The Six-Tusked Elephant King
Jataka Tales · 1 min read
A magnificent six-tusked elephant king named Chaddanta lived deeply in the Himalayan forests with two elephant queens, whom he loved equally and fairly. One queen, Mahasubhadda, misread an innocent gesture as favoritism toward her rival and, consumed by jealousy that festered for lifetimes, was eventually reborn as a human queen with the power to act on her old resentment.
Remembering her past life, she sent a skilled hunter deep into the forest with a portrait of the elephant, offering a great reward for his six magnificent tusks. The hunter, disguised as a monk to approach safely, shot Chaddanta with a poisoned arrow.
Even in his final agony, the noble elephant, recognizing the hunter's fear, calmed him and asked only why he had been targeted. On learning it was for his tusks, meant for a queen's grudge, Chaddanta forgave the hunter completely and, using his own trunk, sawed off his six tusks himself so the man would not have to struggle or risk further harm, and gave them freely before he died. When the queen finally saw the tusks and learned the full story of the gift, her old jealousy broke at last, and her heart shattered with grief for what her anger had cost.
Moral of the story
Forgiveness given even in one's final moments can undo a grudge that took lifetimes to build.