570 Spk glosses sukham edhati in pāda a as sukhaṃ paṭilabhati, “obtains happiness.” CPD points out (s.v. edhati) that this interpretation is probably a misunderstanding stemming from the supposition that sukham is a direct object of the verb rather than an adverbial accusative. The original meaning appears in the commentarial gloss on the expression sukhedhito as sukhasaṃvaddhito. See too EV I, n. to 475.Spk glosses suve seyyo in pāda c as suve suve seyyo, niccam eva seyyo; “It is better morrow upon morrow, it is always better.”
571 Spk: Ahiṃsāya, “in harmlessness,” means “in compassion and in the preliminary stage of compassion” [Spk-pṭ: that is, the access to the first jhāna produced by the meditation on compassion]. Mettaṃ so, “who has lovingkindness,” means “he (so) develops lovingkindness (mettaṃ) and the preliminary stage of lovingkindness.” [Spk-pṭ: He (so) is the person developing meditation on compassion.]Evidently Spk and Spk-pṭ take so in pāda c to be the demonstrative counterpart of yassa in pāda a, with an implicit transitive verb bhāveti understood. While the exact meaning of mettaṃ so (or mettaṃso) is problematic, I prefer to take pāda c as an additional relative clause, the relatives being resolved only in pāda d by the clearly demonstrative tassa. Spk offers an alternative interpretation of mettaṃso as a compound of mettā and aṃsa, glossed as koṭṭhāsa, “portion”: mettā aṃso etassā ti mettaṃso; “one for whom lovingkindness is a portion (of his character) is mettaṃso.” Mp IV 71,9 glosses mettaṃso: mettāyamānacittakoṭṭhāso hutvā; “having become one for whom a loving mind is a portion”; see too It-a I 95,13-15. Brough remarks that mitrisa (in G-Dhp 198) “appears to have been interpreted by the Prakrit translator as equivalent to [Skt] maitrī asya” (Gāndhārī Dharmapada, p. 242, n. 198).
Spk-pṭ: Because of his own hating mind someone might nurture enmity even towards an arahant who lacks meditation on lovingkindness and compassion. But no one could nurture enmity towards one who is endowed with liberation of mind through lovingkindness and compassion. So powerful is the meditation on the divine abodes (evaṃ mahiddhikā brahmavihāra-bhāvanā).
572 The background story, related in Spk, is also found at Dhp-a IV 18-25, which includes the verses as well; see BL 3:207-11. In brief: Sānu was a devout novice who, on reaching maturity, had become dissatisfied with the monk’s life and had returned to his mother’s house intending to disrobe. His mother, after pleading with him to reconsider his decision, went to prepare a meal for him, and just then a female yakkha—his mother from the previous life, who was also anxious to prevent him from disrobing—took possession of him and threw him down to the ground, where he lay quivering with rolling eyes and foaming mouth. When his present mother returned to the room, she found him in this condition.
573 I follow the reading in Be. Ee1 & Ee2 insert another verse here (v. 815 in Ee2), but since this verse seems to be the product of a scribal error I do not translate it. The Be reading is supported by the Dhp-a version. Se reads as in Be, but with yā va in place of yā ca in the second pāda of both the exclamation and the reply. In order to translate in accordance with natural English syntax, I have had to invert lines of the Pāli in a way which crosses over the division of verses in the Pāli text.The Uposatha complete in eight factors (aṭṭhasusamāgataṃ uposathaṃ): On the Uposatha, see n. 513. Besides the two major Uposathas falling on the full-moon and new-moon days (respectively the fifteenth, and either the fourteenth or fifteenth, of the fortnight), minor Uposathas fall on the half-moon days, the eighths of the fortnight. Lay people observe the Uposatha by taking upon themselves the Eight Precepts (aṭṭhaṅga-sīla), a stricter discipline than the Five Precepts of daily observance. These entail abstaining from: (1) taking life, (2) stealing, (3) all sexual activity, (4) false speech, (5) taking intoxicants, (6) eating past noon, (7) dancing, singing, listening to music, seeing improper shows, and using personal ornaments and cosmetics, and (8) using high and luxurious beds and seats. For more on the Uposatha duties for the laity, see AN IV 248-62.
