Dhammapada 5.8.p3

5.8.p3

Kassako taṃ kathaṃ sutvā ‘‘mama velāya vā avelāya vā vicaraṇaṭṭhānametaṃ, āsīviso kirettha atthī’’ti cintetvā satthari ettakaṃ vatvā pakkante ‘‘māressāmi na’’nti patodalaṭṭhiṃ ādāya gato sahassabhaṇḍikaṃ disvā ‘‘imaṃ sandhāya satthārā kathitaṃ bhavissatī’’ti taṃ ādāya nivatto, abyattatāya ekamante ṭhapetvā paṃsunā paṭicchādetvā puna kasituṃ ārabhi. Manussā ca vibhātāya rattiyā gehe corehi katakammaṃ disvā padānupadaṃ gacchantā taṃ khettaṃ gantvā tattha corehi bhaṇḍassa bhājitaṭṭhānaṃ disvā kassakassa padavalañjaṃ addasaṃsu. Te tassa padānusārena gantvā thavikāya ṭhapitaṭṭhānaṃ disvā paṃsuṃ viyūhitvā thavikaṃ ādāya ‘‘tvaṃ gehaṃ vilumpitvā khettaṃ kasamāno viya vicarasī’’ti tajjetvā pothetvā netvā rañño dassayiṃsu. Rājā taṃ pavattiṃ sutvā tassa vadhaṃ āṇāpesi. Rājapurisā taṃ pacchābāhaṃ bandhitvā kasāhi tāḷentā āghātanaṃ nayiṃsu. So kasāhi tāḷiyamāno aññaṃ kiñci avatvā ‘‘passānanda, āsīvisoti, passāmi bhagavā ghoraviso’’ti vadanto gacchati. Atha naṃ rājapurisā ‘‘tvaṃ satthu ceva ānandattherassa ca kathaṃ kathesi, kiṃ nāmeta’’nti pucchitvā – ‘‘rājānaṃ daṭṭhuṃ labhamāno kathessāmī’’ti vutte rañño santikaṃ netvā rañño taṃ pavattiṃ kathayiṃsu. Atha naṃ rājā ‘‘kasmā evaṃ kathesī’’ti pucchi. So ‘‘nāhaṃ, deva, coro’’ti vatvā kasanatthāya nikkhantakālato paṭṭhāya sabbaṃ taṃ pavattiṃ rañño ācikkhi. Rājā tassa kathaṃ sutvā ‘‘ayaṃ bhaṇe loke aggapuggalaṃ satthāraṃ sakkhiṃ apadisati, na yuttaṃ etassa dosaṃ āropetuṃ, ahamettha kattabbaṃ jānissāmī’’ti taṃ ādāya sāyanhasamaye satthu santikaṃ gantvā satthāraṃ pucchi – ‘‘bhagavā kacci tumhe ānandattherena saddhiṃ etassa kassakassa kasanaṭṭhānaṃ gatā’’ti? ‘‘Āma, mahārājā’’ti. ‘‘Kiṃ vo tattha diṭṭha’’nti? ‘‘Sahassatthavikā, mahārājā’’ti. ‘‘Disvā kiṃ avocutthā’’ti? ‘‘Idaṃ nāma, mahārājā’’ti. ‘‘Bhante, sacāyaṃ puriso tumhādisaṃ apadisaṃ nākarissa, na jīvitaṃ alabhissa, tumhehi pana kathitakathaṃ kathetvā tena jīvitaṃ laddha’’nti. Taṃ sutvā satthā ‘‘āma, mahārāja, ahampi ettakameva vatvā gato, paṇḍitena nāma yaṃ kammaṃ katvā pacchānutappaṃ hoti, taṃ na kattabba’’nti vatvā anusandhiṃ ghaṭetvā dhammaṃ desento imaṃ gāthamāha –

When the night grew bright, men discovered the theft which had been committed in the house, trailed the thieves to the field, and coming to the spot where they had divided their spoils, saw the footprints of the farmer. Following his footsteps to the spot where the purse was buried, they removed the earth and picked up the purse. Thereupon they reviled him, saying, “So you robbed the house, and here you are plowing the field!” And having given him a good beating, they took him and arraigned him before the king.

When the king heard what had happened, he ordered the farmer to be put to death. The king’s men straightway bound his hands behind his back and led him to the place of execution, lashing him with whips as they led him along. As the farmer walked along and the king’s men lashed him with whips, he kept repeating the words, “See, Ānanda, a poisonous snake!” “I see, Reverend Sir, a deadly, poisonous snake!” Not another word did he utter. The king’s men asked him, “You are repeating words of the Teacher and of the Elder Ānanda. What does this mean?” The farmer replied, “I will tell, if I am permitted to see the king.”

So they led him to the king and told the king what had happened. The king asked the farmer, “Why do you speak thus?” “I am not a thief, your majesty.” So saying, the farmer told him the whole story from the time when he went forth to till his field. When the king had heard his story, he said, “Why, this man names as his witness the foremost man in all the world, the Teacher. It is not right to fasten the guilt upon him. I shall find some way out of this difficulty.”

Accordingly, when it was evening, the king took the farmer with him, went to the Teacher, and asked him, “Exalted One, did you and the Elder Ānanda go to a place where a certain farmer was plowing?” “Yes, your majesty.” “What did you see there?” “A purse containing a thousand pieces of money, your majesty.” “When you saw it, what did you say?” “Such and such, your majesty.” “Reverend Sir, if this man had not named a person like you as his witness, he would never have saved his life. He saved his life by repeating the words you uttered." When the Teacher heard this, he said, "Yes, your majesty, I also said just that when I went there. A wise man should not do a deed of which he must afterwards repent." And joining the connection, he instructed him in the Law by pronouncing the following Stanza,