With Pāyāsi 23.1-71
Pāyāsisutta 23.1-71
- Language
- Pāli
23.1
“Tena hi, rājañña, upamaṃ te karissāmi.
“Well then, chieftain, I shall give you a simile.
23.2
Upamāya m’idhekacce viññū purisā bhāsitassa atthaṃ ājānanti.
For by means of a simile some sensible people understand the meaning of what is said.
23.3
Bhūtapubbaṃ, rājañña, mahāsakaṭasattho sakaṭasahassaṃ puratthimā janapadā pacchimaṃ janapadaṃ agamāsi.
Once upon a time, a large caravan of a thousand wagons traveled from a country in the east to the west.
23.4
So yena yena gacchi, khippaṃyeva pariyādiyati tiṇakaṭṭhodakaṃ haritakapaṇṇaṃ.
Wherever they went they quickly used up the grass, wood, water, and the green foliage.
23.5
Tasmiṃ kho pana satthe dve satthavāhā ahesuṃ eko pañcannaṃ sakaṭasatānaṃ, eko pañcannaṃ sakaṭasatānaṃ.
Now, that caravan had two leaders, each in charge of five hundred wagons.
23.6
Atha kho tesaṃ satthavāhānaṃ etadahosi:
They thought,
23.7
‘ayaṃ kho mahāsakaṭasattho sakaṭasahassaṃ;
‘This is a large caravan of a thousand wagons.
23.8
te mayaṃ yena yena gacchāma, khippameva pariyādiyati tiṇakaṭṭhodakaṃ haritakapaṇṇaṃ.
Wherever we go we quickly use up the grass, wood, water, and the green foliage.
23.9
Yannūna mayaṃ imaṃ satthaṃ dvidhā vibhajeyyāma—
Why don’t we split the caravan in two halves?’
23.10
ekato pañca sakaṭasatāni ekato pañca sakaṭasatānī’ti.
23.11
Te taṃ satthaṃ dvidhā vibhajiṃsu ekato pañca sakaṭasatāni, ekato pañca sakaṭasatāni.
So that’s what they did.
23.12
Eko satthavāho bahuṃ tiṇañca kaṭṭhañca udakañca āropetvā satthaṃ payāpesi.
One caravan leader, having prepared much grass, wood, and water, started the caravan.
23.13
Dvīhatīhapayāto kho pana so sattho addasa purisaṃ kāḷaṃ lohitakkhaṃ sannaddhakalāpaṃ kumudamāliṃ allavatthaṃ allakesaṃ kaddamamakkhitehi cakkehi bhadrena rathena paṭipathaṃ āgacchantaṃ, disvā etadavoca:
After two or three days’ journey he saw a dark man with red eyes coming the other way in a donkey cart with muddy wheels. He was armored with a quiver and wreathed with yellow lotus, his clothes and hair all wet. Seeing him, he said,
23.14
‘kuto, bho, āgacchasī’ti?
‘Worthy sir, where do you come from?’
23.15
‘Amukamhā janapadā’ti.
‘From such-and-such a country.’
23.16
‘Kuhiṃ gamissasī’ti?
‘And where are you going?’
23.17
‘Amukaṃ nāma janapadan’ti.
‘To the country named such-and-such.’
23.18
‘Kacci, bho, purato kantāre mahāmegho abhippavuṭṭho’ti?
‘But has there been much rain in the desert up ahead?’
23.19
‘Evaṃ, bho, purato kantāre mahāmegho abhippavuṭṭho, āsittodakāni vaṭumāni, bahu tiṇañca kaṭṭhañca udakañca.
‘Indeed there has, worthy sir. The tracks are sprinkled with water, and there is much grass, wood, and water.
23.20
Chaḍḍetha, bho, purāṇāni tiṇāni kaṭṭhāni udakāni, lahubhārehi sakaṭehi sīghaṃ sīghaṃ gacchatha, mā yoggāni kilamitthā’ti.
Discard your grass, wood, and water. Your wagons will move swiftly when lightly-laden, so don’t tire your draught teams.’
23.21
Atha kho so satthavāho satthike āmantesi:
So the caravan leader addressed his drivers,
23.22
‘ayaṃ, bho, puriso evamāha:
‘This man says that
23.23
“purato kantāre mahāmegho abhippavuṭṭho, āsittodakāni vaṭumāni, bahu tiṇañca kaṭṭhañca udakañca.
there has been much rain in the desert up ahead.
23.24
Chaḍḍetha, bho, purāṇāni tiṇāni kaṭṭhāni udakāni, lahubhārehi sakaṭehi sīghaṃ sīghaṃ gacchatha, mā yoggāni kilamitthā”ti.
