English
Its meaning: Everywhere, the discrimination of qualities and faults is only through the teachings; without the teachings, without wisdom appropriate to the teachings, whatever one does, whatever action there is, in making a distinction between good and bad, what greater recklessness is there than that? What is more reckless than action without investigation? There is nothing. Here, in this world, for those people who have not done meritorious deeds, there is no service to the feet, no attendance on the feet, of teachers who are "Dear, venerable, worthy of cultivation, a speaker and capable of being spoken to, and a maker of profound speech, and not employing in an improper place." What use is there of those who do not possess the qualities specified? Those people who have done meritorious deeds, covered with the dust of their feet, sheltered by the dust of the feet of their teachers, those people are indeed good, those are indeed discerning, having attained distinguished discernment through association with good friends and teachers. They become uplifted, for they alone know detachment, such is the meaning. The desire to hear is attentiveness, and based on that, the service of washing the feet, that too, for that purpose, is called attentiveness. "Attentiveness to the feet," and "at their feet," and "dust on them," and "covered by them," are the interpretations. Because disciples are bound to their teachers for the sake of complete understanding, they should be served even more than one's own qualities. For it was said by the Blessed One: "A person declines by associating with inferiors, nor does one ever diminish by associating with equals; by approaching superiors, one quickly rises, therefore, one should associate with those superior to oneself." 6. Poets, with minds and eyes fixed on compositions and dramas, whatever they compose here, is not exceedingly astonishing. 7. Those very ones are eloquent, that very composition is captivating, by which they please the wise, even there, they are without disregard. 6-7. Having shown this by way of agreement and difference, now, to encourage the audience who are of a dispirited mind, thinking, "What is the use to us of the effort arising from involvement in the particular composition of compositions and dramas, due to a lack of familiarity?" he begins with "compositions and dramas," etc. The composition, known as the poet's expression, is the poet's own, this is poetry. Whether it is a collection of independent verses, or a collection of verses with parts, or a complete collection of sentences, differing in the variety of meters, in prose, in verse and prose, called campū, and a great sentence, a great poem, that great poem is bound, made, by chapters, by specific divisions called chapters, thus it is called a chapter-bound work. Its characteristic, however, is described in many ways, beginning with "the beginning of a chapter-bound work should be a desired blessing or obeisance, or a statement of some meaning related to the composition." As it is? "A chapter-bound work is called a great poem; its characteristic is this: Obeisance, statement of the subject matter, and blessing, too, are its beginning. Based on historical narrative, or based on serenity, dependent on the attainment of the four aims, with a noble hero. Description of old and new seasons, mountains, the moon, the rising of the sun; Gardens, water sports, and honey— The spring festival. With separations in love, with the growth of princes; With the dispatch of ministers and envoys, and the rise of heroes. Adorned, with uncontracted, continuous flavors and emotions; With cantos not too extensive, with pleasant sayings and good connections. Everywhere, with different cantos at the end, pleasing to the world; A poem lasting for an age, arises, beautifully adorned. There, "based on a historical narrative" means relying on a story told in the past. "Based on virtue" means relying on other beautiful qualities, such as the conduct of kings. "Dependent on the four aims" means dependent on the four aims of dharma, etc. Dharma is the cause of prosperity and liberation. Artha is the acquisition of knowledge, land, etc., according to justice, and the protection of what has been acquired. Kāma is enjoyment, pleasure, and application. Moksha is the cessation of all suffering in samsara. "Four noble heroes" means four heroes who are skilled due to energy, power, influence, and ability, and who are noble and generous due to excessive generosity, etc., where there is an opponent and an adversary. Madhu means liquor. Vippalambha means separation. Mantra is the determination of what should be done with those who know the law. Dūta is a man who is sent to make peace. Payānaṃ is going for the sake of war, etc. Āji is war in the absence of peace. "Uncontracted, continuous flavors and emotions" means uncontracted, abundant flavors such as love and heroism, and emotions such