Cullanārada Jātaka (No.477)

v.l. Cullanāradakassapa.-The Bodhisatta was once a rich brahmin who, on the death of his wife, retired with his son to the Himālaya and became an ascetic. One day a girl, having been carried off by thieves, escaped from them and arrived at the ascetic's but when the Bodhisatta was away. The son fell a victim to her charms and agreed to return with her to the haunts of men. She went on ahead and he was to follow, but his father, hearing of what had occurred during his absence, described to the youth the snares of household life in such a graphic way that he gave up the idea of following the girl.

The story was related in reference to a vain monk who succumbed to the wiles of a maiden of Sāvatthi. The girl's mother used her to entice the monk to become her son-in-law. The Buddha warned him that in the past the same girl had tried to destroy his spiritual life (J.iv.219-24).

In the Jātaka itself the Bodhisatta's son is called Nārada (p.222), but elsewhere (J.i.416, 417) he is referred to as Cullatāpasa (probably only a descriptive title). It was in reference to the same monk that the Munika, the Udañcani, the Sālūka and the Arañña Jātakas were related.

Dictionary of Pali Proper Names, G P Malalasekera (1899-1973), which is available as printed version from