर्व्यवहार को देखा। उसने उस
मंत्री को दण्डित करते हुए अपने राज्य
से निष्कासित कर दिया।
उस मंत्री ने तब श्रावस्ती के राजा वंक के पास
शरण ली। कुछ दिनों के बाद उस मंत्री ने
राजा वंक को वाराणसी राज्य के कई
भेद बताये। जिससे वंक ने वाराणसी पर आक्रमण किया और उस
राज्य को अपने अधीन कर लिया और राजा घत को
बंदी बना लिया।
रात में वंक ने जब घतकुमार के कारागार का दौरा किया तो वह उसे हवा
में स्थित हो योग में लीन पाया।
घत के आचरण से पर प्रभावित हो वंक ने उससे पूछा कि वह
भयभीत क्यों नहीं था ; और क्यों उस संकट की घड़ी
में मुस्कुरा रहा था। घत ने तब उसे
बतलाया कि " वृथा है पश्चाताप जो
बदल नहीं सकता कभी अतीत था इतिहास हे
वंक ! क्यों करुँ मैं कोई पश्चाताप जो
बदल नहीं सकता कभी कोई भविष्य क्यों होने दूँ
में उसे तब आपक।"
घत की बातों से प्रसन्न हो वंक ने घत को
मुक्त कर दिया और उसे उसका राज्य वापिस कर दिया। किन्तु घत ने अपना
राज्य अपने परिजनों को सौंप दिया और
स्वयं संन्यासी बन हिमालय को प्रस्थान कर गया।
Ghata-Jataka, Nagarjunakonda
O nce
the Bodhisatta was born in Varanasi as the son of king Brahmadatta with
the name Ghata. Educated in Taxila he acquired the knowledge of arts and
the like subjects useful to any ruler. When became the king he ruled his
kingdom righteously.
One day, when he entered his harem he saw his minister committing misconduct with the queen. The king punished him by banishing him from his kingdom.
Ghata at the palace door witnessing the misconduct of his minister in the royal harem.
The
disgruntled man then went to Savatthi and entered into the service of King
Vanka. Soon he won his favour by divulging the military secrets of the
Varanasi kingdom and instigated him to attack Varanasi.
The
forces of Savatthi invaded Varanasi. And despite the stiff resistance put
by the army, King Ghata lost the battle. Then, captured and chained he was
dragged and thrown into a prison. When he entered the prison he sat on
meditation. At that point of time, the King Vanka felt burning heat in his
palace; so, he strolled about the prison. There, he saw Ghata sitting
cross-legged in the air and meditating. His face was bright and looked
like a fully bloomed lotus. The king was curious to know why Ghata neither
looked sad; nor scared though confined in an enemys prison. So, he
asked him,
Ghat!
how do you have the smiling face with no fears ?
Ghata
replied,
To
grieve to change the sorrow of the past is in vain
Vanka!
Why should I then complain
As the act of the grief shall have no consequence to the future
So
why should I allow it to mature.
Vanka
was impressed with the words of the prisoner and restored him his kingdom.
But Ghata handed it over to his ministers for the benevolent rule and
retired to the Himalayas to lead the life of an asetic.
Note: Pali Jataka No.454 is also called the Ghata Jataka but that narrates the story of Kanha, resembling the stories of Krishna.