Dhammapada 1.2.2_2

1.2.2_2

Sāvatthiyaṃ kira adinnapubbako nāma brāhmaṇo ahosi. Tena kassaci kiñci na dinnapubbaṃ, tena taṃ ‘‘adinnapubbako’’tveva sañjāniṃsu. Tassa ekaputtako ahosi piyo manāpo. Athassa pilandhanaṃ kāretukāmo ‘‘sace suvaṇṇakāre kāressāmi, bhattavetanaṃ dātabbaṃ bhavissatī’’ti sayameva suvaṇṇaṃ koṭṭetvā maṭṭhāni kuṇḍalāni katvā adāsi. Tenassa putto maṭṭhakuṇḍalītveva paññāyittha. Tassa soḷasavassikakāle paṇḍurogo udapādi. Tassa mātā puttaṃ oloketvā, ‘‘brāhmaṇa, puttassa te rogo uppanno, tikicchāpehi na’’nti āha. ‘‘Bhoti sace vejjaṃ ānessāmi, bhattavetanaṃ dātabbaṃ bhavissati; kiṃ tvaṃ mama dhanacchedaṃ na olokessasī’’ti? ‘‘Atha naṃ kiṃ karissasi, brāhmaṇā’’ti? ‘‘Yathā me dhanacchedo na hoti, tathā karissāmī’’ti. So vejjānaṃ santikaṃ gantvā ‘‘asukarogassa nāma tumhe kiṃ bhesajjaṃ karothā’’ti pucchi. Athassa te yaṃ vā taṃ vā rukkhatacādiṃ ācikkhanti. So tamāharitvā puttassa bhesajjaṃ karoti. Taṃ karontassevassa rogo balavā ahosi, atekicchabhāvaṃ upāgami. Brāhmaṇo tassa dubbalabhāvaṃ ñatvā ekaṃ vejjaṃ pakkosi. So taṃ oloketvāva ‘‘amhākaṃ ekaṃ kiccaṃ atthi, aññaṃ vejjaṃ pakkositvā tikicchāpehī’’ti taṃ pahāya nikkhami. Brāhmaṇo tassa maraṇasamayaṃ ñatvā ‘‘imassa dassanatthāya āgatā antogehe sāpateyyaṃ passissanti, bahi naṃ karissāmī’’ti puttaṃ nīharitvā bahiāḷinde nipajjāpesi.

At Sāvatthi, we are told, lived a Brahman named Never-Gave, Adinnapubbaka. He never gave anything to anybody, and that is why they called him Never-Gave, Adinnapubbaka. He had an only son who was his darling and delight. Now he desired to have a set of ornaments made for him. But knowing that in case he gave the commission to a goldsmith, he should have to pay him a fee, he beat out the gold himself, made him a pair of burnished earrings, and gave them to him. In this way his son received the name Burnished-Earrings, Maṭṭhakuṇḍali.

When his son was sixteen years old, he had an attack of jaundice. The mother looked at the boy and said, "Brahman, your son is sick; have him treated by a physician." "Wife, if I send for a physician, I shall have to pay him a fee in rice; you care nothing about the loss of my substance." "Well, Brahman, what are you going to do about it?" "I shall manage things in such a way as to lose none of my wealth." So he went to various physicians and asked, "What are you in the habit of prescribing for such and such an ailment?" They mentioned to him bark of trees and this or that.

So he procured these and prepared a remedy for his son. But in spite of all he did, his son's condition grew worse and worse, until finally he was past help. The Brahman, perceiving that his son was very weak, sent for a physician. The physician looked at the youth and said, "I have important business to attend to; send for some other physician and have him treat him." Having thus refused to treat the boy, he turned and left the house. The Brahman realized

that his son was at the point of death. Thought he, "All who come to see this youth will see the wealth in my house; therefore I will place him outside." So he carried his son out of the house and laid him down on the terrace.