And during special periods (pātihāriyapakkhañ ca). Spk explains this as if it meant the days proximate to the Uposatha: “This is said with reference to those who undertake the Uposatha observances on the seventh and ninth of the fortnight too (in addition to the eighth), and who also undertake the practices on the days preceding and following the Uposatha on the fourteenth or fifteenth (the full-moon and new-moon observance days). Further, following the Pavāraṇā day (see n. 513) they observe the Uposatha duties continuously for a fortnight [Spk-pṭ: that is, during the waning fortnight].” Different explanations of the expression pātihāriyapakkha are given at Mp II 234 and Pj II 378.
574 Spk glosses uppaccā pi as uppatitvā pi, and paraphrases: “Even if you fly up like a bird and flee, there will still be no freedom for you.” The same verse is at Thı̄ 247c-248b, Pv 236, Ud 51,17-18, Peṭ 44,20-21, and Nett 131,19-20. These versions (except Pv) read the absolutive as upecca, with a strange gloss sañcicca in their commentaries; Pv follows SN, but its commentary recognizes upecca as a v.l. A parallel is at Uv 9:4, with the absolutive utplutya. See von Hinüber, “On the Tradition of Pāli Texts in India, Ceylon, and Burma,” pp. 51-53.
575 At this point the yakkha has released Sānu and he has regained consciousness, unaware of what had just occurred.
576 See 20:10 (II 271,13-14): “For this is death in the Noble One’s Discipline: that one gives up the training and returns to the lower life.”
577 Spk: She says this to show the danger in household life; for household life is called “hot embers” (kukkuḷā) in the sense of being hot. Kukkuḷā is also at 22:136.
578 Spk paraphrases kassa ujjhāpayāmase, in pāda b, thus: “When you were intent on disrobing and had been possessed by the yakkha, to whom could we have voiced our grief (complained), to whom could we have appealed and reported this ( kassa mayaṃ ujjhāpayāma nijjhāpayāma ārocayāma)?” On pāda cd: “When you went forth into the Buddha’s Teaching, drawn out from the household, you were like an item rescued from a blazing house. But now you wish to be burnt again in the household life, which is like a great conflagration.” According to Spk, the yakkha’s intervention proved effective. After listening to his mother, Sānu gave up his idea of disrobing, received the higher ordination, mastered the Buddha’s teachings, and quickly attained arahantship. He became a great preacher who lived to the age of 120.
579 Spk: She had taken her son Piyaṅkara on her hip and was searching for food behind Jeta’s Grove when she heard the sweet sound of the elder’s recitation. The sound went straight to her heart and, transfixed, she stood there listening to the Dhamma, her interest in food gone. But her little son was too young to appreciate the recitation and kept complaining to his mother about his hunger.
580 Spk: She was carrying her daughter on her hip and leading her son by the hand. When she heard the Dhamma she stood transfixed, but her children clamoured for food.
581 Spk explains that pāṇinaṃ in pāda d may be understood as either a genitive plural or an accusative singular representing the plural (= pāṇine): Pāṇinan ti yathā pāṇīnaṃ dukkhā moceti. Ke mocetī ti? Pāṇine ti āharitvā vattabbaṃ.
582 I follow VĀT’s perspicacious suggestion that pāda d should be read: yaṃ dhammaṃ abhisambudhā, taking the verb as a root aorist (see Geiger, Pāli Grammar, §159, 161.1). Be and Ee2 read abhisambudhaṃ ,Se and Ee1 abhisambuddhaṃ, accusative past participles which seem syntactically out of place. The accusative yaṃ dhammaṃ requires an active transitive verb, yet the only solution Spk can propose is to turn the passive accusative participle into a nominative with active force, a role it is ill-designed to play. Since verb forms from abhisambudh always refer to the Buddha, I have made explicit the verb’s subject, not mentioned as such in the text.
