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eating tree fruit. 195. Seeing me thin and pale, he took pity on me. "Hello, who are you here, afflicted by such suffering? 196. Are you human or non-human? Reveal yourself to me." Having bowed to him with clasped hands, I spoke these words: 197. "I am a human, afflicted by misfortune..." I have no other refuge from this. I tell you this, may you be well, and may you be my refuge. 198. Taking a heavy stone, the monkey wandered on the mountain; Having made the stone a tool, the bull-like one said this. 199. Come, climb on my back, grasp my neck with your arms; I will lift you up, swiftly from the mountain's difficult pass. 200. Hearing that speech of the glorious king of monkeys; I climbed on the back of the wise one, and grasped his neck with my arms. 201. Then that powerful, strong monkey lifted me up; Struggling with difficulty, swiftly from the mountain's difficult pass. 202. Having lifted me up, the calm bull-like one said this; Come, friend, protect me, I will sleep for a moment. 203. Lions, tigers, and leopards, bears, wolves, and hyenas; They might harm me when I am careless, seeing them, you should ward them off. 204. Thus protected by me, he slept for a moment; Then I conceived an evil view, unwisely. 205. This is food for humans, like other animals in the forest; Why don't I kill this monkey, and being hungry, eat it. 206. I will go satisfied, taking the meat as provisions; I will cross the wilderness, it will be my sustenance. 207. Then taking a stone, I struck his head; My body was weary, the blow was weak. 208. And he, swiftly awakened, the monkey covered in blood; With eyes full of tears, weeping, he looked at me. 209. Oh, may you not do this, good sir, you should not do such a thing; And you, indeed, are long-lived, you should ward off others. 210. Alas, oh man, you who do such a difficult deed; From such uneven, difficult, precipitous places, I lifted you. 211. Brought by Without reason, you thought me to be betrayed; That by that evil nature, evil was thought by evil. 212. May you not, unrighteous one, experience bitter pain; May that evil deed not strike you down like a bamboo fruit. 213. In you there is no trust, O evil-natured, unrestrained one; Come, follow behind me, as if seen nearby. 214. You are freed from the hands of wild beasts, you have attained human status; This is the path, unrighteous one, go by it as you please. 215. Having said this, the mountain-dweller washed his head in the lake; Wiping away his tears, then ascended the mountain. 216. I, cursed by him, afflicted by burning fever; With my body burning, went to drink water. 217. Heated as if by fire, the lake was smeared with blood; Resembling pus and blood, it all appeared to me. 218. As many drops of water as fell upon my body; So many boils arose, like half-ripe bamboo fruits. 219. Bursting, they flowed from me, pus and blood, like a corpse; Wherever I went, in villages and towns. 220. Holding sticks, they stopped me, women and men alike; "You are covered with a foul smell, do not come near!" 221. Such is this suffering, for seven years now for me; I experience my own karma, the evil deed done by myself before. 222. This I tell you, good sirs, all who are gathered here; Do not betray your friends, for betrayal of friends is evil. 223. He becomes a leper, one with skin disease, who here betrays his friends; At the breaking up of the body, the betrayer of friends falls into hell. If you, seven of you, Are being carried away in the ocean; And a demon, seeking human strength, Should seize your ship; In what order would you give them, To be freed from the water-demon? First I would give my mother, Then my wife, then my brother; Then my friend, and fifth I would give the brahmin; Sixth I would give myself, But never Mahosadha. Your mother, your nurturer, Who has long felt compassion for you; Even when you were at fault, Wise and seeing what is beneficial; Making another a pretext, She freed you from death. Such a life-giver, Who bore you in her womb; For what fault would you give Your mother to the water-demon? Though young, she wears Improper ornaments; With doorkeepers and soldiers, She laughs excessively. And also to rival kings, She herself sends messengers; For that fault, my mother I would give to the water-demon. Excellent among women, Speaking very kindly; Devoted and virtuous, Like an inseparable shadow. Not angry, meritorious, Wise and seeing what is beneficial; For what fault would you give Ubbari to the water-demon? Engaged in play and pleasure, Fallen into misfortune; She asks me for money For her own sons, though not asked. I, being fond, give Much varied wealth; Having given what is hard to give, Afterwards I grieve, disheartened; For that fault, Ubbari I would give to the water-demon. By whom the districts were settled, And brought under control; Brought from other kingdoms, Much wealth was established. Excellent among archers, Brave, with sharp counsel With what fault would you give your brother to the water-guard? 