Cp 16

Rurumigarājacariya

“Punāparaṁ yadā homi, sutattakanakasannibho; Migarājā ruru nāma, paramasīlasamāhito.

Ruru the Deer King’s Conduct

“Then again when I was the king of deer named Ruru, in appearance I was like burnished gold, focused on the highest ethics.

Ramme padese ramaṇīye, vivitte amanussake; Tattha vāsaṁ upagañchiṁ, gaṅgākūle manorame.

There was a pleasant, delightful region, free of humans, so I went there and stayed on a lovely bank of the Ganges.

Atha upari gaṅgāya, dhanikehi paripīḷito; Puriso gaṅgāya papati, ‘jīvāmi vā marāmi vā’.

Then a man upstream, harassed by creditors, fell into the Ganges, thinking, ‘I live or I die!’

Rattindivaṁ so gaṅgāya, vuyhamāno mahodake; Ravanto karuṇaṁ ravaṁ, majjhe gaṅgāya gacchati.

Day and night in the Ganges he was swept along the stream, crying out pitifully, along the middle of the Ganges.

Tassāhaṁ saddaṁ sutvāna, karuṇaṁ paridevato; Gaṅgāya tīre ṭhatvāna, apucchiṁ ‘kosi tvaṁ naro’.

When I heard the sound of his pitiful crying, I stood on the Ganges bank and asked, ‘What man are you?’

So me puṭṭho ca byākāsi, attano karaṇaṁ tadā; ‘Dhanikehi bhīto tasito, pakkhandohaṁ mahānadiṁ’.

When asked he explained to me his own deed: ‘I was so scared of my creditors, I jumped in the great river!’

Tassa katvāna kāruññaṁ, cajitvā mama jīvitaṁ; Pavisitvā nīhariṁ tassa, andhakāramhi rattiyā.

Taking pity on him, surrendering my own life, I entered and dragged him out in the darkness of the night.

Assatthakālamaññāya, tassāhaṁ idamabraviṁ; ‘Ekaṁ taṁ varaṁ yācāmi, mā maṁ kassaci pāvada’.

When I knew he had recovered, I said to him, ‘I ask of you one favor: tell no one about me.’

Nagaraṁ gantvāna ācikkhi, pucchito dhanahetuko; Rājānaṁ so gahetvāna, upagañchi mamantikaṁ.

But once he had returned to the city, for the sake of money he told when asked. Taking the king, he drew close to me.

Yāvatā karaṇaṁ sabbaṁ, rañño ārocitaṁ mayā; Rājā sutvāna vacanaṁ, usuṁ tassa pakappayi; ‘Idheva ghātayissāmi, mittadubbhiṁ anāriyaṁ’.

All that I had done was related to the king. When the king heard this, he fitted his arrow, thinking, ‘Right here I shall kill this ignoble betrayer of a friend.’

Tamahaṁ anurakkhanto, nimminiṁ mama attanā; ‘Tiṭṭhateso mahārāja, kāmakāro bhavāmi te’.

I protected him, substituting myself: ‘Let him be, Great King. I shall carry out your pleasure.’

Anurakkhiṁ mama sīlaṁ, nārakkhiṁ mama jīvitaṁ; Sīlavā hi tadā āsiṁ, bodhiyāyeva kāraṇā”ti.

I guarded my ethics, not my life. For then I was ethical, because it was solely for awakening.”