Ja 7 The Story about the Wood Gatherer
(Kaṭṭhahārijātaka)
In the present the king of Kosala, learning of the low birth of his queen, rejected her, and her son. The Buddha convinces him otherwise, and tells a story of the past where he had been born of a king and claimed his rightful place at court (full story).
1. Putto tyāhaṁ mahārāja, tvaṁ maṁ posa janādhipa,
Aññe pi devo poseti, kiñ-ca devo sakaṁ pajan-ti?
I am your son, great king, you must support me, leader of men, the king supports others, so why not his own son?
In this connection, I am your son, he is known as a son in four ways: being born from oneself, i.e. a biological son. born by proxy, a pupil, an adopted son.
In this connection, born because of oneself one is called born from oneself.
Being born by laying the child on the bed, on the sofa, or on the chest, and so on one is born by proxy. PD says: a type of son (fathered by an appointed substitute for the husband). Hindu law, as explained in SED says: kṣetraja, kṣetra-ja m. (scil. putra) “born from the womb”, a son who is the offspring of the wife by a kinsman or person duly appointed to raise up issue to the husband (this is one of the twelve kinds of issue allowed by the old Hindū law) Baudh. Gaut. Mn. ix, 159 ff. Yājñ. i, 68 and 69; ii, 128. Perhaps khetta is a short form for khettakāra, a husbandman, one who tends (someone else’s) field?
Dwelling near while learning a craft one is known as a pupil. Literally: one who lives inside.
One given for nurturing is called an adopted son.
But here referring to one who is born from oneself, son is said.
One who pleases the people with the four bases of kindness is a king, a king who is great is a great king. Analysing the compound. Addressing him, he said: great king.
You must support me, leader of men, means leader of men, great elder of men, you must support me, you must maintain me through development.
The king supports others means others, men such as elephant-keepers and so on, elephants, horses and so on, animals and the many folk the king supports.
So why not his own son? But here why is a particle with the meaning of both blaming and encouraging. “The king does not support the son who is his own offspring,” speaking thus he blames him, “Many other people he supports,” speaking thus he encourages him. Thus the Bodhisatta both blamed and encouraged him, saying: “So why not his own son?”