Saṅkhapālacariya

Cariyāpiṭaka

The Conduct Leading to Buddhahood

Hatthināgavagga

The Chapter on an Elephant

Sīlapāramī 10

The Perfection of Ethics (10th)

Saṅkhapālacariya

Saṅkhapāla’s Conduct

“Punāparaṁ yadā homi,

“Then again when I was

saṅkhapālo mahiddhiko;

Saṅkhapāla, a dragon of great psychic power,

Dāṭhāvudho ghoraviso,

deadly-fanged, lethally venomous,

dvijivho uragādhibhū.

two-tongued, lord of serpents.

Catuppathe mahāmagge,

At a crossroad on a highway

nānājanasamākule;

crowded with many people,

Caturo aṅge adhiṭṭhāya,

I resolved on the four factors,

tattha vāsamakappayiṁ.

and made my home there.

Chaviyā cammena maṁsena,

‘My outer skin and inner, flesh,

Nahāruaṭṭhikehi vā;

sinews and bones:

Yassa etena karaṇīyaṁ,

whoever has use for these,

Dinnaṁyeva harātu so.

they are already given, please take them.’

Addasaṁsu bhojaputtā,

Seeing me, the Bhojans,

kharā luddā akāruṇā;

those violent and pitiless hunters,

Upagañchuṁ mamaṁ tattha,

came to me there

daṇḍamuggarapāṇino.

with sticks and hammers in their hands.

Nāsāya vinivijjhitvā,

Having pierced my nose,

naṅguṭṭhe piṭṭhikaṇṭake;

tail, and spine,

Kāje āropayitvāna,

and fastened me to a pole,

bhojaputtā hariṁsu maṁ.

the Bhojans carried me away.

Sasāgarantaṁ pathaviṁ,

The earth from sea to sea,

sakānanaṁ sapabbataṁ;

with its forests and mountains—

Icchamāno cahaṁ tattha,

had I wished, right there

nāsāvātena jhāpaye.

I could have burnt it up with a blast from my nose.

Sūlehi vinivijjhante,

Though pierced with stakes,

Koṭṭayantepi sattibhi;

and stabbed with knives,

Bhojaputte na kuppāmi,

I did not get upset with the Bhojans:

Esā me sīlapāramī”ti.

this is my perfection of ethics.”

Saṅkhapālacariyaṁ dasamaṁ.

Hatthināgavaggo dutiyo.

Tassuddānaṁ

Hatthināgo bhūridatto,

campeyyo bodhi mahiṁso;

Ruru mātaṅgo dhammo ca,

atrajo ca jayaddiso.

Ete nava sīlabalā,

parikkhārā padesikā;

Jīvitaṁ parirakkhitvā,

sīlāni anurakkhisaṁ.

Saṅkhapālassa me sato,

sabbakālampi jīvitaṁ;

Yassa kassaci niyyattaṁ,

tasmā sā sīlapāramīti.

Sīlapāraminiddeso niṭṭhito.