English
The charm, the loveliness, of the crescent moon, the fifteenth digit, cutting through that with its nature, the rows of nails similar to the digits of the crescent moon, with the splendor of those, adorned, connected, that beauty of the lotus-like feet, the lotus flowers, of the sage. i. May it protect you all in general. May it preserve the abyss. 141. The splendor of the rows of nails, endowed with the nature of destroying the charm of the young moon with their beauty, together with the radiance of the lotus-like feet of the Sage, that splendor of the lotus-like feet of the Fully Enlightened One, may it protect you all. "The young moon and its charm," "that which cuts it with virtue," "a row of nails," "the beauty of those," "the cutters of the charm of the young moon and those rows of nail-splendors," "the feet of the Sage," "those very lotuses," "the splendor of those," is the analysis. 142. Whatever excellence, If any is perceived; Noble this becomes thereby, The composition is well-supported. 142. Determining nobility, he says, "Whatever excellence," etc. Whatever excellence, such as surpassing generosity, because there is no restriction that it must be "this alone," if it is perceived, understood, as surpassing, the composition is understood, because it will be said "the method of composition," this becomes noble, is the rule. May this be noble, what would result from that? He says, "thereby," etc. By that surpassing excellence, the method of composition exists together with the noble quality that is like a protector, so it is well-supported, it is said to be prosperous. 142. Now he indicates nobility with "excellence," etc. Whatever excellence, such as surpassing generosity, that is excessive, the effect that should be expressed in the sequence of words, if it is perceived, if it is understood in some composition, this quality as described is called noble. If asked, what is the benefit of that? The composition, the sequence of words, is well-supported, well-established by that surpassing quality. "He has excellence," "he exists together with a protector," "the method of composition," is the analysis. 143. Those beings whose bodies are smeared With the dust of the lotus-feet, O Gotama; Ah, they go, in every way, To a state without dust. 143. He illustrates that with "feet," etc. "Gotama" addresses the Blessed One by his clan name. Your, Blessed One, feet, Bodies smeared with the pollen and dust of lotuses, such is the analysis. Those beings, not smeared by even a speck of dust, freed from the dust of defilements, attain purity. How wonderful! For those smeared with dust are surely defiled, but you, anointing beings with the dust of your feet, make them pure. Wonderful is this of you. Thus the meaning. 143. Now he illustrates, "Lotus feet," etc. O Gotama, those beings whose bodies are smeared with the dust of your lotus feet, whose heads and foreheads and other parts of their bodies are covered with the pollen of your lotus feet, those beings, not smeared at all by the dust and grime of defilements, in every way attain purity, the state of being free from the dust of defilements. How wonderful! For those smeared with dust are surely defiled, but you, even when beings are smeared with the dust of your feet, make them pure. Such is the meaning. Here, the exalted quality of the Blessed One is shown. "Feet are lotuses," and "their dust," and "bodies smeared with it," and "freed from the dust of defilements," and "their state," such is the sentence. 144. Thus, the excellence of the Buddha's power is seen here; the wise should contemplate the supreme in this way. 144. What is the excellent quality here by which the composition becomes meaningful? He says, "Thus," etc. Thus, the excellence, the surpassing quality of the Buddha's power, the power of the Fully Enlightened One, is seen, appears in this composition; therefore, the composition becomes meaningful by the excellent quality of the Buddha's power. Showing this method elsewhere as well, he says, "The wise," etc. The wise, endowed with wisdom, should contemplate, reflect upon another supreme, another such, in this way, by this method. 144. Now, showing both the illustration of the qualities as stated and the instruction to the disciples, he says, "Thus," etc. Here, in this immediately following verse, thus, in the order as stated, of the Buddha's power... The excellence and superiority of one who has come will be seen and apparent, therefore, may the bond be protected and supported by the quality of excellence known as the Buddha's power. The wise, those with praised knowledge, should contemplate and imagine another such method, in this way, in this manner. 