He advises us to discard the grass, wood, and water. The wagons will move swiftly when lightly-laden, and won’t tire our draught teams.
23.25
Chaḍḍetha, bho, purāṇāni tiṇāni kaṭṭhāni udakāni, lahubhārehi sakaṭehi satthaṃ payāpethā’ti.
So let’s discard the grass, wood, and water and restart the caravan with lightly-laden wagons.’
23.26
‘Evaṃ, bho’ti kho te satthikā tassa satthavāhassa paṭissutvā chaḍḍetvā purāṇāni tiṇāni kaṭṭhāni udakāni lahubhārehi sakaṭehi satthaṃ payāpesuṃ.
‘Yes, worthy sir,’ the drivers replied, and that’s what they did.
23.27
Te paṭhamepi satthavāse na addasaṃsu tiṇaṃ vā kaṭṭhaṃ vā udakaṃ vā.
But in the caravan’s first campsite they saw no grass, wood, or water.
23.28
Dutiyepi satthavāse …
And in the second,
23.29
tatiyepi satthavāse …
third,
23.30
catutthepi satthavāse …
fourth,
23.31
pañcamepi satthavāse …
fifth,
23.32
chaṭṭhepi satthavāse …
sixth,
23.33
sattamepi satthavāse na addasaṃsu tiṇaṃ vā kaṭṭhaṃ vā udakaṃ vā.
and seventh campsites they saw no grass, wood, or water.
23.34
Sabbeva anayabyasanaṃ āpajjiṃsu.
And all fell to ruin and disaster.
23.35
Ye ca tasmiṃ satthe ahesuṃ manussā vā pasū vā, sabbe so yakkho amanusso bhakkhesi.
And the men and beasts in that caravan were all devoured by that non-human spirit.
23.36
Aṭṭhikāneva sesāni.
Only their bones were left over.
23.37
Yadā aññāsi dutiyo satthavāho:
Now, when the second caravan leader knew that
23.38
‘bahunikkhanto kho, bho, dāni so sattho’ti bahuṃ tiṇañca kaṭṭhañca udakañca āropetvā satthaṃ payāpesi.
the first caravan was well underway, he prepared much grass, wood, and water and started the caravan.
23.39
Dvīhatīhapayāto kho pana so sattho addasa purisaṃ kāḷaṃ lohitakkhaṃ sannaddhakalāpaṃ kumudamāliṃ allavatthaṃ allakesaṃ kaddamamakkhitehi cakkehi bhadrena rathena paṭipathaṃ āgacchantaṃ, disvā etadavoca:
After two or three days’ journey he saw a dark man with red eyes coming the other way in a donkey cart with muddy wheels. He was armored with a quiver and wreathed with yellow lotus, his clothes and hair all wet. Seeing him, he said,
23.40
‘kuto, bho, āgacchasī’ti?
‘Worthy sir, where do you come from?’
23.41
‘Amukamhā janapadā’ti.
‘From such-and-such a country.’
23.42
‘Kuhiṃ gamissasī’ti?
‘And where are you going?’
23.43
‘Amukaṃ nāma janapadan’ti.
‘To the country named such-and-such.’
23.44
‘Kacci, bho, purato kantāre mahāmegho abhippavuṭṭho’ti?
‘But has there been much rain in the desert up ahead?’
23.45
‘Evaṃ, bho, purato kantāre mahāmegho abhippavuṭṭho. Āsittodakāni vaṭumāni, bahu tiṇañca kaṭṭhañca udakañca.
‘Indeed there has, worthy sir. The tracks are sprinkled with water, and there is much grass, wood, and water.
23.46
Chaḍḍetha, bho, purāṇāni tiṇāni kaṭṭhāni udakāni, lahubhārehi sakaṭehi sīghaṃ sīghaṃ gacchatha, mā yoggāni kilamitthā’ti.
Discard your grass, wood, and water. Your wagons will move swiftly when lightly-laden, so don’t tire your draught teams.’
23.47
Atha kho so satthavāho satthike āmantesi:
So the caravan leader addressed his drivers,
23.48
‘ayaṃ, bho, puriso evamāha:
‘This man says that
23.49
“purato kantāre mahāmegho abhippavuṭṭho, āsittodakāni vaṭumāni, bahu tiṇañca kaṭṭhañca udakañca.
there has been much rain in the desert up ahead.
23.50
Chaḍḍetha, bho, purāṇāni tiṇāni kaṭṭhāni udakāni, lahubhārehi sakaṭehi sīghaṃ sīghaṃ gacchatha; mā yoggāni kilamitthā”ti.
