Dhammapada 2.2.p5

2.2.p5

Athassa sāyampi punadivasepi madhurabhattaṃ pacitvā adāsi. Atha muducittataṃ tassa ñatvā ‘‘sāmi, katipāhaṃ idheva vasissāmā’’ti. Tattha vasamānā tikhiṇena satthena tassa mañcavāṇaṃ heṭṭhāaṭaniyaṃ tahaṃ tahaṃ chindi. Mañco tasmiṃ āgantvā nisinnamatteyeva heṭṭhā olambi. So ‘‘kasmā ayaṃ mañco evaṃ chijjitvā gato’’ti āha. ‘‘Sāmi, daharadārake vāretuṃ na sakkomi, ettheva sannipatantī’’ti. ‘‘Amma, idaṃ me dukkhaṃ tumhe nissāya jātaṃ. Ahañhi pubbe katthaci gacchanto dvāraṃ pidahitvā gacchāmī’’ti. ‘‘Kiṃ karomi, tāta, vāretuṃ na sakkomī’’ti. Sā imināva niyāmena dve tayo divase chinditvā tena ujjhāyitvā khīyitvā vuccamānāpi tatheva vatvā puna ekaṃ dve rajjuke ṭhapetvā sese chindi. Taṃ divasaṃ tasmiṃ nisinnamatteyeva sabbaṃ vāṇaṃ bhūmiyaṃ pati, sīsaṃ jaṇṇukehi saddhiṃ ekato ahosi, so uṭṭhāya, ‘‘kiṃ karomi, idāni kuhiṃ gamissāmi, nipajjanamañcassapi tumhehi asāmiko viya katomhī’’ti āha. ‘‘Tāta, kiṃ karomi, paṭivissakadārake vāretuṃ na sakkomi, hotu, mā cintayi, imāya nāma velāya kuhiṃ gamissasī’’ti dhītaraṃ āmantetvā, ‘‘amma, tava bhātikassa nipajjanokāsaṃ karohī’’ti āha. Sā ekapasse sayitvā ‘‘idhāgaccha, sāmī’’ti āha. Itaropi naṃ ‘‘gaccha, tāta, bhaginiyā saddhiṃ nipajjā’’ti vadesi. So tāya saddhiṃ ekamañce nipajjitvā taṃ divasaññeva santhavaṃ akāsi, kumārikā parodi. Atha naṃ mātā pucchi – ‘‘kiṃ, amma, rodasī’’ti? ‘‘Amma, idaṃ nāma jāta’’nti. ‘‘Hotu, amma, kiṃ sakkā kātuṃ, tayāpi ekaṃ bhattāraṃ imināpekaṃ pādaparicārikaṃ laddhuṃ vaṭṭatī’’ti taṃ jāmātaraṃ akāsi. Te samaggavāsaṃ vasiṃsu.

Thus she contrived to establish a residence in his house. One day she took a sharp knife and cut the cords of his mattress underneath at the bed-frame in several places. The result was that, when he returned and lay down on his bed, the mattress sank down. Said he, “How did this bed come to be cut in this fashion?” “Master, I cannot prevent the boys from coming here and jumping on it.” “Woman, it is because of you that I have been subjected to this annoyance. Before you came, whenever I wished to go anywhere, I closed the door and went.” “My friend, what shall I do? I cannot stop them.” On three successive days she cut the mattress of his bed in this way, and when he became irritated and angry and rebuked her, she made the same answer.

Finally she cut all of the cords except one or two. On that day, as soon as he lay down on the bed, the entire mattress fell to the ground, and he was doubled up with his head between his knees. Rising to his feet, he said, “What shall I do? Where shall I go now? I have no longer a bed on which I can lie.” “Dear friend, what can I do? I cannot prevent the boys of the neighborhood from entering. Well, do not worry. Let me think where you might go at this time.” And addressing her daughter, she said to her, “My dear daughter, make room for your brother to lie down.” So her daughter lay down on one side of her bed and said to Kumbhaghosaka, “Master, come lie here.” The mother also said to him, “Dear friend, go lie with your sister.” Accordingly Kumbhaghosaka lay down on the same bed with the girl and that very night did the deed of kind with her. The young girl burst into tears. Her mother asked her, “Dear daughter, why are you weeping?” “Mother, such and such happened.” “Well, what’s to be done about it? You ought to have a husband, and he ought to have a wife.” So she made Kumbhaghosaka her son-in-law, and thereafter Kumbhaghosaka and her daughter lived together.