suvannahamsa

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Suvaṇṇahaṃsa Jātaka (No. 136)

The Bodhisatta was once a brahmin. He had three daughters: Nandā, Nandavatī and Sundarīnandā. After death he was born as a golden goose, and, remembering his past birth, he flew to where his wife and daughters lived and gave one of his golden feathers. This happened several times, till at last his wife planned to pull out all his feathers. Now the feathers taken from a golden goose, against his wish, cease to be golden and become like the feathers of a crane. The woman discovered this when she had pulled out all his feathers, so she flung him into a barrel and fed him there. Later white feathers grew on him, and he flew away never to return.

The story was told in reference to Thulla Nandā (q.v.) One day she went to a bailiff’s house for some garlic, as he was in the habit of giving this to the nuns. However, the supply was finished, and she was asked to get some from the field. She went there and took away a large quantity, and the bailiff was very angry.

Thulla Nandā is identified with the greedy woman and her three sisters with the three daughters. J.i.474-7.

Dictionary of Pāli Proper Names • G.P. Malalasekera