Sutta Piṭaka
Vaṭṭapotakacariya
Vaṭṭapotakacariya
“Punāparaṁ yadā homi, magadhe vaṭṭapotako; Ajātapakkho taruṇo, maṁsapesi kulāvake.
The Baby Quail’s Conduct
“Then again when I was a baby quail in Magadha, I was young, with wings unsprouted, just a scrap of meat in the nest.
Mukhatuṇḍakenāharitvā, mātā posayatī mamaṁ; Tassā phassena jīvāmi, natthi me kāyikaṁ balaṁ.
With food she brought in her beak my mother nurtured me. I survived through her touch, for I had no physical strength.
Saṁvacchare gimhasamaye, davaḍāho padippati; Upagacchati amhākaṁ, pāvako kaṇhavattanī.
One year, in the hot season, the forest caught fire. It came toward us, a conflagration with a blackened trail.
Dhamadhamāiti evaṁ, saddāyanto mahāsikhī; Anupubbena jhāpento, aggi mamamupāgami.
The fire roared and rumbled with great crests of flame, gradually burning closer to me.
Aggivegabhayātītā, tasitā mātāpitā mama; Kulāvake maṁ chaḍḍetvā, attānaṁ parimocayuṁ.
Alarmed and terrified at the fierce fire, my mother and father abandoned me in the nest, saving themselves.
Pāde pakkhe pajahāmi, natthi me kāyikaṁ balaṁ; Sohaṁ agatiko tattha, evaṁ cintesahaṁ tadā.
I beat my feet and wings, but I had no physical strength. When unable to leave, I thought this there:
‘Yesāhaṁ upadhāveyyaṁ, bhīto tasitavedhito; Te maṁ ohāya pakkantā, kathaṁ me ajja kātave.
‘Those to whom I ought to run, scared and trembling with fear, have escaped, leaving me behind. How should I act today?
Atthi loke sīlaguṇo, saccaṁ soceyyanuddayā; Tena saccena kāhāmi, saccakiriyamuttamaṁ.
There is the quality of virtue in the world, truth, purity, and mercy. By this truth I will make a supreme declaration of truth.’
Āvejjetvā dhammabalaṁ, saritvā pubbake jine; Saccabalamavassāya, saccakiriyamakāsahaṁ.
Inspired by the power of Dhamma, recollecting the former Victors, relying on the power of truth, I made a declaration of truth.
Santi pakkhā apatanā, santi pādā avañcanā; Mātāpitā ca nikkhantā, jātaveda paṭikkama’.
‘I have wings that do not fly! I have feet that do not walk! Mother and father have fled! Jātaveda the fire: go back!’
Sahasacce kate mayhaṁ, Mahāpajjalito sikhī; Vajjesi soḷasakarīsāni, Udakaṁ patvā yathā sikhī; Saccena me samo natthi, Esā me saccapāramī”ti.
As I declared this truth the great crested flames withdrew sixteen leagues, as if they had come to water. There is no one to equal my truthfulness: this is my perfection of truth.”