batch.motif.buddhist-jataka-birth-stories-rhys-davids-gutenberg-l990-l1110
---
record_id: batch.motif.buddhist-jataka-birth-stories-rhys-davids-gutenberg-l990-l1110
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/buddhist/project-gutenberg/buddhist-birth-stories-volume-1-rhys-davids.md
passage_locator:
label: SUPPLEMENTARY TABLES. / THE BIRTH STORIES. / INDEX 339
/ INTRODUCTION.; lines 990-1110
start: '990'
end: '1110'
translation: Buddhist birth stories; or, Jataka tales, Volume 1
notes: Generated from OpenAI Batch run motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority;
human review required.
canonical_text:
quote: "“Anger he conquers by calmness, / And by goodness the wicked; / The stingy
he conquers by gifts, / And by truth the speaker of lies.”"
summary: Two righteous kings meet in a narrow cart-track where only one chariot
can pass. Their charioteers compare rank, age, kingdom, wealth, renown, caste,
tribe, and family, finding them equal. The issue of precedence is then decided
by contrasting accounts of each king’s righteousness. The king of Benāres is credited
with overcoming anger by calmness, wickedness by goodness, stinginess by gifts,
and lies by truth, so Mallika yields the road. Both kings later practice charity
and good deeds and go to heaven. The accompanying commentary identifies the moral
as goodness overcoming evil and notes parallels in the Dhammapada and the Mahā
Bhārata.
language: English
quote_policy: quoted
literal_observations:
- id: obs:1
text: Mallika, king of Kosala, is described as ruling with righteousness and searching
for a fault-finder outside the palace.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:2
text: The king of Kosala and the king of Benāres meet face to face in a low, steep-sided
cart-track with no room for a chariot to move aside.
category: setting
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:3
text: Each charioteer commands the other to move aside, citing the royal identity
of his own passenger.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:4
text: The charioteer of the king of Benāres compares the two kings by age, kingdom,
army, wealth, renown, country, caste, tribe, and family, and finds them equal.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:5
text: The charioteer of the king of Kosala states that Mallika overthrows the strong
by strength, the mild by mildness, the good by goodness, and the wicked by wickedness.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: obs:6
text: The charioteer of the king of Benāres states that his king conquers anger
by calmness, the wicked by goodness, the stingy by gifts, and liars by truth.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: obs:7
text: After the second stanza, Mallika and his charioteer get down, remove the horses
and chariot, and make way for the king of Benāres.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: obs:8
text: The king of Benāres exhorts Mallika, returns to Benāres, practices charity
and other good deeds, and passes to heaven at death.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: obs:9
text: Mallika takes the exhortation to heart, returns to his own city, practices
charity and other good deeds, and goes to heaven at death.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: obs:10
text: The commentary says the story teaches that justice is noble, evil should be
conquered by good, and goodness is the true measure of greatness.
category: other
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
- id: obs:11
text: The commentary says the first four lines of the Second Moral are included
as Dhammapada verse 223 and that a related idea is also found in the Mahā Bhārata.
category: relationship
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
- ev:10
figures:
- id: fig:1
name_or_label: Mallika, king of Kosala
description: A king ruling Kosala, described as seeking a fault-finder, meeting
the king of Benāres in a narrow cart-track, yielding the way, accepting exhortation,
practicing charity and good deeds, and going to heaven.
role_refs:
- role:2
- role:5
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:4
- ev:6
- ev:7
- id: fig:2
name_or_label: Brahma-datta, king of Benāres
description: The lord over the kingdom of Benāres, whose charioteer describes him
as conquering anger by calmness, wickedness by goodness, stinginess by gifts,
and lies by truth; he exhorts Mallika and later goes to heaven.
role_refs:
- role:1
- role:5
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:5
- ev:7
- id: fig:3
name_or_label: Charioteer of Mallika
description: The charioteer who demands that the other chariot move aside and states
Mallika’s form of righteousness.
role_refs:
- role:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:4
- ev:6
- id: fig:4
name_or_label: Charioteer of the king of Benāres
description: The charioteer who investigates the two kings’ equality in rank and
status, then decides to make way for the most righteous and declares his king’s
goodness.
role_refs:
- role:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- ev:5
roles:
- id: role:1
label: king exemplifying non-retaliatory goodness
assigned_to:
- fig:2
basis: His charioteer says he conquers anger by calmness, wickedness by goodness,
stinginess by gifts, and lies by truth.
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: role:2
label: king whose righteousness is challenged and corrected
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: Mallika’s charioteer presents reciprocal action toward strong, mild, good,
and wicked people; after hearing the other stanza, Mallika yields and accepts
exhortation.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:6
- ev:7
- id: role:3
label: spokesman for Mallika’s precedence claim
assigned_to:
- fig:3
basis: He orders the other charioteer to move aside and recites Mallika’s stated
righteousness.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:4
- id: role:4
label: arbiter of precedence by moral comparison
assigned_to:
- fig:4
basis: He compares age and social-political rank, finds them equal, then asks which
king is most righteous.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:5
- id: role:5
label: king rewarded after charity and good deeds
assigned_to:
- fig:1
- fig:2
basis: Both kings practice charity and other good deeds and go to heaven at the
end of life.
