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Mātaṅgacariya

Mātaṅga’s Conduct

“Punāparaṁ yadā homi,
“Then again when I was

jaṭilo uggatāpano;
a matted-hair ascetic of severe penance,

Mātaṅgo nāma nāmena,
Mātaṅga was my name,

sīlavā susamāhito.
I was virtuous and serene.

Ahañca brāhmaṇo eko,
A brahmin and I both lived

gaṅgākūle vasāmubho;
on a bank of the Ganges.

Ahaṁ vasāmi upari,
I stayed upstream,

heṭṭhā vasati brāhmaṇo.
the brahmin downstream.

Vicaranto anukūlamhi,
Wandering along the riverbank,

uddhaṁ me assamaddasa;
he saw my hermitage upstream.

Tattha maṁ paribhāsetvā,
Then he abused and cursed me,

abhisapi muddhaphālanaṁ.
that my head would split in seven.

Yadihaṁ tassa pakuppeyyaṁ,
If I were upset with him

yadi sīlaṁ na gopaye;
and if I were not taking care of my ethics,

Oloketvānahaṁ tassa,
then just with a glance

kareyyaṁ chārikaṁ viya.
I could have reduced him to ashes.

Yaṁ so tadā maṁ abhisapi,
But when he cursed me then,

kupito duṭṭhamānaso;
so angry and bitter-hearted,

Tasseva matthake nipati,
it fell right back on his own head:

yogena taṁ pamocayiṁ.
I freed him from that yoke.

Anurakkhiṁ mama sīlaṁ,
I guarded my ethics,

nārakkhiṁ mama jīvitaṁ;
not my life.

Sīlavā hi tadā āsiṁ,
For then I was ethical,

bodhiyāyeva kāraṇā”ti.
because it was solely for awakening.”

Mātaṅgacariyaṁ sattamaṁ.