Maṇikaṇṭha (Jewel-throat)

Overview

In Jātaka 253 Maṇikaṇṭha comes from the Ganges in human form and befriends a young ascetic. Before departing he resumes his serpent body, coils around the ascetic and spreads his hood above his head. The embrace is affectionate in the story, but the serpent’s presence frightens the man, who becomes thin and distressed.

The ascetic’s elder brother devises a way to stop the visits: ask repeatedly for the precious jewel worn by the nāga. Maṇikaṇṭha refuses because it supplies his food and drink, and he withdraws after the requests continue at the river. The younger man then grows miserable from missing his friend. The elder’s explanation turns the episode into a warning about demanding a beloved person’s cherished possession.

The requests are deliberately staged over three successive visits: first inside the hermitage before the visitor can sit down, then at its door, and finally as Maṇikaṇṭha emerges from the river. The serpent compares the demands to being threatened by armed men. He explains that the jewel enables him to obtain abundant food and drink, refuses to surrender it and promises never to visit again. His disappearance is a chosen withdrawal; the tale does not say that the ascetic steals the jewel or kills him.

The frame makes the lesson more specific than a warning against greed alone. Monks seeking labour and supplies for their dwellings have pressed lay supporters until people flee at the sight of a monk. The Buddha uses the serpent’s response to rebuke this importunity. The younger ascetic’s subsequent grief shows that ending the frightening embraces has also cost him valued companionship. In the concluding identification Ānanda is the younger brother and the Buddha the elder; Maṇikaṇṭha is not given an equivalent named identification. Rouse tentatively connects a Bharhut relief with the story, but the five-headed cobra in that proposed image should not automatically become the anatomy of the literary serpent.

Origins & earliest records

South Asian Buddhist Jātaka narrative tradition

Records & interpretation

Directly read historical English primary-text translation, located by tale number and printed pages.

Selected bibliography

Documented works and useful reading. This is not a list of every appearance.

1. 01

   The Jātaka, Volume II

   W. H. D. Rouse (historical English translator); E. B. Cowell (general editor) · 1895

   Jātaka253, pp.197–199; full frame, three-day request sequence, ending and four footnotes. Volume title independently read.

Family & connections

A source-supported family tree or inspiration record has not yet been compiled for this profile. Related reading below indicates a connection in subject matter, not a proven lineage or creative influence.

Primary records and illustrations

References

Sources supporting this profile. Linked pages have their own scope and editorial standards.

1. Historical primary-text translationThe Jātaka, Volume II — Jātaka 253, pp. 197–199Research access: 2026-10-05
2. Historical primary translationRouse1895, Maṇi-Kaṇṭha-Jātaka complete accountResearch access: 2026-10-05

Image credits

A sourced illustration has not yet been added. This gap is included in the coverage record.