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
symbols:
- id: sym:1
label: narrow cart-track
literal_form: A low cart-track with precipitous sides and no space for a chariot
to get out of the way.
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:3
- fig:4
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: sym:2
label: royal chariots
literal_form: The chariots carrying the kings, one of which must be moved aside
in the narrow track.
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:3
- fig:4
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:6
- id: sym:3
label: making way
literal_form: Mallika and his charioteer alight, take out the horses, remove their
chariot, and make way for the king of Benāres.
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:3
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: sym:4
label: gifts
literal_form: Gifts are named as the means by which the stingy are conquered; charity
is later practiced by both kings.
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:2
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- ev:7
- id: sym:5
label: heaven
literal_form: The destination to which each king goes at the end of life after practicing
charity and other good deeds.
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:2
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
scenes:
- id: scene:1
label: Search for fault and meeting in the narrow track
summary: Mallika seeks someone who can identify faults in him and comes to the same
narrow place where he meets the king of Benāres face to face.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
- sym:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: scene:2
label: Dispute over royal precedence
summary: The charioteers each demand that the other move aside, naming the king
seated in his own chariot.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:3
- fig:4
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
- sym:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: scene:3
label: Equality of worldly rank
summary: The charioteer of the king of Benāres compares age, territory, military
strength, wealth, renown, place, caste, tribe, and family, finding no difference
between the kings.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:4
symbol_refs:
- sym:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: scene:4
label: Contrasting moral stanzas
summary: Mallika’s charioteer describes a form of conduct that responds in kind,
while the charioteer of the king of Benāres describes overcoming anger, wickedness,
stinginess, and lies through opposing virtues.
figure_refs:
- fig:2
- fig:3
- fig:4
symbol_refs:
- sym:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:5
- id: scene:5
label: Yielding the road
summary: Mallika and his charioteer descend, remove horses and chariot, and make
way for the king of Benāres.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:3
symbol_refs:
- sym:2
- sym:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: scene:6
label: Exhortation, charity, and heavenly result
summary: The king of Benāres exhorts Mallika; both kings later practice charity
and other good deeds and go to heaven after death.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
symbol_refs:
- sym:4
- sym:5
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
candidate_motifs:
- id: motif:1
label: overcoming evil by good
taxonomy_refs:
- wisdom
basis: The second stanza states that anger is conquered by calmness, wickedness
by goodness, stinginess by gifts, and lies by truth; the commentary explicitly
names conquering evil by good as the right thing.
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- ev:9
confidence: high
cautions: The available taxonomy has no exact 'overcoming evil by good' motif family,
so it is placed under the broad wisdom category.
- id: motif:2
label: moral virtue as the measure of royal greatness
taxonomy_refs:
- royal_legitimacy
- wisdom
basis: When the kings are equal in age, kingdom, army, wealth, renown, country,
caste, tribe, and family, the road-precedence question is decided by which king
is most righteous; the commentary says goodness is the true measure of greatness.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:5
- ev:6
- ev:9
confidence: high
cautions: The passage concerns precedence between kings rather than accession to
a throne, so 'royal_legitimacy' is approximate.
- id: motif:3
label: yielding physical precedence to moral superiority
taxonomy_refs:
- wisdom
basis: Mallika and his charioteer physically move their chariot aside after the
charioteer of Benāres gives the superior moral stanza.
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- ev:6
confidence: medium
cautions: This is a local narrative pattern in the passage rather than a named taxonomy
motif.
- id: motif:4
label: charity and good deeds followed by heaven
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: Both kings practice charity and other good deeds and are said to go to heaven
at the end of life.
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
confidence: medium
cautions: No divine judge or detailed afterlife journey is described in the passage.
- id: motif:5
label: ruler seeking correction or a fault-finder
taxonomy_refs:
- wisdom
basis: Mallika searches for someone who can identify a fault in him and later takes
the king of Benāres’s exhortation to heart.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:7
confidence: medium
cautions: The passage begins after earlier context, so the full shape of this pattern
may depend on preceding lines not included here.
comparison_claims:
- id: claim:1
claim: The first four lines of the Second Moral are identified by the commentary
as also appearing in the Dhammapada as verse 223.
claim_level: linguistic_similarity
target: Dhammapada verse 223
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
counter_evidence_refs: []
confidence: high
limitations: This claim follows the supplied commentary and does not independently
verify the Pali wording or translation.
