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Campeyyanāgacariya

The Nāga Campeyyaka’s Conduct

“Punāparaṁ yadā homi,
“Then again when I was

campeyyako mahiddhiko;
Campeyyaka, a nāga of great psychic power,

Tadāpi dhammiko āsiṁ,
I was just,

sīlabbatasamappito.
furnished with precepts and vows.

Tadāpi maṁ dhammacāriṁ,
Then the snake-charmer who caught me

upavutthaṁ uposathaṁ;
lived righteously,

Ahituṇḍiko gahetvāna,
observing the Sabbath,

rājadvāramhi kīḷati.
and he made me perform at the royal gate.

Yaṁ yaṁ so vaṇṇaṁ cintayi,
Whatever color he thought of—

nīlaṁva pītalohitaṁ;
blue, yellow, or red—

Tassa cittānuvattanto,
I conformed to his wish,

homi cintitasannibho.
taking the appearance of his thought.

Thalaṁ kareyyamudakaṁ,
I could turn dry land to water,

udakampi thalaṁ kare;
and water to dry land.

Yadihaṁ tassa pakuppeyyaṁ,
If I were upset with him

khaṇena chārikaṁ kare.
I could reduce him to ash in an instant.

Yadi cittavasī hessaṁ,
If I was under the sway of my thoughts,

parihāyissāmi sīlato;
I would have fallen from my ethics.

Sīlena parihīnassa,
But one who has fallen from their ethics

uttamattho na sijjhati.
does not succeed at the highest goal.

Kāmaṁ bhijjatuyaṁ kāyo,
Gladly, let this body be broken!

idheva vikirīyatu;
Let it be scattered in this very place!

Neva sīlaṁ pabhindeyyaṁ,
Not even for that would I break my ethics,

vikirante bhusaṁ viyā”ti.
if it were being scattered like chaff.”

Campeyyanāgacariyaṁ tatiyaṁ.