Plot Overview
In a forest in Kashi there lived a beautiful golden deer. He was called King Banyan Deer and was the leader of a herd of five hundred deer. Not very far off, in the same forest was King Branch Deer who was also the leader amongst another five hundred deer. He was a extremely beautiful with a coat of a shiny golden hue and sparkling eyes.
Outside this beautiful forest, in the real world, there reigned a King who loved to eat meat at every single meal. He was King Brahmadatta of Benaras. Not only was he fond of hunting, but he also enforced the same on his subjects. He forced them to leave their own businesses and join him regularly on his hunting spree each and every morning.
After a while the villagers got sick of this regular routine as they had much better things to do with their lives. Besides, their work and means of livelihood had also begun to suffer. They realised that they must find a solution. Together they came up with a plan.
They decided to grow plants, sow crops and dig water holes in the royal park itself. Then they would drive a number of deer into the confines of the park and shut the gates. In this way the King could hunt at leisure and would not require any further help from his obedient subjects.
So at first they went about preparing the royal park for the deer. Then they went into the forest armed with weapons and sticks in order to drive the deer into the royal park. They surrounded the territories of both the herds, those of King Banyan Deer as well as King Branch Deer, and drove them into the royal park, with shouts of glee as they beat their sticks on the ground and waved them in the air. As soon as both the herds were in, the gates were shut and the deer entrapped.
They then went to their King and told him that as they could not accompany him any more on his hunts they had successfully managed to entrap a number of deer in the royal park for his royal pleasure. The King was absolutely thrilled when he set eyes on the great number of deer in the royal park.
While gazing at them his eyes fell on the two beautiful golden deer and he at once decided to spare their lives. He issued an order that they were not to be shot at any cost. Each day after that, either the King or one of his hunters would shoot arrows at the deer. The deer would scatter wildly in every direction and get hurt in the ensuing stampede. So one day King Banyan Deer and King Branch Deer put their heads together and came up with a plan. They realised that each day their herds were getting wounded in great numbers and some were getting killed. Even though death was inevitable they could at least try to save the living ones from unnecessary pain and torture.
So they decided to send a deer to the royal palace to be slaughtered and served to the king each and every day. The pact was to alternate between the two herds. In this way at least the rest of the deer would be spared unnecessary torture. This system continued for some time. Each day a deer was sent to the royal palace to be slaughtered by the royal cook. And the rest of the deer were allowed to live in peace until it was their turn.
One day it was the turn of a young female deer with a newborn baby. She belonged to the herd of King Branch Deer. She was worried that after she was killed there would be no one to take care of her child who was still too young to look after itself. So she approached her king with the plea that he send another deer instead of her that day and she would willingly go to the slaughter after her fawn was old enough to look after himself.
But King Branch Deer would not listen to her plea and told her to accept this as her fate as he could not ask another deer to replace her on the execution block. The mother doe looked at her baby and just could not take a step towards the palace. So she approached King Banyan Deer with her plea. King Banyan Deer looked at her with great compassion and told her to go look after her baby, as he would send another in her place.
Then King Banyan Deer himself walked to the palace and placed his head on the execution block. The royal cook was shocked to see him and remembering the King's orders, went running to the King to ask him what was to be done. The King came down to see what was happening. On seeing King Banyan Deer he went up to him and gently asked why he was here. King Banyan Deer related the story of the fawn and the mother doe and told him that as he could not order another to take her place, he had decided to do it himself. The King was highly impressed with this supreme sacrifice and the great love and compassion that this King of deer possessed. So he decided to not only spare his life but that of the mother doe as well.
But King Banyan Deer was not satisfied. He asked that the lives of the other deer be spared as well. So the king granted him his wish. Then he asked about all the other four-footed animals in the forest and then about the birds in the sky and the fish in the sea. And King Brahmadutta agreed to spare the lives of all.
