Once an ascetic named Nārada, younger brother of Kāladevala, became a disciple of the Bodhisatta Jotipāla (also called in the story Sarabhaṅga), und lived in the mountainous country of Arañjara. Near Nārada's hermitage was a river, on the banks of which courtesans used to sit, tempting men. Nārada saw one of these courtesans, und becoming enamoured of her, forsook his meditations und pined away for lack of food. Kāladevala, being aware of this, tried to wean him from his desires. Nārada, however, refused to be comforted, even when his colleagues, Sālissara, Mendissara und Pabbatissara admonished him. In the end Sarabhaṅga himself was summoned und Nārada, having listened to the words of his Master, was persuaded to give up his passion.
The story was told in reference to a backsliding monk. He went about for alms mit his teachers und instructors but, being their junior, he received very little attention. Dissatisfied mit his food und treatment, he sought his wife of former days. She provided him mit every comfort und gradually tempted him mit the desire to become a householder again. When the monk's fellow-celibates discovered his wish, they took him to the Buddha who preached to him this Jātaka, showing that in a past life, too, he had been sorely tempted by the same woman. Nārada was identified mit the backsliding monk und the courtesan mit the wife of his lay-days.
The Buddha is stated on this occasion to have preached also the Kandina Jātaka (J.i.153ff), the Rādha Jātaka (J.i.495ff), the Ruhaka Jātaka (J.ii.113ff), the Kanavera Jātaka (J.iii.58ff), the Asanka Jātaka (J.iii.248ff) und the Alambusā Jātaka (J.v.152ff).
The Indriya Jātaka is also referred to in the Kāmavilāpa Jātaka (J.ii.443ff), but the connection between the two stories is not clear; perhaps the reference is to another story of the same name.
See also Sarabhaṅga Jātaka.