A sourced illustration has not yet been added. This gap is included in the coverage record.
Overview
A lion king, explicitly identified as the Bodisat during his accumulation of merit, leaves prey remains for five hundred jackals. When he falls into a well, all but one abandon him. The remaining jackal finds a nearby lake, digs a channel and fills the well until the lion can get out. A deity closes the narrative with a lesson about friendship across differences of strength. The rescue is accomplished by directing water, without granting the jackal a stated spell, personal name or divine identity.
Origins & earliest records
Indian Buddhist narrative preserved in Tibetan translation
Records & interpretation
Whole chapter and its footnotes directly read in the digitized1906 edition.
Selected bibliography
Documented works and useful reading. This is not a list of every appearance.
- 01
Tibetan Tales Derived from Indian Sources
XXXV, The Jackal Saves the Lion, p. 335; note cites Kah-gyur iv. f. 244*
- 02
Tibetan Tales Derived from Indian Sources — XXXV The Jackal Saves the Lion
Tibetan Tales Derived from Indian Sources, London: Kegan Paul, Trench, Trübner & Co., 1906, title-page transcription independently checked. Tibetan Kah-gyur to German by F. Anton von Schiefner, then German to English by W.R.S.Ralston. Complete selectedXXIX–XXXIX314–343, including bothXXXIII variants and all notes, independently read. ChapterXXXVIII read as adjacent corpus context without inventing a new profile; source-language originals not collated.
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
Schiefner/Ralston, Tibetan Tales Derived from Indian Sources (London, 1906)
XXXV, The Jackal Saves the Lion. XXXV, The Jackal Saves the Lion, p. 335; note cites Kah-gyur iv. f. 244*
Whole chapter with footnotes read. Edition’s own Kah-gyur locator retained without claiming original Tibetan inspection. Actual animal acts, explicit Bodisat identification, false divine appointment and mocking afterlife claim kept distinct.
Located primary passages
Specific passages supporting details in this entry, grouped by their published witness.
Tibetan Tales Derived from Indian Sources
Tibetan Tales Derived from Indian Sources, London: Kegan Paul, Trench, Trübner & Co., 1906, title-page transcription independently checked. Tibetan Kah-gyur to German by F. Anton von Schiefner, then German to English by W.R.S.Ralston. Complete selectedXXIX–XXXIX314–343, including bothXXXIII variants and all notes, independently read. ChapterXXXVIII read as adjacent corpus context without inventing a new profile; source-language originals not collated.
- A Bodisat lion leaves food remnants for five hundred following jackals. When he falls into a well, all but one abandon him. The remaining jackal finds a nearby lake and channels its water into the well until the lion can escape. The episode ends with praise of friendship, without a narrated promise of future reward.
XXXV The Jackal Saves the Lion, complete335; note Kah-gyuriv.f244*
Historical German-mediated English rendering, not independently collated Tibetan manuscript. Page labels from hosted transcription. Religious/moral assertions remain narrative framing. No verse, ritual, prayer, medical preparation or modern adaptation copied.
References
Sources supporting this profile. Linked pages have their own scope and editorial standards.
- Historical translation of Buddhist narrativeSchiefner/Ralston, Tibetan Tales (1906), XXXV, The Jackal Saves the Lion, p. 335; note cites Kah-gyur iv. f. 244*Research access: 2026-10-05
Image credits
A sourced illustration has not yet been added. This gap is included in the coverage record.