- id: claim:2
claim: The commentary presents the doctrine of overcoming evil by good as not exclusively
Buddhist and says a related idea is found in the Mahā Bhārata.
claim_level: same_function
target: Mahā Bhārata
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
- ev:10
counter_evidence_refs:
- ev:10
confidence: medium
limitations: The same passage also notes that an opposite sentiment occurs elsewhere
in the Mahā Bhārata and that the higher teaching may be in a late portion.
- id: claim:3
claim: The commentary cautiously suggests that the higher teaching in the Mahā Bhārata
may be of Buddhist origin.
claim_level: historical_contact
target: Possible Buddhist influence on a Mahā Bhārata passage
evidence_refs:
- ev:10
counter_evidence_refs: []
confidence: low
limitations: The passage uses the wording 'probably' and provides no detailed historical
argument within the supplied excerpt.
evidence:
- id: ev:1
type: summary
locator: lines 990-997
quote_or_summary: Mallika rules Kosala righteously, seeks a fault-finder, and meets
another king face to face in a low cart-track with steep sides and no room for
a chariot to get out of the way.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/buddhist/project-gutenberg/buddhist-birth-stories-volume-1-rhys-davids.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:2
type: summary
locator: lines 998-1015
quote_or_summary: The two charioteers each command the other to move aside, identifying
their passengers as the kings of Benāres and Kosala.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/buddhist/project-gutenberg/buddhist-birth-stories-volume-1-rhys-davids.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:3
type: summary
locator: lines 1016-1031
quote_or_summary: The charioteer of the king of Benāres compares the kings by age,
kingdom, army, wealth, renown, country, caste, tribe, and family, and finds them
equal.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/buddhist/project-gutenberg/buddhist-birth-stories-volume-1-rhys-davids.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:4
type: quote
locator: lines 1032-1042
quote_or_summary: Mallika is said to overthrow the strong by strength, the mild
by mildness, the good by goodness, and the wicked by wickedness.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/buddhist/project-gutenberg/buddhist-birth-stories-volume-1-rhys-davids.md
rights_note: Public domain source; short excerpt summarized.
- id: ev:5
type: quote
locator: lines 1044-1058
quote_or_summary: "“Anger he conquers by calmness, / And by goodness the wicked;
/ The stingy he conquers by gifts, / And by truth the speaker of lies.”"
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/buddhist/project-gutenberg/buddhist-birth-stories-volume-1-rhys-davids.md
rights_note: Public domain source; short excerpt quoted.
- id: ev:6
type: summary
locator: lines 1060-1062
quote_or_summary: Mallika and his charioteer alight, take out the horses, remove
their chariot, and make way for the king of Benāres.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/buddhist/project-gutenberg/buddhist-birth-stories-volume-1-rhys-davids.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:7
type: summary
locator: lines 1064-1071
quote_or_summary: The king of Benāres exhorts Mallika; both kings return to their
cities, practice charity and other good deeds, and go to heaven at death.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/buddhist/project-gutenberg/buddhist-birth-stories-volume-1-rhys-davids.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:8
type: summary
locator: lines 1075-1092
quote_or_summary: The commentary says the Jātaka mixes earnestness with dry humour,
including the contrived meeting of two kings in a narrow lane and the novel method
of settling precedence.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/buddhist/project-gutenberg/buddhist-birth-stories-volume-1-rhys-davids.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:9
type: summary
locator: lines 1094-1104
quote_or_summary: The commentary states that the lesson is that justice is noble,
evil should be conquered by good, and goodness is the true measure of greatness;
it also says the first four lines of the Second Moral appear as Dhammapada verse
223 and that the idea is also found in the Mahā Bhārata.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/buddhist/project-gutenberg/buddhist-birth-stories-volume-1-rhys-davids.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:10
type: summary
locator: lines 1104-1110
quote_or_summary: The commentary says the Mahā Bhārata also contains the opposite
sentiment, that the higher teaching is probably in a late portion and of Buddhist
origin, and that the doctrine was received into the Hindu poem.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/buddhist/project-gutenberg/buddhist-birth-stories-volume-1-rhys-davids.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
confidence:
extraction: high
motif_candidates: medium
comparison_claims: medium
notes: The main narrative and commentary are explicit. Motif taxonomy mapping is
partly approximate because the available motif list lacks exact labels for non-retaliatory
conquest of evil and moral precedence.
reviewer_status:
status: needs_review
reviewer: ''
reviewed_at: ''
notes: Machine-generated draft from OpenAI Batch; not human-reviewed.
extracted_by: openai_batch:gpt-5.5
extracted_at: '2026-04-28'
notes: |-
Only the supplied passage and metadata were used. Narrative observations are kept separate from the translator's comparative commentary.
batch_run_id=motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority
custom_id=motif_extract:buddhist-jataka-birth-stories-rhys-davids-gutenberg__l990-l1110
passage_sha256=c02460b65184720e02ed4b1e5cf8775af7d795fb52d4f21759bd2648d164e30a