Cariyāpiṭaka
Translators: sujato
The Conduct Leading to Buddhahood
Hatthināgavagga
The Chapter on an Elephant
Sīlapāramī 10
The Perfection of Ethics (10th)
Saṅkhapālacariya
Saṅkhapāla’s Conduct
“Punāparaṁ yadā homi,
“Then again when I was
saṅkhapālo mahiddhiko;
Saṅkhapāla, a dragon of great psychic power,
Dāṭhāvudho ghoraviso,
deadly-fanged, lethally venomous,
dvijivho uragādhibhū.
two-tongued, lord of serpents.
Catuppathe mahāmagge,
At a crossroad on a highway
nānājanasamākule;
crowded with many people,
Caturo aṅge adhiṭṭhāya,
I resolved on the four factors,
tattha vāsamakappayiṁ.
and made my home there.
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.’
Addasaṁsu bhojaputtā,
Seeing me, the Bhojans,
kharā luddā akāruṇā;
those violent and pitiless hunters,
Upagañchuṁ mamaṁ tattha,
came to me there
daṇḍamuggarapāṇino.
with sticks and hammers in their hands.
Nāsāya vinivijjhitvā,
Having pierced my nose,
naṅguṭṭhe piṭṭhikaṇṭake;
tail, and spine,
Kāje āropayitvāna,
and fastened me to a pole,
bhojaputtā hariṁsu maṁ.
the Bhojans carried me away.
Sasāgarantaṁ pathaviṁ,
The earth from sea to sea,
sakānanaṁ sapabbataṁ;
with its forests and mountains—
Icchamāno cahaṁ tattha,
had I wished, right there
nāsāvātena jhāpaye.
I could have burnt it up with a blast from my nose.
Sūlehi vinivijjhante,
Though pierced with stakes,
Koṭṭayantepi sattibhi;
and stabbed with knives,
Bhojaputte na kuppāmi,
I did not get upset with the Bhojans:
Esā me sīlapāramī”ti.
this is my perfection of ethics.”
Saṅkhapālacariyaṁ dasamaṁ.
Hatthināgavaggo dutiyo.
Tassuddānaṁ
Hatthināgo bhūridatto,
campeyyo bodhi mahiṁso;
Ruru mātaṅgo dhammo ca,
atrajo ca jayaddiso.
Ete nava sīlabalā,
parikkhārā padesikā;
Jīvitaṁ parirakkhitvā,
sīlāni anurakkhisaṁ.
Saṅkhapālassa me sato,
sabbakālampi jīvitaṁ;
Yassa kassaci niyyattaṁ,
tasmā sā sīlapāramīti.
Sīlapāraminiddeso niṭṭhito.