583 Spk: Having listened to the Buddha’s discourse, the yakkha and her son were established in the fruit of stream-entry. Though the daughter had good supporting
conditions, she was too young to understand the discourse.
584 The story of Anāthapiṇḍika’s first meeting with the Buddha is told in greater detail at Vin II 154-59; see too Ñāṇamoli, Life of the Buddha, pp. 87-91. His given name was Sudatta, “Anāthapiṇḍika” being a nickname meaning “(giver) of alms to the helpless”; he was so called because of his generosity.
585 Spk: After the first watch of the night had passed he woke up thinking of the Buddha, full of confidence and joy so intense that light became manifest and drove away the darkness. Hence he thought it was already dawn and set out for the monastery, realizing his error only when he went outside. The same thing happened at the end of the middle watch.From Spk’s account, it seems that the Cool Grove was located near the cremation ground (sīvathikā) and thus Anāthapiṇḍika had to pass through the cemetery to reach the monastery. It was for this reason that he became frightened. The fluctuation in the intensity of the light, Spk says, reflects his inward battle between faith and fear.
586 Spk: The word sahassa (thousand), found only in conjunction with kaññā, should be conjoined with each of the preceding three terms as well. All this is “not worth a sixteenth part of a single step forward” because, when he arrives at the monastery, he will be established in the fruit of stream-entry.
587 Spk: While he was approaching, Anāthapiṇḍika wondered how he could determine for himself whether or not the Teacher was a genuine Buddha. He then resolved that if the Teacher was a Buddha he would address him by his given name, Sudatta, known only to himself.
588 The words in brackets render haṭṭho udaggo, found in Be only.
589 I prefer Se and Ee2 cetaso to Be and Ee1 cetasā. The parallel at AN I 138,3-6 also has cetaso. In the Vinaya version the Buddha next delivers a graduated sermon to Anāthapiṇḍika at the conclusion of which he attains stream-entry.
590 This verse and the next are found, with several variations, at Thı̄ 54-55. Spk glosses kiṃ me katā, in pāda a, with kiṃ ime katā, kiṃ karonti, but I think it more likely that we have here a split bahubbīhi compound kiṃkatā, and I translate accordingly.Be reads pāda b: madhupītā va seyare (Se and Ee2: seyyare; Ee1 and Thı̄ 54: acchare). Spk: They sleep as if they have been drinking sweet mead (Be: gandhamadhupāna; Se: gaṇḍamadhupāna); for it is said that one who drinks this is unable to lift up his head but just lies there unconscious. Spk-pṭ: Gandhamadhu is a particular type of honey that is extremely sweet and intoxicating.
Spk I 338,13-14 (to 11:1) mentions a drink called gandhapāna (in Be; gaṇḍapāna in Se and Ee), an intoxicating beverage (surā) used by the older generation of devas in the Tāvatiṃsa heaven but rejected by Sakka after he assumed rulership over that world. At Dhp-a I 272,9 the drink is called dibbapāna. MW lists gandhapāna, defined as a fragrant beverage. “Madhu denotes anything sweet used as food and especially drink, ‘mead,’ a sense often found in the Rigveda” (Macdonell and Keith, Vedic Index, s.v. madhu).
591 Spk explains appaṭivānīyaṃ (“irresistible”), in pāda a, thus: “Whereas ordinary food, even though very delicious, fails to give pleasure when one eats it again and again and becomes something to be rejected and removed, this Dhamma is different. The wise can listen to this Dhamma for a hundred or a thousand years without becoming satiated.” Spk glosses asecanakam ojavaṃ , in pāda b, as anāsittakaṃ ojavantaṃ, “unadulterated, nourishing,” and explains that unlike material food, which becomes tasty by the addition of condiments, this Dhamma is sweet and nutritious by its own nature.While Spk thus takes asecanaka to be derived from siñcati, to sprinkle, Brough maintains that the word is derived from a different root sek, meaning “to satiate.” He renders it “never causing surfeit” (Gāndhārī Dharmapada, p. 193, n. to 72). See too CPD, s.v. asecanaka, which quotes the traditional Skt explanation from the Amarakośa: tṛpter nāsty anto yasya darśanāt; “that the sight of which gives endless satisfaction.” In Pāli the word is used more in connection with the senses of smell and taste (e.g., at AN III 237,22 and 238,1). My rendering “ambrosial” is intended to suggest the same idea as the Skt definition, but more concisely so that it can also be incorporated into the description of mindfulness of breathing at 54:9 (V 321,22 and 322,1,11).
