Sutta Piṭaka
Maccharājacariya
Maccharājacariya
“Punāparaṁ yadā homi, maccharājā mahāsare; Uṇhe sūriyasantāpe, sare udaka khīyatha.
The Fish King’s Conduct
“Then again when I was a fish king in a great lake, in the heat of the sun the water in the lake evaporated.
Tato kākā ca gijjhā ca, kaṅkā kulalasenakā; Bhakkhayanti divārattiṁ, macche upanisīdiya.
Then crows and vultures, herons, hawks, and falcons, perched near the fish and devoured them day and night.
Evaṁ cintesahaṁ tattha, saha ñātīhi pīḷito; ‘Kena nu kho upāyena, ñātī dukkhā pamocaye’.
There I had the following thought, being harassed with my relatives: ‘By what means can I free my relatives from this suffering?’
Vicintayitvā dhammatthaṁ, saccaṁ addasa passayaṁ; Sacce ṭhatvā pamocesiṁ, ñātīnaṁ taṁ atikkhayaṁ.
Considering the value of the Dhamma, I saw the truth as a support. Standing in the truth, I freed my relatives from that holocaust.
Anussaritvā sataṁ dhammaṁ, paramatthaṁ vicintayaṁ; Akāsiṁ saccakiriyaṁ, yaṁ loke dhuvasassataṁ.
Recollecting the true Dhamma, considered the ultimate goal, I made a declaration of truth that would last eternally in the world.
‘Yato sarāmi attānaṁ, yato pattosmi viññutaṁ; Nābhijānāmi sañcicca, ekapāṇampi hiṁsitaṁ.
‘So long as I can recall myself, since I became aware, I do not recall deliberately harming even a single living creature.
Etena saccavajjena, pajjunno abhivassatu; Abhitthanaya pajjunna, nidhiṁ kākassa nāsaya; Kākaṁ sokāya randhehi, macche sokā pamocaya’.
By this declaration of truth, may Pajjuna rain down! Thunder forth, Pajjuna! Disperse the trove of the crow! Subject the crow to sorrow, and free the fish from sorrow!’
Saha kate saccavare, pajjunno abhigajjiya; Thalaṁ ninnañca pūrento, khaṇena abhivassatha.
As this excellent truth was declared, Pajjuna thundered forth. In an instant the rain poured down, soaking the uplands and valleys.
Evarūpaṁ saccavaraṁ, katvā vīriyamuttamaṁ; Vassāpesiṁ mahāmeghaṁ, saccatejabalassito; Saccena me samo natthi, esā me saccapāramī”ti.
Having made such supreme effort for this excellent truth, I made the great cloud pour down, relying on the force of the power of truth. There is no one to equal my truthfulness: this is my perfection of truth.”