Verses on Dhamma 85

85

Appakā te manussesu,
ye janā pāragāmino;
Athāyaṃ itarā pajā,
tīramevānudhāvati.

Few are there among men who arrive at the other shore (become Arhats); the other people here run up and down the shore.
[83. The first line is very doubtful. I have adopted, in my translation, a suggestion of Mr. Childers, who writes, 'I think it will be necessary to take sabbattha in the sense of "everywhere," or "under every condition;" pañkakhandâdibhedesu, sabbadhammesu, says Buddhaghosha. I do not think we need assume that B. means the word vigahanti to be a synonym of vaganti. I would rather take the whole sentence together as a gloss upon the word vaganti:--vagantîti arahattañânena apakaddhantâ khandarâgam vigahanti; vaganti means that, ridding themselves of lust by the wisdom which Arhatship confers, they cast it away.' I am inclined to think the line means 'the righteous walk on (unmoved) in all the conditions of life.' Nindâ, pasamsâ, sukha, dukkha are four of the eight lokadhammas, or earthly conditions; the remaining lokadhammas are lâbba, alâbha, yasa, ayasa.
In v. 245, passatâ, 'by a man who sees,' means 'by a man who sees clearly or truly.' ln the same manner vrag may mean, not simply 'to walk,' but 'to walk properly,' or may be used synonymously with pravrag.