He advises us to discard the grass, wood, and water. The wagons will move swiftly when lightly-laden, and won’t tire our draught teams.
23.51
Ayaṃ bho puriso neva amhākaṃ mitto, na ñātisālohito, kathaṃ mayaṃ imassa saddhāya gamissāma.
But this person is neither our friend nor relative. How can we proceed out of trust in him?
23.52
Na vo chaḍḍetabbāni purāṇāni tiṇāni kaṭṭhāni udakāni, yathābhatena bhaṇḍena satthaṃ payāpetha.
We shouldn’t discard any grass, wood, or water, but continue with our goods as laden.
23.53
Na no purāṇaṃ chaḍḍessāmā’ti.
We shall not discard any old stock.’
23.54
‘Evaṃ, bho’ti kho te satthikā tassa satthavāhassa paṭissutvā yathābhatena bhaṇḍena satthaṃ payāpesuṃ.
‘Yes, worthy sir,’ the drivers replied, and they restarted the caravan with the goods as laden.
23.55
Te paṭhamepi satthavāse na addasaṃsu tiṇaṃ vā kaṭṭhaṃ vā udakaṃ vā.
And in the caravan’s first campsite they saw no grass, wood, or water.
23.56
Dutiyepi satthavāse …
And in the second,
23.57
tatiyepi satthavāse …
third,
23.58
catutthepi satthavāse …
fourth,
23.59
pañcamepi satthavāse …
fifth,
23.60
chaṭṭhepi satthavāse …
sixth,
23.61
sattamepi satthavāse na addasaṃsu tiṇaṃ vā kaṭṭhaṃ vā udakaṃ vā.
and seventh campsites they saw no grass, wood, or water.
23.62
Tañca satthaṃ addasaṃsu anayabyasanaṃ āpannaṃ.
And they saw the other caravan that had come to ruin.
23.63
Ye ca tasmiṃ satthepi ahesuṃ manussā vā pasū vā, tesañca aṭṭhikāneva addasaṃsu tena yakkhena amanussena bhakkhitānaṃ.
And they saw the bones of the men and beasts who had been devoured by that non-human spirit.
23.64
Atha kho so satthavāho satthike āmantesi:
So the caravan leader addressed his drivers,
23.65
‘ayaṃ kho, bho, sattho anayabyasanaṃ āpanno, yathā taṃ tena bālena satthavāhena pariṇāyakena.
‘This caravan came to ruin, as happens when guided by a foolish caravan leader.
23.66
Tena hi, bho, yānamhākaṃ satthe appasārāni paṇiyāni, tāni chaḍḍetvā, yāni imasmiṃ satthe mahāsārāni paṇiyāni, tāni ādiyathā’ti.
Well then, worthy sir, discard any of our merchandise that’s of little value, and take what’s valuable from this caravan.’
23.67
‘Evaṃ, bho’ti kho te satthikā tassa satthavāhassa paṭissutvā yāni sakasmiṃ satthe appasārāni paṇiyāni, tāni chaḍḍetvā yāni tasmiṃ satthe mahāsārāni paṇiyāni, tāni ādiyitvā sotthinā taṃ kantāraṃ nitthariṃsu, yathā taṃ paṇḍitena satthavāhena pariṇāyakena.
‘Yes, worthy sir’ replied the drivers, and that’s what they did. They crossed over the desert safely, as happens when guided by an astute caravan leader.
23.68
Evameva kho tvaṃ, rājañña, bālo abyatto anayabyasanaṃ āpajjissasi ayoniso paralokaṃ gavesanto, seyyathāpi so purimo satthavāho.
In the same way, chieftain, being foolish and incompetent, you will come to ruin seeking the other world irrationally, like the first caravan leader.
23.69
Yepi tava sotabbaṃ saddhātabbaṃ maññissanti, tepi anayabyasanaṃ āpajjissanti, seyyathāpi te satthikā.
And those who think you’re worth listening to and trusting will also come to ruin, like the drivers.
23.70
Paṭinissajjetaṃ, rājañña, pāpakaṃ diṭṭhigataṃ; paṭinissajjetaṃ, rājañña, pāpakaṃ diṭṭhigataṃ.
Let go of this harmful misconception, chieftain, let go of it!
23.71
Mā te ahosi dīgharattaṃ ahitāya dukkhāyā”ti.
Don’t create lasting harm and suffering for yourself!”
Translations (3)
- Razgovor sa Pāyāsijem — sr
- With Pāyāsi — English
- Mit Pāyāsi — German
Commentaries (1)
- Sumaṅgalavilāsinī — Buddhaghosa, Pāli