as delight and enthusiasm, continuously spread. "With pleasant sayings and good connections" means with pleasant and very beautiful sayings such as Indavajira, and with cantos whose connection is beautiful due to mutual connection and association. Again, to show that even if some of the elements mentioned above, such as the description of a city, are missing, or if it lacks things like drinking liquor, it still pleases the mind and is accepted by the wise, he says: "A poem is not flawed by missing elements, even if some are lacking here; If the completeness of the structure pleases the wise." Again – "Having first spoken of the qualities, then of the hero, and then of his power; This rejection is He is naturally beautiful. Having described the lineage of heroes, and the torment of enemies; And the joy of narrating the excellence of the victorious leader, delight us," they said. All this, for those whose hearts are filled with the nectar of the Dhamma, who turn away from plays and poems troubled by frivolous chatter and widespread errors, who are vessels of constant conduct and character, what weariness of heart does it cause? Thus, it is presented accordingly. A play, as defined in treatises on dramaturgy by Bharata and others, is a form with various aspects, a genre; the nine types of plays, such as the Pakarana, are aspects of its characteristics. The Natika is also included here. Poems and plays, the eyes and minds placed and fixed in them, this is the analysis. Who are they? Poets. By the phrase "eyes and minds placed in them," the hearing of the learned, their contemplation, the determination of meaning through reasoning and debate, the unwavering ascertainment of the correct meaning, and the cultivation of what has been ascertained, constant practice, are all shown. By the words "poems and plays," what is heard, contemplated, and cultivated is shown. When what is heard is shown, the knowledge based on it, the knowledge born of hearing, is also shown. By "eyes and minds placed in poems and plays," he shows the ability to compose poetry, achieved through the sequence of hearing, contemplation, and cultivation. For such people, that hearing and so on is the cause of composition. For it is said: "Natural talent, And much pure learning; And unremitting effort, Are the cause of composition." Whatever, whatever kind of composition arises in one's mind. But by this unrestricted statement, he indicates his lack of interest in it. They compose, they do. This composition created by them is not very astonishing, for to one endowed with such means, the attainment of the goal is natural, and there is nothing surprising, is the meaning. There, in those poems and plays, which are the sole means of special composition, even those who have no interest, even those who have no interest due to hearing and so on, Men of wisdom delight and please the wise, discerning, knowing good and bad, skilled in the scriptures, by whatever special composition. Indeed, they delight, even without such innate brilliance, striving in such matters through study, thought, and cultivation. For it is said: "Though there be no innate talent, An extraordinary gift bound to virtues, Through study, speech, and sustained effort, One surely gains some favor." Those with brilliance are wise through the wisdom that distinguishes what should be abandoned and what should be adopted; they are the true men. It is wondrous, "How can such a composition be, even without such means?" Such a composition, that very composition, is naturally attainable through the perfection of the goal, even without the attainment of such means, and not otherwise. 6-7. Now, as we, unfamiliar with poetry and drama, hesitate, wondering, "How can there be understanding of the nature of composing a text?" he encourages with two verses beginning "poetry and drama." Poets, those who make poetry, who have placed their eyes and minds on poetry and drama, through study, observation, thought, and cultivation, whatever they compose, this composition is not exceedingly wondrous or astonishing, for through constant application, the perfection of wisdom rooted in skillful means, the compilation of the text, which is the goal, surely comes to be. This is poetry for the poet, and this is drama for the play, dance, and song. Here, however, the text that reveals the story that supports it is called drama. "Poetry and drama," and "those who have placed their eyes and minds on poetry and drama" are the explanations. Those people, even without much regard for those poetry and dramas, but with attention through hearing and retention, delight and please the wise with whatever special composition, they are the brilliant ones, those with wisdom called brilliance. That composition is wondrous, accompanied by the wonder arising in others. They possess brilliance. And because it proceeds with wonder, and the explanation is, "one by whom diligence is not abandoned.