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Translators: kelly
Milinda's Questions
Meṇḍakapañhārambhakathā
Meṇḍaka's Dilemmas I
Upāsakaguṇavagga
Qualities of a Lay Follower Chapter
3. Navaguyhamantavidhaṁsaka
3. Nine Kinds of People Who Can't Keep Secrets
“Bhante nāgasena, navime puggalā mantitaṁ guyhaṁ vivaranti na dhārenti.
“Venerable Nāgasena, there are these nine types of people who disclose and do not keep secret counsel.
Katame nava?
What are the nine?
Rāgacarito dosacarito mohacarito bhīruko āmisagaruko itthī soṇḍo paṇḍako dārako”ti.
A person characterized by lust, a person characterized by anger, a person characterized by delusion, a fearful person, a person attached to sensual things, a woman, a drunkard, a eunuch, and a child.”
Thero āha—
The elder said:
“tesaṁ ko doso”ti?
“What is the fault with these?”
“Rāgacarito, bhante nāgasena, rāgavasena mantitaṁ guyhaṁ vivarati na dhāreti, dosacarito, bhante, dosavasena mantitaṁ guyhaṁ vivarati na dhāreti, mūḷho mohavasena mantitaṁ guyhaṁ vivarati na dhāreti, bhīruko bhayavasena mantitaṁ guyhaṁ vivarati na dhāreti, āmisagaruko āmisahetu mantitaṁ guyhaṁ vivarati na dhāreti, itthī paññāya ittaratāya mantitaṁ guyhaṁ vivarati na dhāreti, soṇḍiko surālolatāya mantitaṁ guyhaṁ vivarati na dhāreti, paṇḍako anekaṁsikatāya mantitaṁ guyhaṁ vivarati na dhāreti, dārako capalatāya mantitaṁ guyhaṁ vivarati na dhāreti.
“A person characterized by lust, Venerable Nāgasena, discloses and does not keep secret counsel, on account of passion; a person characterized by anger, venerable sir, discloses and does not keep secret counsel on account of ill-will; a deluded person discloses and does not keep secret counsel on account of delusion; a fearful person discloses and does not keep secret counsel on account of fear; a person attached to sensual things discloses and does not keep secret counsel for the sake of material pleasures; a woman discloses and does not keep secret counsel due to changeableness; a drunkard discloses and does not keep secret counsel because of addiction to drink; a eunuch discloses and does not keep secret counsel due to uncertainty; and a child discloses and does not keep secret counsel due to fickleness.”
Bhavatīha—
It is said concerning this:
‘Ratto duṭṭho ca mūḷho ca,
“An infatuated person, a malicious one, a deluded one,
bhīru āmisagaruko;
a coward, a materialist,
Itthī soṇḍo paṇḍako ca,
A woman, a drunkard, a eunuch,
navamo bhavati dārako.
and a child make nine.
Navete puggalā loke,
These nine types of people in the world,
ittarā calitā calā;
unsteady, fickle, wavering;
Etehi mantitaṁ guyhaṁ,
From these counsel that is hidden
khippaṁ bhavati pākaṭan’”ti.
quickly becomes revealed.”
Nava guyhamantavidhaṁsakā puggalā.
Nine Kinds of People Who Can't Keep Secrets