English
Are your granaries and treasury, Well-arranged for you? Indeed my borders are prosperous, And my middle parts are thick; My granaries and treasury, All are well-arranged for me. Welcome, great king, Indeed you have not come from afar; Let them set up the couch, Where the king may sit. Sit right here, On the prepared leaf-bed; Taking water from here, Wash your feet. This leaf-food is mine, Cooked, O king, without salt; Partake, great king, A guest has come to me here. I do not eat leaf-food, That is not my meal; I eat rice of fine grain, Pure, with meat sauce. It seems wonderful to me, Even being alone in solitude; For those eating such food, How does their complexion brighten? Alone, O king, I lie down, On the prepared leaf-bed; Because of that solitary sleep, O king, my complexion brightens. Nor are sword-bearers, Royal guards, attending me; Because of that comfortable sleep, O king, my complexion brightens. I do not grieve over the past, Nor yearn for the future; I sustain myself with the present, By that, my complexion brightens. By yearning for the future, And grieving over the past; By this, fools wither, Like a green reed cut down. Elephant troops, chariot troops, Horses and armored infantry; Charming residences, I, my son, give to you. I also give you a harem, Adorned with all ornaments; My son, take them, You shall be our king. Skilled in dance and song, Trained By the four women; They will delight you with pleasures, what will you do in the forest? 95. From rival kings, maidens for you, I will bring, adorned; Having begotten sons with them, then afterwards you may go forth. 96. You are young and tender, newly born, a child; Rule the kingdom, good sir, what will you do in the forest? 97. A youth should practice the holy life, a holy liver should be young; Indeed, for the young is renunciation, this is praised by sages. 98. A youth should practice the holy life, a holy liver should be young; I will practice the holy life, I am not desirous of a kingdom. 99. I see indeed a young one, O mother, O father, a speaking person; A dear son, difficult to obtain, died without reaching old age. 100. I see indeed a young woman, a maiden of charming appearance; Like a fresh bamboo shoot, broken, at life's end. 101. Indeed, even the young die, both men and women; Who then would trust, in life, thinking "I am young"? 102. For whom, at the end of the night, life may be shorter; Like fish in shallow water, what then is youth there? 103. The world is constantly struck, and constantly surrounded; While the nights pass fruitlessly, why do you anoint me with kingship? 104. By what is the world struck, and by what is it surrounded? How do the nights pass fruitlessly? Tell me that, when asked. 105. The world is struck by death, surrounded by old age; The nights pass fruitlessly, know this, O warrior. 106. Just as on a stretched loom, whatever is woven into it; little remains to be woven, so is the life of mortals. 107. Just as a full stream of water, flowing, does not turn back; So is the life of humans, passes. does not turn back. 108. As a full river, carries away trees on its banks; So by old age and death, are all beings swept away. 109. Elephant troops, chariot troops, horses, and armored foot soldiers; Delightful dwellings, I give to you, my son. 110. A harem too I give you, adorned with all ornaments; Accept them, my son, you shall be our king. 111. Skilled in dance and song, accomplished women; They will delight you with pleasures, what will you do in the forest? 112. From rival kings, maidens, adorned, I will bring to you; Having begotten sons from them, then afterwards you may go forth. 113. You are young and tender, in the prime of your youth; Rule the kingdom, good sir, what will you do in the forest? 114. Storehouses and treasures, vehicles and forces; Delightful dwellings, I give to you, my son. 115. Surrounded by herds of cattle, attended by a retinue of servants; Rule the kingdom, good sir, what will you do in the forest? 116. What is wealth that wastes away, what is a wife who will die? What is youth that grows old, which old age overcomes? 117. In that, what joy, what sport, what delight, what seeking of wealth? What are sons and wives to me, O king, I am freed from bondage. 118. Since I thus understand, death does not neglect me; For one overcome by the Ender, what delight, what seeking of wealth? 119. As ripe fruits, always fear falling; So for beings born, always fear death. 120. In the evening some are not seen, many people seen in the morning; In the morning some are not seen, many people seen in the evening. 121. Today is the task of exertion, who knows death tomorrow? For there is no meeting for us, with the great... by this death. 122. "Thieves desire wealth, I am freed by the king from bondage; Come, O king, turn back, I am not concerned with kingship." The Mūgapakkha Jātaka, first. 