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B0102051415vīsatinipāto (chapter twenty)

English

Urged by the Sīvi king, the Sīvika, obedient to his word; Having extracted the king's eyes, he offered to the brahmin; The brahmin became sighted, the king remained blind. 68. Then after a few days, when his eyes had healed; The king, increaser of the Sivis' realm, called his charioteer. 69. "Harness the chariot, charioteer, and report when it's ready; Let us go to the pleasure grove, and the lotus ponds' forests." 70. And he sat down on the bank of the lotus pond, cross-legged; To him Sakka appeared, Sujampati, king of devas. 71. "I am Sakka, lord of devas, I have come to you; Choose a boon, O royal sage, whatever you desire in your mind." 72. "I have abundant wealth, Sakka, strength and a not-small treasury; But now, being blind, only death pleases me." 73. "Whatever truths there are, O lord of bipeds, declare them, O warrior; As you speak the truth, your eyes will return." 74. "Those who come to beg from me, beggars of various clans; Whoever begs from me there, he too is dear to my heart; By this utterance of truth, may my eye appear." 75. "When that brahmin came to beg from me, saying 'Give me eyes'; I gave him my eyes, to that brahmin, the beggar." 76. "Greater joy entered me, and no small happiness; By this utterance of truth, may my second eye appear." 77. "Righteously spoken are these verses, O increaser of the Sivis' realm; These eyes of yours, divine, now reappear." 78. "Beyond walls, beyond rocks, overcoming mountains; May your sight extend a hundred yojanas all around." 79. "Who here would not give wealth when asked, even what is excellent and most dear to oneself? Come then, all you Sivis assembled, see my divine eyes today." 80. "Beyond walls, beyond rocks, overcoming mountains; My sight extends a hundred yojanas all around." 81. "And there is nothing greater than giving, for mortals in this life; Having given a human eye, I have gained..." My eye is superhuman. 82. Having seen this, O Sivis, give gifts, and enjoy; Having given and having enjoyed according to your power, blameless, go to the heavenly abode. 83. One endowed with wisdom, devoid of glory, or one glorious, but lacking wisdom; I ask you, Senaka, this matter: Which of these do the skilled call better? 84. Wise and foolish, O king, those skilled in crafts and those unskilled; Even one of good birth, for one of no birth, becomes a servant to the glorious; Having seen this, I say: One low in wisdom, but glorious, is better. 85. I also ask you, O peerless wisdom, Mahosadha, who sees only the Dhamma; A foolish glorious one, or a wise one with little wealth, Which of these do the skilled call better? 86. The fool does evil deeds, thinking "this is better here"; Seeing this world, not seeing the next world, in both, the fool grasps at misfortune; Having seen this, I say: Wisdom alone is better, not a glorious fool. 87. Not skill, this brings wealth, nor relatives, nor bodily beauty; See the dumb and mute, prospering happily, for glory attends upon them, the respected; Having seen this, I say: One low in wisdom, but glorious, is better. 88. Having gained happiness, the unwise one becomes intoxicated, even touched by suffering, he falls into delusion; Touched by incoming suffering and happiness, he trembles like a fish in the heat; Having seen this, I say: Wisdom alone is better, not a glorious fool. 89. As birds from all sides flock to a tree with sweet fruit in the forest; So too, to the rich, with wealth and possessions, many people serves for the sake of gain; Seeing this too, I say, a wise man, if lowly, a wealthy man is better. 90. It is not good for a strong fool, to acquire wealth by force; This foolish one, crying, they drag violently to hell; Seeing this too, I say, wisdom is better, not a famous fool. 91. Whatever rivers flow into the Ganges, all of them abandon their name and lineage; The Ganges, entering the ocean, does not show its power, nor wisdom in the world; Seeing this too, I say, a wise man, if lowly, a wealthy man is better. 92. That which they call the great ocean, into which countless rivers flow at all times; That ocean, with its constant roaring current, the great sea does not transgress its shore. 93. Even so, the babblings of a fool, wealth never surpasses wisdom; Seeing this too, I say, wisdom is better, not a famous fool. 94. Even if unrestrained, a famous man, having attained a position, speaks for the benefit of others; That is pleasing to him among his relatives, for wealth makes him act, not wisdom; Seeing this too, I say, a wise man, if lowly, a wealthy man is better. 95. For the sake of others or for his own sake, a foolish man of little wisdom speaks falsely; He is censured in the assembly, and afterwards he goes to a bad destination; Seeing this too, I say, wisdom is better, not a famous fool. 96. Even if a man of great wisdom speaks what is beneficial, if he is without support, without means, poor; That is not pleasing to him among his relatives, and wealth is not for the wise; Seeing this too, I say, a wise man, if lowly, a wealthy man is better. 