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So tampi sammukhāgataṃ disvā, samma mahāduggata, mayā svātanāya buddhappamukho bhikkhusaṅgho nimantito, sve nagaravāsino dānaṃ dassanti, ‘‘tvaṃ kati bhikkhū bhojessasī’’ti? ‘‘Sāmi, mayhaṃ kiṃ bhikkhūhi, bhikkhūhi nāma sadhanānaṃ attho, mayhaṃ pana sve yāguatthāya taṇḍulanāḷimattampi natthi, ahaṃ bhatiṃ katvā jīvāmi, kiṃ me bhikkhūhī’’ti? Samādapakena nāma byattena bhavitabbaṃ. Tasmā so tena ‘‘natthī’’ti vuttepi tuṇhībhūto ahutvā evamāha – ‘‘samma mahāduggata, imasmiṃ nagare subhojanaṃ bhuñjitvā sukhumavatthaṃ nivāsetvā nānābharaṇapaṭimaṇḍitā sirisayane sayamānā bahū janā sampattiṃ anubhavanti, tvaṃ pana divasaṃ bhatiṃ katvā kucchipūraṇamattampi na labhasi, evaṃ santepi ‘ahaṃ pubbe puññaṃ akatattā kiñci na labhāmī’ti na jānāsī’’ti? ‘‘Jānāmi, sāmī’’ti. ‘‘Atha kasmā idāni puññaṃ na karosi, tvaṃ yuvā balasampanno, kiṃ tayā bhatiṃ katvāpi yathābalaṃ dānaṃ dātuṃ na vaṭṭatī’’ti? So tasmiṃ kathenteyeva saṃvegappatto hutvā ‘‘mayhampi ekaṃ bhikkhuṃ paṇṇe āropehi, kiñcideva bhatiṃ katvā ekassa bhikkhaṃ dassāmī’’ti āha. Itaro ‘‘kiṃ ekena bhikkhunā paṇṇe āropitenā’’ti na āropesi? Mahāduggatopi gehaṃ gantvā bhariyaṃ āha – ‘‘bhadde, nagaravāsino sve saṅghabhattaṃ karissanti, ahampi samādapakena ‘ekassa bhikkhaṃ dehī’ti vutto, mayampi sve ekassa bhikkhaṃ dassāmā’’ti. Athassa bhariyā ‘‘mayaṃ daliddā, kasmā tayā sampaṭicchita’’nti avatvāva, ‘‘sāmi, bhaddakaṃ te kataṃ, mayaṃ pubbepi kiñci adatvā idāni duggatā jātā, mayaṃ ubhopi bhatiṃ katvā ekassa bhikkhaṃ dassāma, sāmī’’ti vatvā ubhopi gehā nikkhamitvā bhatiṭṭhānaṃ agamaṃsu. > Now at that time there lived in this city a certain man who was so poor that he was known as Prince of Paupers, Mahāduggata. The solicitor meeting him face to face, said also to him, “Sir Mahāduggata, I have invited the congregation of monks presided over by the Buddha for to-morrow; to-morrow the residents of the city will give alms; how many monks will you provide for?” “Sir, what have I to do with monks? Monks need rich men to provide for them. But as for me, I possess not so much as a small measure of rice wherewith to make porridge to-morrow; what have I to do with monks?” > — Eugene Watson Burlingame 1921, Buddhist Legends (Harvard Oriental Series 28–30) > Now it behooves a man who urges others to give to be circumspect; therefore when the solicitor heard the poor man plead his poverty as an excuse, instead of remaining silent, he spoke to him as follows, “Sir Mahāduggata, there are many people in this city who live in luxury, eating rich food, wearing soft clothes, adorned with all manner of adornments, and sleeping on beds of royal splendor. But as for you, you work for your living and yet get scarcely enough to fill your belly. That being the case, does it not seem to you likely that the reason why you yourself get nothing is that you have never done anything for others?” “I think so, sir.” “Well, why do you not do a work of merit right now? You are young, you have plenty of strength; is it not your bounden duty while you are earning a living to give alms according to your ability?” Even as the solicitor spoke, the poor man was overcome with emotion and said, “Write my name on the leaf for one monk; no matter how little I may earn, I will provide food for one monk.” The solicitor said to himself, “What is the use of writing one monk on the leaf?” and omitted to write down the name. > — Eugene Watson Burlingame 1921, Buddhist Legends (Harvard Oriental Series 28–30) > Mahāduggata went home and said to his wife, “Wife, to-morrow the residents of the village will provide food for the congregation of monks. I also was requested by the solicitor to provide food for one monk; therefore we also will provide food for one monk to-morrow.” His wife, instead of saying to him, “We are poor; why did you promise to do so?” said, “Husband, what you did was quite right; we are poor now because we have never given anything; we will both work for hire and give food to one monk.” So both of them went out to look for work. > — Eugene Watson Burlingame 1921, Buddhist Legends (Harvard Oriental Series 28–30) - [Previous: 6.5.p4](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.theravada.sp.khuddaka.dhammapada!dhammapadatthakatha.6.5.p4) - [Next: 6.5.p6](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.theravada.sp.khuddaka.dhammapada!dhammapadatthakatha.6.5.p6) - [Up: 6.5](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.theravada.sp.khuddaka.dhammapada!dhammapadatthakatha.6.5) ## Translations (1) - [Buddhist Legends (Harvard Oriental Series 28–30)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.theravada.sp.khuddaka.dhammapada!dhammapadatthakatha~en-burlingame.6.5.p8) — Eugene Watson Burlingame 1921, English ## Linked texts (1) - [Dhammapada](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.theravada.sp.khuddaka.dhammapada.80) — Pāli --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.theravada.sp.khuddaka.dhammapada!dhammapadatthakatha.6.5.p5](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.theravada.sp.khuddaka.dhammapada!dhammapadatthakatha.6.5.p5) · Pramāṇa