[1] Mariyek, probably intended for māriyek, from the Tamil root māṛu, in compounds māṛi, to exchange or barter. [↑]
No. 89
The Invisible Silk Robe[1]
A Brāhmaṇa having told some men to come from a certain city, and having praised the robes which the King of the city is wearing, this Brāhmaṇa made seven stanzas, and gave them to those seven men. Those very seven men having taken the seven stanzas and gone, employed yet [another] Brāhmaṇa and got them explained. Should you say, “How was the meaning?” it was praise of the copper [coloured] silk robe which the King of that city is wearing.
After they got this meaning explained, these seven men spoke together, “Let us make up a trick at this place.” Speaking [thus] together, they arrived at a city at which there is a foolish King.
Arriving [there], they spoke to the King of the city: “Maharaja, what a robe that is which Your Majesty is wearing! We have woven a copper [coloured] silk robe for the King of our city, and given it. It is like the thin silk robes obtained from the divine world. Having looked in the direction of that King, when we looked in your direction you appear like a servant who is near that King,” these seven men said.
While hearing this word, shame was produced in the King. Having been produced, he thought to himself, “While I also am a King, what is it to me!” Thinking, “Cannot I cause those silk robes to be woven?” he asked, “For [weaving] the silk robes what sort of other things are necessary?”
Then the seven men say regarding it, “Having obtained silk thread from good silk yarn (lit., thread), be good enough to give us it. Having constructed a place in your auspicious[2] Sal [trees] garden, you must give us it. You must bring to that place and give us food and drink,” they said to the King. Having said it, they said at the very time, “The silk cloth that we weave is not visible to a base-born person. Should he be a well-born (saha-jātaka) person it is visible to him,” they said to the King.
At that time the King having procured silk thread to his mind gave it. The men having taken it to the auspicious Sal garden, and the party putting the thread away, when people come to look at the copper [coloured] silk robes these seven men run there and here in the auspicious Sal[3] garden. The silk robe is not visible; only according to the manner in which these seven persons are running the extent [of it] is visible. Thereupon the men think in their minds, “Because we are base-born this copper [coloured] silk robe is not visible to us.” What of their thinking so! Except that each separate person thinks it for himself, no one speaks it.