Swarna Hansa Jataka

The Swarna Hansa Jataka, or the Golden Swan Jataka (Jataka No. 136), is a well-known story from the collection of Jataka tales, which recount the previous births of the Buddha. These tales are preserved in the Khuddaka Nikāya of the Pāli Canon and are widely told throughout the Buddhist world to convey ethical teachings. In this particular story, the Bodhisattva—who would one day become the Buddha—was born as a divine swan with shimmering feathers made entirely of gold.

In a previous life, the Bodhisattva had been a human and had a wife and three daughters. After his death, he was reborn as a golden swan and took residence in the Himalayas. Through his divine perception, he became aware that his former wife and daughters, now living alone, had fallen into deep poverty and struggled to survive. Moved by compassion and the memory of his former family, he resolved to help them in a way that would not attract attention or cause harm.

He began to visit them from time to time. Each time he came, he would pluck one of his golden feathers and give it to them, advising them to sell it in the market and use the money to meet their needs. He warned them not to be greedy and promised that he would continue to come back regularly and give them feathers as long as they needed. Following his instructions, the family lived in comfort, using each feather wisely and gratefully awaiting his next visit.

However, over time, the mother began to grow impatient and greedy. She reasoned that if one golden feather could bring so much wealth, then possessing all of them at once would make her rich beyond measure. One day, when the golden swan returned, she caught him and plucked out all of his feathers in a single act of desperation and greed. But to her great shock, the golden feathers immediately turned into ordinary white feathers, losing all their value. Moreover, the swan, weakened and hurt by the betrayal, looked upon her with sorrow and pain.

The golden swan eventually recovered and flew away, never to return again. His departure left the family in despair, not only because they had lost their only means of support, but also because they had broken the trust of one who came only to help. Their greed, instead of bringing them riches, had led to complete loss.

This Jataka conveys a timeless moral lesson: Greed leads to loss, while patience and gratitude sustain well-being. The mother’s impulsive act, driven by desire for quick wealth, destroyed a generous and reliable source of support. The tale warns against exploiting generosity and teaches that lasting benefit comes through restraint, trust, and appreciation.