Dighanikaya 24.27

24.27

Sīhassāti cattāro sīhā tiṇasīho ca kāḷasīho ca paṇḍusīho ca kesarasīho ca. Tesaṃ catunnaṃ sīhānaṃ kesarasīho aggataṃ gato, so idhādhippeto. Migaraññoti sabbacatuppadānaṃ rañño. Āsayanti nivāsaṃ. Sīhanādanti abhītanādaṃ. Gocarāya pakkameyyanti āhāratthāya pakkameyyaṃ. Varaṃ varanti uttamuttamaṃ, thūlaṃ thūlanti attho. Mudumaṃsānīti mudūni maṃsāni. ‘‘Madhumaṃsānī’’tipi pāṭho, madhuramaṃsānīti attho. Ajjhupeyyanti upagaccheyyaṃ. Sīhanādaṃ naditvāti ye dubbalā pāṇā, te palāyantūti attano sūrabhāvasannissitena kāruññena naditvā.

"Of a lion": there are four lions: the grass lion, the black lion, the yellow lion, and the maned lion. Among those four lions, the maned lion is the foremost; he is meant here. "King of beasts": king of all quadrupeds. "Lair": dwelling. "Lion's roar": a fearless roar. "I would set out for food": I would set out for the purpose of food. "The very choice": the most excellent, the meaning is: the fattest of the fat. "Tender meat": soft meat. There is also the reading, "madhumaṃsāni", meaning sweet meat. "I would approach": I would go to. "Having roared a lion's roar": having roared out of compassion based on his own heroism, thinking: ‘Let those living beings who are weak flee!’