Verses on Dhamma 10.3: 3. Sabbahulakumārakavatthu

10.3.p1

Sukhakāmāni bhūtānīti imaṃ dhammadesanaṃ satthā jetavane viharanto sambahule kumārake ārabbha kathesi.

Whoever injures with the rod living beings that long for happiness. This religious instruction was given by the Teacher while he was in residence at Jetavana with reference to a company of boys.

10.3.p2

Ekasmiñhi samaye satthā sāvatthiyaṃ piṇḍāya pavisanto antarāmagge sambahule kumārake ekaṃ gharasappajātikaṃ ahiṃ daṇḍakena paharante disvā ‘‘kumārakā kiṃ karothā’’ti pucchitvā ‘‘ahiṃ, bhante, daṇḍakena paharāmā’’ti vutte ‘‘kiṃ kāraṇā’’ti puna pucchitvā ‘‘ḍaṃsanabhayena, bhante’’ti vutte ‘‘tumhe ‘attano sukhaṃ karissāmā’ti imaṃ paharantā nibbattanibbattaṭṭhāne sukhalābhino na bhavissatha. Attano sukhaṃ patthentena hi paraṃ paharituṃ na vaṭṭatī’’ti vatvā anusandhiṃ ghaṭetvā dhammaṃ desento imā gāthā abhāsi –

For one day, as the Teacher was entering Sāvatthi for alms, he saw by the wayside a company of boys beating a house-snake with a stick. Thereupon he asked, "Boys, what are you doing?" "Reverend Sir," replied the boys, "we are beating a snake with a stick." "Why are you doing that?" "Reverend Sir, we are afraid he will bite us." Then said the Teacher, "If you beat this snake, thinking to yourselves, 'We shall thereby insure our own happiness,' the result will be that in the various places where you will be reborn you will not obtain happiness. They who seek to gain happiness for themselves should not strike another." So saying, he joined the connection, and preaching the Law, pronounced the following Stanzas,

10.3.131

‘‘Sukhakāmāni bhūtāni, yo daṇḍena vihiṃsati;
Attano sukhamesāno, pecca so na labhate sukhaṃ.

131. Whoever injures with the rod living beings that long for happiness,
Longing himself for happiness, will not obtain happiness after death.
132. Whoever does not injure with the rod living beings that long for happiness,
Longing himself for happiness, will obtain happiness after death.

10.3.132

‘‘Sukhakāmāni bhūtāni, yo daṇḍena na hiṃsati;
Attano sukhamesāno, pecca so labhate sukha’’nti.

10.3.132_2

Tattha yo daṇḍenāti yo puggalo daṇḍena vā leḍḍuādīhi vā viheṭheti. Pecca so na labhate sukhanti so puggalo paraloke manussasukhaṃ vā dibbasukhaṃ vā paramatthabhūtaṃ vā nibbānasukhaṃ na labhati. Dutiyagāthāya pecca so labhateti so puggalo paraloke vuttappakāraṃ tividhampi sukhaṃ labhatīti attho.

10.3.132_3

Desanāvasāne pañcasatāpi te kumārakā sotāpattiphale patiṭṭhahiṃsūti.

10.3.132_4

Sambahulakumārakavatthu tatiyaṃ.