King Banyan Deer thanked him from the bottom of his heart and returned joyfully to the park. The gates were opened wide and both the herds were set free. Needless to say they lived peacefully and happily ever after.
Brahmadatta and the Banyan Deer
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
1. Why was the stockade built by the people?
Answer:
The stockade was constructed by the people to capture animals for the king's hunt. The royal hunts had previously devastated the farmers' fields and disrupted the crucial schedules of both farmers and businessmen. As a result, they decided to build the stockade to benefit the king.
2. Why were the farmers and businessmen unpleased with the king?
Answer:
Farmers and businessmen were unpleased with the king because they were forced to participate in the royal hunts, which required them to chase animals and left their own work neglected. Additionally, these hunts caused significant damage to their farms, exacerbating their frustration.
3. What agreement did the kings of two herds make after being trapped inside the stockade?
Answer:
Once trapped inside the stockade, the leaders of the two herds agreed to conduct a lottery to determine the order in which the deer would be hunted. This arrangement aimed to prevent the unnecessary injuries that occurred when deer were chased frantically. By establishing a structured turn-taking system, they hoped to ensure a more orderly and humane process for the hunt.
4. What did the pregnant doe request her king for?
Answer:
The pregnant doe pleaded with her king to spare both her life and that of her unborn fawn. She expressed her desire to give birth before facing death, arguing that dying at this moment would result in the loss of two lives. Her request highlighted her desperation to ensure her fawn's survival by allowing her to deliver it before her own life came to an end.
5. What was the reply of her leader to the pregnant doe?
Answer:
The leader's response to the pregnant doe was firm and unyielding, stating that the law must be upheld regardless of her circumstances. He insisted that she was required to face death as mandated, with no exceptions allowed.
6. What lesson did the Banyan Deer king teach to the human king?
Answer:
The Banyan Deer king imparted a profound lesson in compassion and empathy to the human king. He demonstrated the importance of a ruler’s duty to protect and ensure the safety and freedom of their subjects. Through his actions and teachings, he illustrated how true leadership involves caring for the well-being of others, highlighting that a king’s responsibilities extend beyond mere rule to include the moral obligation of safeguarding those under his care.
7. How did the Banyan Deer king convince the human king and make free to all the animals, birds and fish?
Answer:
The Banyan deer persuaded the human king by expressing his willingness to sacrifice his own life for the well-being of his herd, the other herd, as well as all four-legged animals, birds, and fish. Moved by the deer's selflessness and care for all living beings, the human king decided to spare the lives of all these creatures and abandon hunting. He proclaimed that all animals, birds, and fish would be released, and that no being would be trapped, hunted, or killed in the future.
8. What makes the story read like an ancient tale?
Answer:
An ancient tale, often referred to as a fable, is a fictional story featuring imaginary characters whose actions impart moral lessons to readers. The story of 'Brahmadatta and the Banyan Deer' is a classic example of such a tale, featuring both human and animal characters and exploring themes of compassion and empathy. Rooted in the Jatak Katha of Buddhist mythology, it includes the Buddha incarnated as a deer. These elements contribute to its characterization as a timeless ancient tale.
9. What is the moral lesson of this story?
Answer:
The moral of the story emphasizes the king's duty and responsibility towards his subjects. It underscores the importance of a ruler being vigilant and committed to the welfare of his people. The tale illustrates that a king should always be prepared to safeguard his citizens and ensure their protection from any harm, highlighting the fundamental role of leadership in caring for and defending those under one's rule.
In a similar way, all living beings should cultivate qualities of compassion and pity to ensure their own survival.
10. Why do you think the Buddha was born as a deer?
Answer:
I believe the Buddha took the form of a deer to impart important lessons about compassion, kindness, non-violence, and harmony. By embodying these values in his deer incarnation, he aimed to guide humans toward fostering a peaceful and harmonious coexistence among all beings. His transformation into a deer served as a powerful example to teach these essential virtues for the well-being and unity of everyone.
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