97. For the sake of others or for his own sake, a man of great wisdom does not speak falsely; He is honored in the assembly, and afterwards he goes to a good destination; Seeing this too, I say, wisdom is better, not a famous fool. 98. Elephants, cattle, horses, and jeweled earrings, and women born in wealthy families; All these become possessions for a prosperous man, not for one without prosperity; Seeing this too, I say, a wise man is inferior, a prosperous man is better. 99. One whose deeds are not well-arranged, a fool, one with dull intellect; Prosperity abandons the dull-witted, as a snake sheds its old skin; Seeing this too, I say, wisdom is better, not a famous fool. 100. We are five wise men, good sir, all standing with clasped hands; You are our master, overpowering us, like Sakka, lord of beings, king of devas; Seeing this too, I say, a wise man is inferior, a prosperous man is better. 101. A famous fool is like a servant to the wise, in matters that arise of such a kind; What the wise man skillfully arranges, there the fool falls into confusion; Seeing this too, I say, wisdom is better, not a famous fool. 102. Indeed, wisdom is praised by hundreds, prosperity is desired by people who delight in possessions; And the knowledge of the Buddhas is incomparable, prosperity never surpasses wisdom. 103. What we asked you, you explained to us, Mahosadha, seer of the whole Dhamma; A thousand cows, and a lordly bull, and these ten chariots yoked with thoroughbreds; Pleased by your explanation of the question, I give you sixteen excellent villages. The Sirīmanta Jātaka, the fourth. 501. The Rohaṇa Deer Jātaka (5) 104. These herds are departing, terrified of death, Cittaka; You too go, do not hesitate, they will live with you. 105. I will not go, Rohaṇa, my heart is pulled back; I will not abandon you, here I will give up my life. 106. They will surely die, blind and without a leader; You too go, do not hesitate, they will live with you. 107. I will not go, Rohaṇa, I stay, my heart pulls me back; I will not abandon that bound one, here I will give up my life. 108. Go, coward, flee! I am bound in an iron trap; You too go, do not hesitate, they will live with you. 109. I will not go to the high ground, my heart pulls me back; I will not abandon that one, here I will give up my life. 110. Indeed, they will surely die, blind and without a leader; You too go, do not hesitate, they will live with you. 111. I will not go to the high ground, my heart pulls me back; I will not abandon that bound one, here I will give up my life. 112. Here comes that hunter, fierce-looking with his weapon; Who will kill us today, with an arrow or a spear. 113. She, having fled for a moment, distressed by fear, terrified; Did a very difficult thing, the timid one, she returned to death. 114. What kind of deer are these, free, yet attend to the bound one; They do not wish to abandon him, even for the sake of life. 115. They are my brothers, hunter, born of the same womb; They do not wish to abandon me, even for the sake of life. 116. Indeed, they will surely die, blind and without a leader; Give life to the five, release my brother, hunter. 117. I will release for you, the deer who supports his parents; May the parents rejoice, seeing the great deer released. 118. Thus, hunter, may you rejoice, with all your relatives; Just as I rejoice today, seeing the great deer released. 119. How were you released, when your life was brought near [to an end]; How, son, did the hunter release you from the snare? 120. Speaking words pleasant to the ear, touching the heart, dwelling in the heart; With well-spoken words, Cittaka released me. 121. Speaking words pleasant to the ear, touching the heart, dwelling in the heart; With well-spoken words, Sutanā released me. 122. Having heard Ear-pleasing speech, heart-touching, dwelling in the heart; Having heard the well-spoken words, the hunter released me. 123. Thus may the hunter be joyful, together with his wife; Just as we today rejoice, having seen Rohaṇa come. 124. Did you not say, hunter, "I will bring deer skins"? Then by what reason, did you not bring deer skins? 125. That deer came into his hand, and into the snare; He bound that deer-king, and they attended him when freed. 126. For me there arose a deep emotion, wonderful, hair-raising; If I were to kill this deer, today I would lose my life. 127. What kind of deer are they, hunter, what kind of righteous deer? What is their color, what is their character? You praise them greatly. 128. White-horned, with clean tails, like golden skin; Their feet are reddish, with anointed eyes, delightful. 129. Such are those deer, O king, such are those righteous deer; They support their mothers and fathers, O king, he could not bring them. 130. I give you a hundred gold coins, hunter,