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Bhūridattacariya

The Dragon Bhūridatta’s Conduct

“Punāparaṁ yadā homi,
“Then again when I was

bhūridatto mahiddhiko;
Bhūridatta, a dragon of great psychic power,

Virūpakkhena mahāraññā,
together with Virūpakkha the Great King

devalokamagañchahaṁ.
I went to a heavenly realm.

Tattha passitvāhaṁ deve,
There I saw gods

ekantaṁ sukhasamappite;
wholly given over to pleasure.

Taṁ saggagamanatthāya,
For the sake of going to that heaven,

sīlabbataṁ samādiyiṁ.
I undertook the observance of ethics.

Sarīrakiccaṁ katvāna,
After tending to me physical needs,

bhutvā yāpanamattakaṁ;
and eating enough to get by,

Caturo aṅge adhiṭṭhāya,
I resolved on the four factors,

semi vammikamuddhani.
and lay down atop a termite mound, thinking:

‘Chaviyā cammena maṁsena,
‘My outer skin and inner, flesh,

Nahāruaṭṭhikehi vā;
sinews and bones:

Yassa etena karaṇīyaṁ,
whoever has use for these,

Dinnaṁyeva harātu so’.
they are already given, please take them.’

Saṁsito akataññunā,
While lying there the ingrate

ālampāyano mamaggahi;
Ālampāyana grabbed me.

Peḷāya pakkhipitvāna,
He threw me in a basket

kīḷeti maṁ tahiṁ tahiṁ.
and made me perform in places all over.

Peḷāya pakkhipantepi,
Though thrown in a basket

sammaddantepi pāṇinā;
and crushed by his hands,

Ālampāyane na kuppāmi,
I did not get upset with Ālampāyana,

sīlakhaṇḍabhayā mama.
for fear of breaking my ethics.

Sakajīvitapariccāgo,
To give up my own life

tiṇato lahuko mama;
was as light as a blade of grass.

Sīlavītikkamo mayhaṁ,
To transgress my ethical principles

pathavīuppatanaṁ viya.
was like overturning the earth.

Nirantaraṁ jātisataṁ,
In a hundred successive lives

cajeyyaṁ mama jīvitaṁ;
I would give up my own life.

Neva sīlaṁ pabhindeyyaṁ,
I would not even violate my ethics

catuddīpāna hetupi.
for the sake of the four continents.

Api cāhaṁ sīlarakkhāya,
For the sake of protecting ethics,

Sīlapāramipūriyā;
and fulfilling my perfection of ethics,

Na karomi citte aññathattaṁ,
I did not let my mind change,

Pakkhipantampi peḷake”ti.
even when thrown in a basket.”

Bhūridattacariyaṁ dutiyaṁ.