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

Overview

A greedy jackal falls into an indigo vat, rolls on a dunghill, bathes and acquires a blue colour likened to cyanite when exposed to sunlight. Claiming the name Śataga and appointment by Śakra, he gains the submission of animals who have never seen such a creature. He rides an elephant, placing lions and other powerful animals near him while relegating the jackals to an outer circle. His mother declines his invitation and warns that his prosperity will last only while he does not howl.

A messenger reveals his origin to the other jackals, who provoke him by howling. The narration says that a jackal which hears the cry without answering loses its hair; fearing this, he replies and exposes himself. The elephant throws him off and tramples him. The story’s divine commission is false and the colour is acquired dye, not a new species. The hair-loss premise belongs to the fable rather than verified animal biology.

Dyed speaking jackal who claims divine appointment as animal kingBuddhist narrative witness
01

Origins & earliest records

Indian Buddhist narrative preserved in Tibetan translation

02

Records & interpretation

Whole chapter and its footnotes directly read in the digitized1906 edition.

In the literature

“the colour of cyanite”
Anonymous Buddhist narrative tradition; F. Anton von Schiefner and W.R.S.Ralston, mediated translators · Tibetan Tales Derived from Indian Sources — XXXVI The Blue Jackal
XXXVI The Blue Jackal, hosted printed-page marker336 · W.R.S.Ralston, English from Schiefner’s German Tibetan translation

The narrator describes the jackal’s appearance after its accidental dye exposure.

Selected bibliography

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

  1. 01

    Tibetan Tales Derived from Indian Sources

    F. Anton von Schiefner, Tibetan-to-German translator; W. R. S. Ralston, English translator · 1906

    XXXVI, The Blue Jackal, pp. 336–338; note cites Kah-gyur iv. f. 255

  2. 02

    Tibetan Tales Derived from Indian Sources — XXXVI The Blue Jackal

    Anonymous Buddhist narrative tradition; F. Anton von Schiefner and W.R.S.Ralston, mediated translators · 1906

    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

Direct primary record

Schiefner/Ralston, Tibetan Tales Derived from Indian Sources (London, 1906)

XXXVI, The Blue Jackal. XXXVI, The Blue Jackal, pp. 336–338; note cites Kah-gyur iv. f. 255

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.

Inspect the digitized plate · Source collection manifest

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.

  1. After an indigo vat accident Śataga becomes unusually blue and falsely claims appointment by Śakra as king of four-footed animals. His new retinue excludes jackals from the inner ranks, and a messenger learns his identity from his mother. The jackals provoke a howl; he fears losing his hair if silent and being killed if he dismounts, so he howls from his elephant mount. The elephant recognizes and tramples him.

    XXXVI The Blue Jackal, complete336–338; note Kah-gyuriv.f255

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.

  1. Historical translation of Buddhist narrativeSchiefner/Ralston, Tibetan Tales (1906), XXXVI, The Blue Jackal, pp. 336–338; note cites Kah-gyur iv. f. 255Research access: 2026-10-05

Image credits

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

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