145. Generous, that too should be understood, That which has praised qualities; Like a pleasure pond, playful Laughter, golden armlets, and so on. 145. To show another kind of generosity, he says, "generous," etc. That which has a praised, praiseworthy quality, that too, not just the one mentioned, should be understood as generous. "Like," he exemplifies. A pond for play, laughter joined with playfulness, gold, an armlet made of gold, this is the compound, that which these are the beginning of, this is the external meaning. The word "and so on" includes garlands of flowers, jeweled belts, and so on. This, however, arises from abandoning harsh and rustic language in the composition. 145. He shows another generosity, "generous," etc. That which is a praised quality, a praiseworthy quality, that too should be understood as generous. "Like," he exemplifies that generosity. A pleasure pond, a pond made for play. Playful laughter, laughter joined with playfulness. Golden armlets, and so on, golden bracelets, and so on. "A pond for play," and "laughter joined with playfulness," and "gold, an armlet made of gold," and "playful laughter and golden armlets," and "those which these are the beginning of, garlands of flowers, jeweled belts, and so on," this is the explanation. This generosity is achieved by abandoning faults such as harsh and rustic language in the composition. 146. Not transgressing worldly meanings, Pleasing to all people; Charm is the name of that which has overcome, Said to be through avoidance. Like "Muninda," and so on. 146. He speaks of charm, "worldly," etc. Known in the world, worldly, not transgressing that worldly meaning, not going beyond, pleasing, delightful to all poets or other people, it is called charm. This quality of sound, however, arises from avoiding the fault of excessive words. Therefore, he says, "of that which has overcome," etc. The example has already been mentioned below. 146. Now, it shows loveliness with "lokiyi" etc. Loveliness is said to be that which transcends worldly matters, does not transcend the meaning of words well-known in the world, is pleasing and delightful to all people, to all poets; it is spoken of in the section on the removal of faults, because of the avoidance of excessive, excessive faults. The meaning is that, since loveliness is achieved precisely by the removal of excessive faults, the characteristic of that removal is precisely its own. "Known in the world" is the dissolution, "that meaning and that meaning." It shows an example of loveliness with "muninda" etc. That has already been said. 147. Non-inferability of the meaning From the word or from the sense; That, arising from both, Is shown in the removal of inferability. For example, "marīci" etc., and "manonurañjano" etc. 147. It clarifies clarity of meaning with "atthabyattābhidheyyi" etc. Non-inferability of the meaning related to the expressed, from the word or from the sense, or from the power, is understanding, a different understanding, because there is no other way, since it was said, "Rare is the understanding that violates the power of the word." Having translated that, clarity of meaning is prescribed. But that arises for the avoidance of the fault of scattered inferability. That, arising from both, that non-inferability is shown, manifested, in the removal of inferability. The meaning of the first and second examples has been stated. 147. Now, it shows clarity of meaning with "atthabyatti" etc. Non-inferability of the meaning of the expressed, from the word or from the sense, or from the power of the sense, because it exists right there, the absence of the need to bring in or say anything about the word or the meaning, is called clarity of meaning; that, arising from those two, that clarity of meaning, reckoned as non-inferability, is shown, manifested, in the place of the removal of the fault of inferability, in the removal of inferability. Since it was said, "Rare is the understanding that violates the power of the word," understanding of the meaning, however, is not found otherwise without the word and the power; therefore, here it is said, "from the word or from the sense." And clarity is understanding of the meaning, and there is nothing to be inferred for its expressed meaning. "Sāti ca, tassa bhāvoti ca," and "te ca te ubho saddatthā cāti ca," and "te avayavā etissāti ca," and "neyyassa parihāroti ca" is the sentence. Now, with "yathe," etc., he recalls examples, in order, of the two kinds of meaning manifestation, with the two verses beginning "mari," which was stated below. Again, by meaning, as in: 148. Serene in nature, stainless, O wise one, your toenails; Are vain in themselves; Because the shadows of the crowns Of the bowing endless ones Do not leave them. 148. Again, in the second, "dhīra" is a vocative. In your toenails, serenity and stainlessness are vain. Why? Because your toenails do not abandon, do not forsake, the shadows, the hues, of the crown of the bowing, endless Nāga king, or of the endless crowns of bowing humans and gods; rather, they forsake their own hues. Here, the association with the hues in the nails clearly implies, by its power, the continuous prostration of humans, gods, etc.