539. The Mahājanaka Jātaka (2) 123. "Who is this in the middle of the ocean, Striving, not seeing the shore? Knowing what purpose, Do you strive so intensely?" 124. "Having considered the way of the world, And of striving, O deity; Therefore, in the middle of the ocean, Not seeing the shore, I strive." 125. "In the deep, immeasurable (ocean), Whose shore is not seen; Vain is your human striving, You will die without reaching (it)." 126. "He is debtless to relatives, To deities and to ancestors; Doing human duties, He does not regret afterwards." 127. "That action which is unachievable, Fruitless, causing weariness; What is the purpose of striving therein, When death is certain?" 128. "Whoever, O deity, having known (Something to be) utterly unachievable, Does not protect his own life, He would know if he were to lose it." 129. "Some, O deity, in this world, Undertake actions for the fruit of their intention; These succeed or not." 130. "Surely, O deity, you see The immediate fruit of action; Having resolved, I cross (the ocean) like others, And I see that (fruit) at hand." 131. "So I will strive, According to my ability, according to my strength; Going to the other side of the ocean, I will do a man's duty." 132. "You who, thus gone into the flood, The immeasurable great ocean; Endowed with righteous striving, Do not sink by your action; So go right there, Where your mind is delighted." 133. "A person should indeed hope, A wise person should not despair; And I see myself, As I wished, so it happened." 134. "A person should indeed hope, A wise person should not despair; And I see myself, Lifted from the water onto land." 135. "A person should indeed strive, Should not des..." A wise person should strive; I see myself, As I wished, so it has become. 136. A person should indeed strive, A wise person should not despair; I see myself, Lifted from water to dry land. 137. Even a wise person, when afflicted by suffering, Should not cut off hope for the coming of happiness; For many contacts, both harmful and beneficial, Unthought of, lead to death. 138. Even the unthought-of comes to be, And the thought-of perishes; For possessions are not born of thought, For woman or for man. 139. Indeed, this king is not as before, The lord of all lands, the ruler of the quarters; Today he does not listen to dancing, Nor does he set his mind on singing. 140. He does not look at deer, nor at the park, Nor at swans; Like a mute, he sits in silence, He does not instruct on what is beneficial. 141. Desiring happiness, living in solitude, Ceased from killing and bondage; Whose park is this today, Where young and old dwell? 142. The wise, who have overcome craving, Homage to those great sages; Who, in this world of striving, Dwell without striving. 143. Having cut the net of death, The strong, spread by the deluder; Having cut off attachment, they go, Who can trace their path? 144. When shall I, Mithila, Prosperous, divided into measured parts; Abandon and go forth? When will that be? 145. When shall I, Mithila, Prosperous, vast, shining in every way; Abandon and go forth? When will that be? 146. When shall I, Mithila, Prosperous, with many walls and gates; Abandon and go forth? When will that be? 147. When shall I, Mithila, Prosperous, with strong watchtowers and ramparts; Abandon and go forth? When will that be? 148. When shall I, Mithila, Prosperous, well- with well-divided great roads; Having abandoned, I will go forth, when will that be? 149. When will I prosperous Mithila, with well-divided marketplaces; Having abandoned, go forth, when will that be? 150. When will I prosperous Mithila, crowded with cows, horses, and chariots; Having abandoned, go forth, when will that be? 151. When will I prosperous Mithila, adorned with groves and forests; Having abandoned, go forth, when will that be? 152. When will I prosperous Mithila, adorned with pleasure gardens and forests; Having abandoned, go forth, when will that be? 153. When will I prosperous Mithila, adorned with palaces and forests; Having abandoned, go forth, when will that be? 154. When will I prosperous Mithila, a triple city, kinswoman of kings; Built with joy, by the glorious Videha; Having abandoned, go forth, when will that be? 155. When will I prosperous Videha, well-ordered, protected by Dhamma; Having abandoned, go forth, when will that be? 156. When will I prosperous Videha, invincible, protected by Dhamma; Having abandoned, go forth, when will that be? 157. When will I the delightful inner palace, divided and measured into sections; Having abandoned, go forth, when will that be? 158. When will I the delightful inner palace, plastered with fine lime and clay; Having abandoned, go forth, when will that be? 159. When will I the delightful inner palace, fragrant and delightful to the mind; Having abandoned, go forth, when will that be? 160. When will I the pinnacled mansions, divided and measured into sections; Having abandoned, go forth, when will that be? 161.