Rani The Great Elephant

Now, dear readers, I would like to tell you a story of someone who did live according to Dharma. In fact, this Jataka is one of the most beautiful pictures of an honorable life. My dear subject, Rani the Great Elephant, lived in a way that honored by commands and has a legacy left behind for all to see. I yearn for each of you to desire to live such a life as Rani: selfless, righteous, and prosperous.

Thousands of years ago, Rani the Great Elephant lived in a beautiful oasis in the center of the Thar Desert. Only the most magnificent creatures are allowed into the oasis, and Rani ruled over them all. She was not only physically mighty and beautiful, but she was the same in her heart. Rani was seen as the mother of all the other animals in the oasis; she cared for the young elephants and the birds that lived in the trees above her. All the animals in the Thar Desert adored her and admired her for her caring spirit. I wanted to reward her for her golden heart, so I arranged for a test to show the others how she truly lived with Dharma.

Three men came into the oasis. This is the first time any of the animals have seen men; they were dirty and thin. All the animals became afraid of the new creatures, so they told the birds to warn Rani.

“Rani, Great Elephant, we have visitors in the oasis,” said one of the birds.

Rani raised her eyes and touched the small bird with her trunk.

“We should go to them and I will see if they are friendly, for I am much bigger and stronger than you. I will go forth first in order to protect the others,” she replied.

As she slowly approached the three men, they were terrified. Rani quickly explained to them who she was and how she wanted to care for them. The men were very grateful and began to admire Rani as well. The three men then spoke to her.

“We are travelers and have lost our way. Our families are desperately looking for us, but we cannot get back to them. We are too weak to keep traveling,” one of them finally confessed. They looked exceptionally thin and sickly, so Rani felt compassion for them.

This is the first time The Great Elephant saw others in such pain, so it brought her to tears.

“Dear men, don’t worry! I am the caregiver of this oasis, and you are welcome to stay here for as long as you like,” she tenderly whispered to them.

The men were overjoyed, and Rani took them to the river to bathe. When they were clean and fed, she made them a hut to sleep in. The birds also tended to them until they were nursed back to health. The men stayed with Rani for months until they were strong again, and they all began to love Rani as a mother. They each felt like a part of her family, and she was the best caregiver to them.

One day, the men were sitting around talking about their families. They missed their wives and children dearly. The stories they were telling to Rani led her to tears once again.

“I can help you get back home to your families,” said Rani.

“How can you make the long trek back to our city? It is very far and there is no water for many miles,” one of the men spoke up and said.

Rani told them she would do whatever it took to make them happy, and she proposed that they all leave the oasis first thing in the morning. At dawn, the four set out on their long journey.

I was very proud of The Great Elephant, and I wanted to protect her as much as I could during this impossible journey. However, if she was going to live according to Dharma, she might have to sacrifice her life. She took the men safely back to their families, but she did not have the energy to make it back to her own. Outside the village, the men watched Rani walk a ways but then fall into the sand. She was willing to give all her energy to help the men reach happiness again, so I decided to reward her. Just like Rani did, the men nursed her back to health and presented her to the village leader. She lived a long and happy life living with the men she had rescued.

After her death, at a very old age, The Great Elephant was buried outside the village and given a statue in the center of it. Her story is told to many in India, and it is one of the most perfect examples of Dharma there ever was.

Author’s Note:

In an oasis in the middle of the desert, a huge and beautiful elephant lived a very happy life. The elephant was healthy and knew how to survive on the oasis with water and wonderful food. One day, he heard cries coming from a small group of men, and the elephant went to investigate. When he reached them, he saw that they were starving and parched. For the first time in his life, he was filled with sympathy for the men and shed tears. He told the men that they can find water and food at the bottom of a hill, and he told them that there would be a body of a great elephant at the end of the trail. Then, the elephant hurried away before the men could see where he had gone, so they began the walk to the hill. While they were walking, the elephant went to the top of the hill and jumped off the hill and hit the ground and died. When the weak and hungry men got there, they recognized the elephant and wept over his death.

The elephant died in order to feed/take care of the strangers, so he lived a very noble life. I wanted to make a happier ending to the story but still wanted the point of Dharma to come across to readers in more detail.

Image: The Great Elephant in the Oasis Wikimedia Image

Bibliography: Twenty Jataka Tales. Noor Inayat (Khan). Babel.