236. By whom the provinces were conquered, and brought under tribute; Much wealth was brought from other kingdoms, by force. 237. He is the best of archers, brave and sharp-witted; By him, this king is happy, the boy despises me. 238. Even for my attendance, lady, he does not come as before; For that fault, I would give my brother to the water-guard. 239. In one night, both of you, you and Dhanusekha; Both of you were born in Pañcāla, friends well-matched. 240. Cariya followed you, sharing your pain and joy; He was zealous for you day and night, busy with all your tasks; For what fault would you give your friend to the water-guard? 241. Cariya, lady, joked with me; Even today, with that same manner, he jokes excessively. 242. Even when I, lady, consult in private; He enters uninvited, without prior announcement. 243. Having gained entry, having been given opportunity, shameless and disrespectful; For that fault, I would give my friend to the water-guard. 244. Skilled in all omens, knowing sounds, learned in traditions; Adept in portents and dreams, in departures and arrivals. 245. He is established in the earth and sky, skilled in the paths of the stars; For what fault would you give the brahmin to the water-guard? 246. Even in the assembly, lady, he stares at me with wide eyes; Therefore, I would give that fierce, cruel one to the water-guard. 247. You rule the earth, encircled by the oceans, with the sea as its earring; You dwell on the earth, surrounded by ministers. 248. You are a great kingdom with four borders, victorious and mighty; You are the sole king of the earth, your fame has spread widely. 249. Sixteen thousand women wearing various ornaments, adorned with jeweled earrings; A woman from various lands, beautiful, like a celestial maiden. 250. Thus, endowed with all limbs, with all desires fulfilled; They say, O Khattiya, a long life is dear to the happy. 251. Then, by what appearance, or for what reason, Do you, protecting the wise one, give up a life so hard to renounce? 252. Since Mahosadha came, into my hands, O lady, I do not know of any wrong, even a tiny bit, by that wise one. 253. And if at some time, my death should come first, He, Mahosadha, would make my sons and grandsons happy. 254. He sees all things, past, present, and future; I would not give to the water-demon one whose actions are blameless. 255. Listen to this, Pañcālas, the words of Cūḷaneyya: Protecting the wise one, he gives up a life so hard to renounce. 256. For mother, wife, brother, friend, and brahmin, And for himself, the Pañcāla gives up his life for six. 257. Thus, great is wisdom, subtle and well-considering; For the welfare in this life, and for happiness in the next. The Story of the Water-Demon, the seventh. 518. The Story of King Paṇḍara the Nāga (8) 258. One who speaks scattered words, not concealing his counsel, unrestrained, not guarding it; Fear pursues that ignorant one himself, as the Supaṇṇa pursues the Nāga Paṇḍaraka. 259. The man who, through delusion, speaks out a secret counsel that should be guarded, Fear quickly pursues that one whose counsel is broken, as the Supaṇṇa pursues the Nāga Paṇḍaraka. 260. Not even a close friend should know a weighty secret; Nor a good friend, if he is ignorant, or if he is wise but an enemy. 261. I trusted the naked ascetic, "This recluse is esteemed, a developed one"; To him I spoke I revealed the secret matter, Having lost the purpose, I weep miserably. 262. To him, O brahmin, I revealed the utmost secret, For I could not restrain my speech; From that side indeed fear came to me, Having lost the purpose, I weep miserably. 263. Indeed, the man who, thinking someone a good friend, Reveals a secret matter to one of bad lineage; Whether from hatred, fear, or inflamed by passion, That fool is certainly overthrown. 264. One who speaks indirectly, entering among the wicked, Who utters words in assemblies; They call that man a venomous snake with a bad mouth, Far, far away one should restrain oneself from such a one. 265. Food, drink, Kasi sandalwood, Charming women, garlands, and adornments; We abandon all desires and go, Like Supaṇṇa, we are approaching death. 266. Who among these three incurs blame here, In this world, O living being, O Nāga king? The ascetic, Supaṇṇa, or you yourself? For what reason was Paṇḍaraka seized? 267. He was considered an ascetic by me, And dear to me, cultivated in mind; To him I revealed, I opened the secret matter, Having lost the purpose, I weep miserably. 268. No being is immortal on earth, No wisdom is beyond reproach; By truth, by Dhamma, by courage, by self-control, A man here speaks what is unobtainable. 269. Mother and father are the highest of relatives, There is no third who is compassionate; Even to them one should not reveal the utmost secret, Fearing the breaking of counsel.