Mahāsupina Jātaka (Nr. 77)

Pasenadi, König of Kosala, had, one night, sixteen bad dreams, und his brahmins, on being consulted, said that they presaged harm either to his kingdom, his life, or his wealth, und prescribed all manner of sacrifices in order to avert the danger (It is perhaps this sacrifice which is referred to at S.i.75).

Mallikā, the König's wife, heard of this und suggested that the Buddha should be consulted. Der König followed her advice, und the Buddha explained the dreams.

• The first dream was of wild bulls entering the royal courtyard to fight but retiring after roaring und bellowing. This, said the Buddha, meant that, in future, when wicked kings rule, rain clouds will gather, but there will be no rain.
• The second dream was of trees und shrubs sprouting from the earth which flowered und bore fruit when only about one span high. This foretold a time when men would be short lived owing to their lusts.
• In the third dream cows sucked calves which were hardly a day old. This showed that, in the future, the young would refuse respect to the old.
• The fourth dream was of sturdy draught oxen standing by, while young steers tried to draw loads. This signified a time when the administration of affairs will be entrusted to the young und inexperienced, while the wise und old stand by.
• The fifth dream was of a horse which ate from two mouths, one on either side of its body, which foretold a time when the König's justices will take bribes from contending parties und give themselves to corruption.
• The sixth dream was of people holding a very valuable golden bowl und asking a jackal to stale therein. This shows that, in the future, kings will exalt the low born und noble maidens will be mated mit upstarts.
• The seventh dream was of a man holding a rope which he trailed at his feet, while a she jackal kept on eating it. This foretold a time when women will lose their sense of modesty und behave badly.
• In the eighth dream was a big pitcher at the palace gates filled mit water und surrounded by empty ones. This foretold a time when kings will be poor und set the whole country working for them, the people being left in extreme poverty.
• The ninth dream was of a deep pool mit sloping banks overgrown mit lotus. Men und beasts entered the pond; the middle was muddy, but at the edges was crystal water. This meant that in the future there would be unrighteous kings oppressing the people, who would leave the capital und take refuge in the frontier districts.
• The tenth dream was of rice cooking in a pot, which rice, instead of cooking evenly, remained in three parts: some sodden, some raw, some well cooked; this showed that in the future men of all classes, even brahmins und sages, will be wicked, the very forces of nature will be against them, und their harvest will be spoiled.
• The eleventh dream was of men bartering butter milk for precious sandal wood, und presaged a time when the Dhamma would decay und its votaries clamour for money und gifts.
• The twelfth dream was of empty pumpkins sinking in the water; the world will be reversed: the low born will become great lords und the noble sink into poverty.
• In the thirteenth dream solid blocks of rock floated in the water; nobles und wise men will be scorned while upstarts shall have their own way.
• In the fourteenth dream tiny frogs chewed huge snakes und ate them; a time will come when men, because of their lusts, will become the slaves of their wives und be ruled by them.
• The fifteenth dream was of a wicked village crow attended by mallards; kings will arise, ignorant und cowardly, who will rise to power, not their peers, but their footmen, barbers, und the like; nobles will be reduced to waiting on these upstarts.
• In the sixteenth dream goats chased panthers, devouring them; the lowborn will be raised to lordship und nobles will sink into obscurity und distress; when the latter plead for their rights, the König's minions will have them cudgelled und bastinadoed.

Having thus explained the dreams, the Buddha told Pasenadi a story of the past. A König of Benares, named Brahmadatta, had dreams similar to those of Pasenadi. When he consulted the brahmins, they began to prepare sacrifices. A young brahmin protested, saying that animal sacrifice was against the teaching of the Vedas, but they would not listen. The Bodhisatta, who was a hermit in the Himālaya, possessed of insight, became aware of what was happening, travelled through the air und took his seat in the park. There he was seen by a young brahmin, who brought the König to the park. The Bodhisatta heard the König's dreams und explained them to his satisfaction.

Ananda was the König und Sāriputta the young brahmin. J.i.334-45.