Cariyāpiṭaka
Translators: sujato
The Conduct Leading to Buddhahood
Yudhañjayavagga
The Chapter With Yudhañjaya
Saccapāramī 5
The Perfection of Truth (5th)
Kaṇhadīpāyanacariya
Dark Light’s Conduct
“Punāparaṁ yadā homi,
“Then again when I was
kaṇhadīpāyano isi;
the seer Dark Light,
Paropaññāsavassāni,
for more than fifty years
anabhiratocariṁ ahaṁ.
I lived dissatisfied.
Na koci etaṁ jānāti,
No-one knew of this
Anabhiratimanaṁ mama;
dissatisfaction of mine,
Ahañhi kassaci nācikkhiṁ,
for I mentioned it to no-one,
Arati me carati mānase.
it only went on in my mind.
Sabrahmacārī maṇḍabyo,
Maṇḍabya, a spiritual companion
sahāyo me mahāisi;
and friend of mine was a great seer.
Pubbakammasamāyutto,
Bound to a deed in a past life,
sūlamāropanaṁ labhi.
he got impaled on a stake.
Tamahaṁ upaṭṭhahitvāna,
I nursed him
ārogyamanupāpayiṁ;
and brought him back to health.
Āpucchitvāna āgañchiṁ,
Asking leave, I returned
yaṁ mayhaṁ sakamassamaṁ.
to my own hermitage.
Sahāyo brāhmaṇo mayhaṁ,
A brahmin friend of mine,
bhariyaṁ ādāya puttakaṁ;
bringing wife and child,
Tayo janā samāgantvā,
came to me, all three of them,
āgañchuṁ pāhunāgataṁ.
as my guests.
Sammodamāno tehi saha,
As I exchanged greetings with them,
nisinno sakamassame;
seated in my own hermitage,
Dārako vaṭṭamanukkhipaṁ,
the boy threw a ball
āsīvisamakopayi.
and angered a viper.
Tato so vaṭṭagataṁ maggaṁ,
Then the boy, looking which way
anvesanto kumārako;
the ball had gone,
Āsīvisassa hatthena,
touched the viper’s head
uttamaṅgaṁ parāmasi.
with his hand.
Tassa āmasane kuddho,
Angered at his touch,
sappo visabalassito;
the snake, relying on its potent poison,
Kupito paramakopena,
completely enraged,
aḍaṁsi dārakaṁ khaṇe.
bit the boy right away.
Sahadaṭṭho āsīvisena,
When bitten by the viper,
dārako papati bhūmiyaṁ;
the boy fainted on the ground.
Tenāhaṁ dukkhito āsiṁ,
It made me distraught,
mama vāhasi taṁ dukkhaṁ.
the pain became as if mine.
Tyāhaṁ assāsayitvāna,
Comforting the parents,
dukkhite sokasallite;
in their suffering and sorrow,
Paṭhamaṁ akāsiṁ kiriyaṁ,
I made the first act,
aggaṁ saccaṁ varuttamaṁ.
the original, supreme declaration of truth:
‘Sattāhamevāhaṁ pasannacitto,
‘For just seven days with a mind of faith
Puññatthiko acariṁ brahmacariyaṁ;
I led the spiritual life seeking merit.
Athāparaṁ yaṁ caritaṁ mamedaṁ,
My life since then,
Vassāni paññāsasamādhikāni.
for fifty years or more,
Akāmako vāhi ahaṁ carāmi,
I have lived unwillingly.
Etena saccena suvatthi hotu;
By this truth, may he be well!
Hataṁ visaṁ jīvatu yaññadatto’.
May the poison die! May Yaññadatta live!’
Saha sacce kate mayhaṁ,
As I declared this truth,
visavegena vedhito;
the boy trembling with poison,
Abujjhitvāna vuṭṭhāsi,
awoke and got up,
arogo cāsi māṇavo;
the brahmin youth was well.
Saccena me samo natthi,
There is no-one to equal my truthfulness:
esā me saccapāramī”ti.
this is my perfection of truth.”
Kaṇhadīpāyanacariyaṁ ekādasamaṁ.