Cp 31

Kaṇhadīpāyanacariya

“Punāparaṁ yadā homi, kaṇhadīpāyano isi; Paropaññāsavassāni, anabhiratocariṁ ahaṁ.

Dark Light’s Conduct

“Then again when I was the seer Dark Light, for more than fifty years I lived dissatisfied.

Na koci etaṁ jānāti, Anabhiratimanaṁ mama; Ahañhi kassaci nācikkhiṁ, Arati me carati mānase.

No one knew of this dissatisfaction of mine, for I mentioned it to no one, it only went on in my mind.

Sabrahmacārī maṇḍabyo, sahāyo me mahāisi; Pubbakammasamāyutto, sūlamāropanaṁ labhi.

Maṇḍabya, a spiritual companion and friend of mine was a great seer. Bound to a deed in a past life, he got impaled on a stake.

Tamahaṁ upaṭṭhahitvāna, ārogyamanupāpayiṁ; Āpucchitvāna āgañchiṁ, yaṁ mayhaṁ sakamassamaṁ.

I nursed him and brought him back to health. Asking leave, I returned to my own hermitage.

Sahāyo brāhmaṇo mayhaṁ, bhariyaṁ ādāya puttakaṁ; Tayo janā samāgantvā, āgañchuṁ pāhunāgataṁ.

A brahmin friend of mine, bringing wife and child, came to me, all three of them, as my guests.

Sammodamāno tehi saha, nisinno sakamassame; Dārako vaṭṭamanukkhipaṁ, āsīvisamakopayi.

As I exchanged greetings with them, seated in my own hermitage, the boy threw a ball and angered a viper.

Tato so vaṭṭagataṁ maggaṁ, anvesanto kumārako; Āsīvisassa hatthena, uttamaṅgaṁ parāmasi.

Then the boy, looking which way the ball had gone, touched the viper’s head with his hand.

Tassa āmasane kuddho, sappo visabalassito; Kupito paramakopena, aḍaṁsi dārakaṁ khaṇe.

Angered at his touch, the cobra, relying on its potent poison, completely enraged, bit the boy right away.

Sahadaṭṭho āsīvisena, dārako papati bhūmiyaṁ; Tenāhaṁ dukkhito āsiṁ, mama vāhasi taṁ dukkhaṁ.

When bitten by the viper, the boy fainted on the ground. It made me distraught, the pain became as if mine.

Tyāhaṁ assāsayitvāna, dukkhite sokasallite; Paṭhamaṁ akāsiṁ kiriyaṁ, aggaṁ saccaṁ varuttamaṁ.

Comforting the parents, in their suffering and sorrow, I made the first act, the original, supreme declaration of truth:

‘Sattāhamevāhaṁ pasannacitto, Puññatthiko acariṁ brahmacariyaṁ; Athāparaṁ yaṁ caritaṁ mamedaṁ, Vassāni paññāsasamādhikāni.

‘For just seven days with a mind of faith I led the spiritual life seeking merit. My life since then, for fifty years or more,

Akāmako vāhi ahaṁ carāmi, Etena saccena suvatthi hotu; Hataṁ visaṁ jīvatu yaññadatto’.

I have lived unwillingly. By this truth, may he be well! May the poison die! May Yaññadatta live!’

Saha sacce kate mayhaṁ, visavegena vedhito; Abujjhitvāna vuṭṭhāsi, arogo cāsi māṇavo; Saccena me samo natthi, esā me saccapāramī”ti.

As I declared this truth, the boy trembling with poison, awoke and got up, the brahmin youth was well. There is no one to equal my truthfulness: this is my perfection of truth.”