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Saṅkhacariya

Saṅkha’s Conduct

“Punāparaṁ yadā homi,
“Then again when I was

Brāhmaṇo saṅkhasavhayo;
a brahmin called Saṅkha,

Mahāsamuddaṁ taritukāmo,
wanting to cross the great ocean,

Upagacchāmi paṭṭanaṁ.
I was on my way to the port.

Tatthaddasaṁ paṭipathe,
There I saw across the way

Sayambhuṁ aparājitaṁ;
one self-awakened, undefeated,

Kantāraddhānaṁ paṭipannaṁ,
walking a desert road

Tattāya kaṭhinabhūmiyā.
whose ground was hot and rough.

Tamahaṁ paṭipathe disvā,
Seeing him across the way,

imamatthaṁ vicintayiṁ;
I thought this:

‘Idaṁ khettaṁ anuppattaṁ,
‘A field has appeared

puññakāmassa jantuno.
for a person desiring merit.

Yathā kassako puriso,
Now suppose a farmer

khettaṁ disvā mahāgamaṁ;
seeing a fertile field

Tattha bījaṁ na ropeti,
does not sow seed there,

na so dhaññena atthiko.
then they are not in need of grain.

Evamevāhaṁ puññakāmo,
So too, if I, desiring merit,

Disvā khettavaruttamaṁ;
seeing a supreme excellent field,

Yadi tattha kāraṁ na karomi,
do not render service there,

Nāhaṁ puññena atthiko.
then I am not in need of merit.

Yathā amacco muddikāmo,
Or suppose a minister seeking the royal seal

rañño antepure jane;
of authority over the people of the court,

Na deti tesaṁ dhanadhaññaṁ,
does not give them money and grain,

muddito parihāyati.
their authority dwindles.

Evamevāhaṁ puññakāmo,
So too, if I, desiring merit,

Vipulaṁ disvāna dakkhiṇaṁ;
seeing an abundantly worthy recipient,

Yadi tassa dānaṁ na dadāmi,
do not give gifts to them,

Parihāyissāmi puññato’.
I will dwindle in merit.’

Evāhaṁ cintayitvāna,
Reflecting in this way,

orohitvā upāhanā;
I took off my sandals

Tassa pādāni vanditvā,
and bowed to his feet,

adāsiṁ chattupāhanaṁ.
giving him an umbrella and sandals.

Tenevāhaṁ sataguṇato,
Though I was a hundred times

Sukhumālo sukhedhito;
more delicate and dainty than him,

Api ca dānaṁ paripūrento,
fulfilling my generosity,

Evaṁ tassa adāsahan”ti.
I gave like this to him.”

Saṅkhacariyaṁ dutiyaṁ.