Kaṇhadīpāyanacariya

Cariyāpiṭaka

The Conduct Leading to Buddhahood

Yudhañjayavagga

The Chapter With Yudhañjaya

Saccapāramī 5

The Perfection of Truth (5th)

Kaṇhadīpāyanacariya

Dark Light’s Conduct

“Punāparaṁ yadā homi,

“Then again when I was

kaṇhadīpāyano isi;

the seer Dark Light,

Paropaññāsavassāni,

for more than fifty years

anabhiratocariṁ ahaṁ.

I lived dissatisfied.

Na koci etaṁ jānāti,

No one knew of this

Anabhiratimanaṁ mama;

dissatisfaction of mine,

Ahañhi kassaci nācikkhiṁ,

for I mentioned it to no one,

Arati me carati mānase.

it only went on in my mind.

Sabrahmacārī maṇḍabyo,

Maṇḍabya, a spiritual companion

sahāyo me mahāisi;

and friend of mine was a great seer.

Pubbakammasamāyutto,

Bound to a deed in a past life,

sūlamāropanaṁ labhi.

he got impaled on a stake.

Tamahaṁ upaṭṭhahitvāna,

I nursed him

ārogyamanupāpayiṁ;

and brought him back to health.

Āpucchitvāna āgañchiṁ,

Asking leave, I returned

yaṁ mayhaṁ sakamassamaṁ.

to my own hermitage.

Sahāyo brāhmaṇo mayhaṁ,

A brahmin friend of mine,

bhariyaṁ ādāya puttakaṁ;

bringing wife and child,

Tayo janā samāgantvā,

came to me, all three of them,

āgañchuṁ pāhunāgataṁ.

as my guests.

Sammodamāno tehi saha,

As I exchanged greetings with them,

nisinno sakamassame;

seated in my own hermitage,

Dārako vaṭṭamanukkhipaṁ,

the boy threw a ball

āsīvisamakopayi.

and angered a viper.

Tato so vaṭṭagataṁ maggaṁ,

Then the boy, looking which way

anvesanto kumārako;

the ball had gone,

Āsīvisassa hatthena,

touched the viper’s head

uttamaṅgaṁ parāmasi.

with his hand.

Tassa āmasane kuddho,

Angered at his touch,

sappo visabalassito;

the cobra, relying on its potent poison,

Kupito paramakopena,

completely enraged,

aḍaṁsi dārakaṁ khaṇe.

bit the boy right away.

Sahadaṭṭho āsīvisena,

When bitten by the viper,

dārako papati bhūmiyaṁ;

the boy fainted on the ground.

Tenāhaṁ dukkhito āsiṁ,

It made me distraught,

mama vāhasi taṁ dukkhaṁ.

the pain became as if mine.

Tyāhaṁ assāsayitvāna,

Comforting the parents,

dukkhite sokasallite;

in their suffering and sorrow,

Paṭhamaṁ akāsiṁ kiriyaṁ,

I made the first act,

aggaṁ saccaṁ varuttamaṁ.

the original, supreme declaration of truth:

‘Sattāhamevāhaṁ pasannacitto,

‘For just seven days with a mind of faith

Puññatthiko acariṁ brahmacariyaṁ;

I led the spiritual life seeking merit.

Athāparaṁ yaṁ caritaṁ mamedaṁ,

My life since then,

Vassāni paññāsasamādhikāni.

for fifty years or more,

Akāmako vāhi ahaṁ carāmi,

I have lived unwillingly.

Etena saccena suvatthi hotu;

By this truth, may he be well!

Hataṁ visaṁ jīvatu yaññadatto’.

May the poison die! May Yaññadatta live!’

Saha sacce kate mayhaṁ,

As I declared this truth,

visavegena vedhito;

the boy trembling with poison,

Abujjhitvāna vuṭṭhāsi,

awoke and got up,

arogo cāsi māṇavo;

the brahmin youth was well.

Saccena me samo natthi,

There is no one to equal my truthfulness:

esā me saccapāramī”ti.

this is my perfection of truth.”

Kaṇhadīpāyanacariyaṁ ekādasamaṁ.