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Dhammadevaputtacariya

The Deity Dhamma’s Conduct

“Punāparaṁ yadā homi,
“Then again when I was

mahāpakkho mahiddhiko;
of great retinue and psychic power,

Dhammo nāma mahāyakkho,
a great spirit named Dhamma,

sabbalokānukampako.
I had sympathy for the whole world.

Dasakusalakammapathe,
Establishing the populace

samādapento mahājanaṁ;
in the ten ways of skillful deeds,

Carāmi gāmanigamaṁ,
I wandered from village to town,

samitto saparijjano.
with friends and associates.

Pāpo kadariyo yakkho,
A wicked, miserly spirit

dīpento dasa pāpake;
promoting the ten wicked ways

Sopettha mahiyā carati,
was also wandering the earth

samitto saparijjano.
with friends and associates.

Dhammavādī adhammo ca,
The righteous and unrighteous,

ubho paccanikā mayaṁ;
we were each other’s foe.

Dhure dhuraṁ ghaṭṭayantā,
Slamming chariot shafts,

samimhā paṭipathe ubho.
we collided together.

Kalaho vattatī bhesmā,
A dreadful quarrel ensued

kalyāṇapāpakassa ca;
between the good and the ill,

Maggā okkamanatthāya,
a great war loomed

mahāyuddho upaṭṭhito.
aiming to push the other off the road.

Yadihaṁ tassa kuppeyyaṁ,
If I had been upset with him,

yadi bhinde tapoguṇaṁ;
if I had broken my asceticism,

Sahaparijanaṁ tassa,
I could have reduced him to dust,

rajabhūtaṁ kareyyahaṁ.
together with his companions.

Api cāhaṁ sīlarakkhāya,
Nevertheless, for the sake of guarding my ethics,

nibbāpetvāna mānasaṁ;
I quelled my mind.

Saha janenokkamitvā,
I left the road with my folk,

pathaṁ pāpassa dāsahaṁ.
giving it to the wicked one.

Saha pathato okkante,
As soon as I left the path,

katvā cittassa nibbutiṁ;
and I had quelled my mind,

Vivaraṁ adāsi pathavī,
the earth opened up

pāpayakkhassa tāvade”ti.
for that wicked spirit.”

Dhammadevaputtacariyaṁ aṭṭhamaṁ.