Dhammapada 18.7: 7. Pañcaupāsakavatthu

18.7.p1

Yo pāṇanti imaṃ dhammadesanaṃ satthā jetavane viharanto pañca upāsake ārabbha kathesi.

He that destroys life. This religious instruction was given by the Teacher while he was in residence at Jetavana with reference to five hundred lay disciples.

18.7.p2

Tesu hi eko pāṇātipātāveramaṇisikkhāpadameva rakkhati, itare itarāni. Te ekadivasaṃ ‘‘ahaṃ dukkaraṃ karomi, dukkaraṃ rakkhāmī’’ti vivādāpannā satthu santikaṃ gantvā vanditvā tamatthaṃ ārocesuṃ. Satthā tesaṃ kathaṃ sutvā ekasīlampi kaniṭṭhakaṃ akatvā ‘‘sabbāneva durakkhānī’’ti vatvā imā gāthā abhāsi –

For of these five hundred lay disciples, one kept only the precept of abstinence from the taking of life; another, another precept, and so on. One day they fell into a dispute, each of them saying, “It is a hard thing I have to do; it is a hard precept I have to keep.” And going to the Teacher, they saluted him and referred the whole matter to him. The Teacher listened to what they had to say, and then, without naming a single precept as of lesser importance, said, “All of the precepts are hard to keep.” So saying, he pronounced the following Stanzas,

18.7.246

‘‘Yo pāṇamatipāteti, musāvādañca bhāsati;
Loke adinnamādiyati, paradārañca gacchati.

246. He that destroys life, he that utters falsehood,
He that takes what is not given to him in this world, he that goes in unto another man’s wife,

18.7.247

‘‘Surāmerayapānañca, yo naro anuyuñjati;
Idheva meso lokasmiṃ, mūlaṃ khaṇati attano.

247. And the man that is addicted to the drinking of liquor and spirits, Such a man, even in this present world, digs up his own root.

18.7.248

‘‘Evaṃ bho purisa jānāhi, pāpadhammā asaññatā;
Mā taṃ lobho adhammo ca, ciraṃ dukkhāya randhayu’’nti.

248. Know this, O man, that the unrestrained are fallen upon evil ways;
Let not greed and wrongdoing subject thee to suffering for long.

18.7.248_2

Tattha yo pāṇamatipātetīti yo sāhatthikādīsu chasu payogesu ekapayogenāpi parassa jīvitindriyaṃ upacchindati. Musāvādanti paresaṃ atthabhañjanakaṃ musāvādañca bhāsati. Loke adinnamādiyatīti imasmiṃ sattaloke theyyāvahārādīsu ekenapi avahārena parapariggahitaṃ ādiyati. Paradārañca gacchatīti parassa rakkhitagopitesu bhaṇḍesu aparajjhanto uppathacāraṃ carati. Surāmerayapānanti yassa kassaci surāya ceva merayassa ca pānaṃ. Anuyuñjatīti sevati bahulīkaroti. Mūlaṃ khaṇatīti tiṭṭhatu paraloko, so pana puggalo idha lokasmiṃyeva yena khettavatthuādinā mūlena patiṭṭhapeyya, tampi aṭṭhapetvā vā vissajjetvā vā suraṃ pivanto attano mūlaṃ khaṇati, anātho kapaṇo hutvā vicarati. Evaṃ, bhoti pañcadussīlyakammakārakaṃ puggalaṃ ālapati. Pāpadhammāti lāmakadhammā. Asaññatāti kāyasaññatādirahitā. Acetasātipi pāṭho, acittakāti attho. Lobho adhammo cāti lobho ceva doso ca. Ubhayampi hetaṃ akusalameva. Ciraṃ dukkhāya randhayunti cirakālaṃ nirayadukkhādīnaṃ atthāya taṃ ete dhammā mā randhentu mā matthentūti attho.

18.7.248_3

Desanāvasāne te pañca upāsakā sotāpattiphale patiṭṭhahiṃsu, sampattānampi sātthikā dhammadesanā ahosīti.

18.7.248_4

Pañcaupāsakavatthu sattamaṃ.