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12. Vīriyalakkhaṇapañha

Distinguishing Characteristic of Exertion Question

Rājā āha—
The king asked:

“bhante nāgasena, kiṁlakkhaṇaṁ vīriyan”ti?
“Venerable Nāgasena, what is the distinguishing characteristic of exertion?”

“Upatthambhanalakkhaṇaṁ, mahārāja, vīriyaṁ, vīriyūpatthambhitā sabbe kusalā dhammā na parihāyantī”ti.
“Exertion, your majesty, has supporting as a distinguishing characteristic, and no wholesome mental states supported by exertion decline.”

“Opammaṁ karohī”ti.
“Please give me an analogy.”

“Yathā, mahārāja, puriso gehe patante aññena dārunā upatthambheyya, upatthambhitaṁ santaṁ evaṁ taṁ gehaṁ na pateyya;
“Just as, your majesty, a man, when his house is falling down, might support it with additional wood, so that, being thus supported, that house would not fall down.

evameva kho, mahārāja, upatthambhanalakkhaṇaṁ vīriyaṁ, vīriyūpatthambhitā sabbe kusalā dhammā na parihāyantī”ti.
In the same way, your majesty, exertion has supporting as a distinguishing characteristic, and no wholesome mental states supported by exertion decline.”

“Bhiyyo opammaṁ karohī”ti.
“Give me another analogy.”

“Yathā, mahārāja, parittakaṁ senaṁ mahatī senā bhañjeyya, tato rājā aññamaññaṁ anussāreyya anupeseyya attano parittakāya senāya balaṁ anupadaṁ dadeyya, tāya saddhiṁ parittakā senā mahatiṁ senaṁ bhañjeyya;
“Just as, your majesty, a large army might destroy a small army, then the king would recall another and send for them in order to give additional strength to his own small army, and with that, the small army would destroy the large army.

evameva kho, mahārāja, upatthambhanalakkhaṇaṁ vīriyaṁ, vīriyūpatthambhitā sabbe kusalā dhammā na parihāyanti.
In the same way, your majesty, exertion has supporting as a distinguishing characteristic, and no wholesome mental states supported by exertion decline.

Bhāsitampetaṁ, mahārāja, bhagavatā—
And this too was said, your majesty, by the Blessed One:

‘vīriyavā kho, bhikkhave, ariyasāvako akusalaṁ pajahati, kusalaṁ bhāveti.
‘A noble disciple endowed with exertion abandons the unwholesome, develops the wholesome;

Sāvajjaṁ pajahati, anavajjaṁ bhāveti.
Abandons the blameworthy, develops the blameless,

Suddhamattānaṁ pariharatī’”ti.
and maintains his own purity.’”

“Kallosi, bhante nāgasenā”ti.
“You are clever, venerable Nāgasena!”

Vīriyalakkhaṇapañho dvādasamo.
Distinguishing Characteristic of Exertion Question twelfth