No. 9.[269]
MAKHĀ-DEVA JĀTAKA.[270]
The Story of Makhā Deva.
“These grey hairs,” etc.—This the Teacher told when at Jetavana, in reference to the Great Renunciation. The latter has been related above in the Nidāna Kathā.[271]
Now at that time the priests as they sat were magnifying the Renunciation of the One Mighty by Wisdom. Then the Teacher entered the assembly, and sat down in his place, and addressed the brethren, saying, “What is the subject on which you are talking as you sit here?”
“On no other subject, Lord! but on your Renunciation,” said they.
“Mendicants, not then only did the Successor of the Prophets renounce the world; formerly also he did the same.”
The monks asked him to explain how that was. Then the Blessed One made manifest an occurrence hidden by change of birth.
Long ago, in Mithilā, in the land of Videha, there was a king named Makhā Deva, a righteous man, and ruling in righteousness.[272] Eighty-four thousand years he was a prince, as many he shared in the government, and as many he was sovereign. As such he had lived a long, long time, when one day he said to his barber, “My good barber, whenever you find grey hairs on my head, let me know.”
And after a long, long time had passed away, the barber one day found among the jet-black locks one grey hair; and he told the king of it, saying, “There is a grey hair to be seen on your head, O king!”
“Pull it out, then, friend, and put it in my hand!” said he.