Dhammapada 2.7.p18

2.7.p18

Atha ne vaḍḍhakī āha – ‘‘ayyā, tumhe kiṃ kathetha, ṭhapetvā brahmalokaṃ aññaṃ mātugāmarahitaṭṭhānaṃ nāma natthi, gaṇhatha kaṇṇikaṃ. Evaṃ sante amhākaṃ kammaṃ niṭṭhaṃ gamissatī’’ti. Te ‘‘sādhū’’ti kaṇṇikaṃ gahetvā sālaṃ niṭṭhāpetvā tidhā vibhajiṃsu. Ekasmiṃ koṭṭhāse issarānaṃ vasanaṭṭhānaṃ kariṃsu, ekasmiṃ duggatānaṃ, ekasmiṃ gilānānaṃ. Tettiṃsa janā tettiṃsa phalakāni paññapetvā hatthissa saññaṃ adaṃsu – ‘‘āgantuko āgantvā yassa atthataphalake nisīdati, taṃ gahetvā phalakasāmikasseva gehe patiṭṭhapehi, tassa pādaparikammapiṭṭhiparikammapānīyakhādanīyabhojanīyasayanāni sabbāni phalakasāmikasseva bhāro bhavissatī’’ti. Hatthī āgatāgataṃ gahetvā phalakasāmikasseva gharaṃ neti. So tassa taṃ divasaṃ kattabbaṃ karoti. Magho sālāya avidūre koviḷārarukkhaṃ ropetvā tassa mūle pāsāṇaphalakaṃ atthari. Sālaṃ paviṭṭhapaviṭṭhā janā kaṇṇikaṃ oloketvā akkharāni vācetvā, ‘‘sudhammā nāmesā sālā’’ti vadanti. Tettiṃsajanānaṃ nāmaṃ na paññāyati. Nandā cintesi – ‘‘ime sālaṃ karontā amhe apattikā kariṃsu, sudhammā pana attano byattatāya kaṇṇikaṃ katvā pattikā jātā, mayāpi kiñci kātuṃ vaṭṭati, kiṃ nu kho karissāmī’’ti? Athassā etadahosi – ‘‘sālaṃ āgatāgatānaṃ pānīyañceva nhānodakañca laddhuṃ vaṭṭati, pokkharaṇiṃ khaṇāpessāmī’’ti. Sā pokkharaṇiṃ kāresi. Cittā cintesi – ‘‘sudhammāya kaṇṇikā dinnā, nandāya pokkharaṇī kāritā, mayāpi kiñci kātuṃ vaṭṭati, kiṃ nu kho karissāmī’’ti? Athassā etadahosi – ‘‘sālaṃ āgatāgatehi pānīyaṃ pivitvā nhatvā gamanakālepi mālaṃ pilandhitvā gantuṃ vaṭṭati, pupphārāmaṃ kārāpessāmī’’ti. Sā ramaṇīyaṃ pupphārāmaṃ kāresi. Yebhuyyena tasmiṃ ārāme ‘‘asuko nāma pupphūpagaphalūpagarukkho natthī’’ti nāhosi.

Then the thirty-three youths built thirty-three seats, and having so done, gave the following orders to the elephant, "If a visitor comes and sits down in a seat, take him and lodge him in the house of whoever built and owns that seat. It then becomes the duty of the owner of that seat to see that his guest's feet and back are rubbed, to provide him with food both hard and soft, and with lodging; to perform for him, in fact, all the duties of hospitality." Accordingly, whenever a visitor came, the elephant would take him and conduct him to the house of the owner of the seat in which he had sat, and the owner of the seat would on that day perform for him all the duties of hospitality.

Magha planted an ebony-tree near the hall and built a stone seat at the foot of the ebony-tree. All those who entered the hall looked at the pinnacle, read the inscription, and said, "This is the Hall of Goodness." The names of the thirty-three youths did not appear.

Joy thought to herself, "The youths who built this hall resolved to deprive us of a share in the building thereof. But Goodness by her own cleverness obtained a share. I also ought to do something. What can I do?" Thereupon the following thought occurred to her, "Those who come to the hall should be provided with water for drinking and water for bathing. I will have a place dug for a pool." Accordingly Joy caused a bathing-pool to be built.

Thoughtful thought to herself, "Goodness has given a pinnacle, and Joy has caused a swimming-pool to be built. What can I do?" Thereupon the following thought occurred to her, "After those who come to the hall have drunk water and bathed, they should be decked with garlands when they are ready to depart. I will cause a flower garden to be laid out." So Thoughtful caused a beautiful flower garden to be laid out. So many and so various were the flowers that grew therein that it was impossible for anyone to say, “Such and such a flower-bearing or fruit-bearing tree does not grow in this garden.”