Khuddakapāṭha 8

Translators: sujato

Basic Passages 8

Nidhikaṇḍasutta

A Hidden Treasure

Nidhiṁ nidheti puriso,
A person stores away their savings

gambhīre odakantike;
in a deep pit by the water’s edge:

Atthe kicce samuppanne,
“When need arises

atthāya me bhavissati.
it will be there to help

Rājato vā duruttassa,
free me from rulers if I am slandered,

corato pīḷitassa vā;
or from bandits if harassed,

Iṇassa vā pamokkhāya,
or to release me from debt,

dubbhikkhe āpadāsu vā;
or in case of famine or losses.”

Etadatthāya lokasmiṁ,
What the world calls savings

nidhi nāma nidhīyati.
get stored away for such reasons.

Tāvassunihito santo,
But no matter how well stored away they are

gambhīre odakantike;
in a deep pit by the water’s edge,

Na sabbo sabbadā eva,
all their savings will fail

tassa taṁ upakappati.
to aid them all the time.

Nidhi vā ṭhānā cavati,
For perhaps those savings are removed from there,

saññā vāssa vimuyhati;
or they forget what marks the site,

Nāgā vā apanāmenti,
or dragons make off with them,

yakkhā vāpi haranti naṁ.
or spirits carry them away,

Appiyā vāpi dāyādā,
or unloved heirs

uddharanti apassato;
secretly unearth them.

Yadā puññakkhayo hoti,
When their merit is used up,

sabbametaṁ vinassati.
all of that will vanish.

Yassa dānena sīlena,
But by giving and morality,

saṁyamena damena ca;
restraint and self-control,

Nidhī sunihito hoti,
a woman or man

itthiyā purisassa vā.
keeps their savings safe.

Cetiyamhi ca saṅghe vā,
At a shrine or with the Saṅgha,

puggale atithīsu vā;

Mātari pitari cāpi,
with mother or father,

atho jeṭṭhamhi bhātari.
or else an elder sibling,

Eso nidhi sunihito,
those savings are kept safe,

ajeyyo anugāmiko;
they stay with you, undecaying.

Pahāya gamanīyesu,
We must go on leaving all behind,

etaṁ ādāya gacchati.
only this you take when you go.

Asādhāraṇamaññesaṁ,
You don’t have to divide it with others,

acorāharaṇo nidhi;
no thief makes off with your savings.

Kayirātha dhīro puññāni,
An attentive one would make merit,

yo nidhi anugāmiko.
the savings that stay with you.

Esa devamanussānaṁ,
Such savings grant every desire

sabbakāmadado nidhi;
of gods and humans too.

Yaṁ yadevābhipatthenti,
Whatever it is that they wish for