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Maccharājacariya

The Fish King’s Conduct

“Punāparaṁ yadā homi,
“Then again when I was

maccharājā mahāsare;
a fish king in a great lake,

Uṇhe sūriyasantāpe,
in the heat of the sun

sare udaka khīyatha.
the water in the lake evaporated.

Tato kākā ca gijjhā ca,
Then crows and vultures,

kaṅkā kulalasenakā;
herons, hawks, and falcons,

Bhakkhayanti divārattiṁ,
perched near the fish

macche upanisīdiya.
and devoured them day and night.

Evaṁ cintesahaṁ tattha,
There I had the following thought,

saha ñātīhi pīḷito;
being harassed with my relatives:

‘Kena nu kho upāyena,
‘By what means

ñātī dukkhā pamocaye’.
can I free my relatives from this suffering?’

Vicintayitvā dhammatthaṁ,
Considering the value of the Dhamma,

saccaṁ addasa passayaṁ;
I saw the truth as a support.

Sacce ṭhatvā pamocesiṁ,
Satnding in the truth,

ñātīnaṁ taṁ atikkhayaṁ.
I freed my relatives from that holocaust.

Anussaritvā sataṁ dhammaṁ,
Recollecting the true Dhamma,

paramatthaṁ vicintayaṁ;
considered the ultimate goal,

Akāsiṁ saccakiriyaṁ,
I made a declaration of truth

yaṁ loke dhuvasassataṁ.
that would last eternally in the world.

‘Yato sarāmi attānaṁ,
‘So long as I can recall myself,

yato pattosmi viññutaṁ;
since I became aware,

Nābhijānāmi sañcicca,
I do not recall deliberately

ekapāṇampi hiṁsitaṁ.
harming even a single living creature.

Etena saccavajjena,
By this declaration of truth,

pajjunno abhivassatu;
may Pajjuna rain down!

Abhitthanaya pajjunna,
Thunder forth, Pajjuna!

nidhiṁ kākassa nāsaya;
Disperse the trove of the crows!

Kākaṁ sokāya randhehi,
Subject the crows to sorrow,

macche sokā pamocaya’.
and free the fish from sorrow!’

Saha kate saccavare,
As this excellent truth was declared,

pajjunno abhigajjiya;
Pajjuna thundered forth.

Thalaṁ ninnañca pūrento,
In an instant the rain poured down,

khaṇena abhivassatha.
soaking the uplands and valleys.

Evarūpaṁ saccavaraṁ,
Having made such supreme effort

katvā vīriyamuttamaṁ;
for this excellent truth,

Vassāpesiṁ mahāmeghaṁ,
I made the great cloud pour down,

saccatejabalassito;
relying on the force of the power of truth.

Saccena me samo natthi,
There is no-one to equal my truthfulness:

esā me saccapāramī”ti.
this is my perfection of truth.”

Maccharājacariyaṁ dasamaṁ.