Pāda d reads: valāhakam iva panthagū (in Be and Ee1; Se and Thı̄ 55 end with addhagū ). Spk: “Like travellers (pathikā) oppressed by the heat (who drink) the water released from within a cloud.”
592 This verse and the next resemble Thı̄ 111, which contains features of both. In pāda d, I prefer vippamuttāya in Se and SS, as against vippamuttiyā in Be and Ee1 & 2. At EV II, n. to 111, Norman suggests, on metrical grounds, inverting pādas c and d, but the resultant meaning seems to undermine the cogency of this suggestion.
593 This sutta, also found at Sn I, 10 (pp. 31-33), is included in the Sri Lankan Maha Pirit Pota. Spk relates the long background story, of which I sketch only the highlights:One day King Āḷavaka of Āḷavı̄, while on a hunt, was captured by the ferocious yakkha Āḷavaka, who threatened to eat him. The king could obtain release only by promising the demon that he would provide him daily with a human victim. First the king sent the criminals from the prison, but when there were no more prisoners he required every family to provide a child. All the families with children eventually fled to other lands and it became incumbent on the king to offer his own son, the Āḷavaka prince. The Buddha, aware of the impending sacrifice, went to the yakkha’s haunt on the day before the offering was to take place in order to convert the demon from his evil ways. At that time the yakkha was attending a meeting in the Himalayas, but the Buddha entered his cave, sat down on the yakkha’s throne, and preached the Dhamma to his harem ladies. When the yakkha heard about this, he hastened back to Āḷavı̄ in a fury and demanded that the Blessed One leave.
594 Spk: The Buddha complied with the yakkha’s demands three times because he knew that compliance was the most effective way to soften his mind. But when the yakkha thought to send the Buddha in and out all night long, the Master refused to obey.
595 Spk: It is said that when he was a child his parents had taught him eight questions and answers which they had learnt from the Buddha Kassapa. As time passed he forgot the answers, but he had preserved the questions written in vermillion on a golden scroll, which he kept in his cave.
596 Api ca tvaṃ āvuso puccha yad ākaṅkhasi. Spk: With these words the Buddha extended to him the invitation of an Omniscient One (sabbaññupavāraṇaṃ pavāresi), which cannot be extended by any paccekabuddhas, chief disciples, or great disciples.
597 Spk: Faith is a man’s best treasure because it brings mundane and supramundane happiness as its result; it alleviates the suffering of birth and aging; it allays poverty with respect to excellent qualities; and it is the means of obtaining the gems of the enlightenment factors, etc. Dhamma here is the ten wholesome qualities, or giving, virtue, and meditation. This brings human happiness, celestial happiness, and in the end the happiness of Nibbāna. By truth here truthful speech is intended, with Nibbāna as the ultimate truth (paramatthasacca) and truth as abstinence (from falsehood; viratisacca) comprised within that. Of the various kinds of tastes, truth is really the sweetest of tastes, truth alone is the sweetest (sādutaraṃ). Or it is the best (sādhutaraṃ), the supreme, the highest. For such tastes as that of roots, etc., nourish only the body and bring a defiled happiness, but the taste of truth nourishes the mind with serenity and insight and brings an undefiled happiness.One living by wisdom (paññājīviṃ jīvitaṃ): A householder lives by wisdom when he works at an honourable occupation, goes for refuge, gives alms, observes the precepts, and fulfils the Uposatha duties, etc. One gone forth as a monk lives by wisdom when he undertakes pure virtue and the superior practices beginning with purification of mind.
598 Spk distributes the four “floods” (ogha) over the four lines of the reply and sees each line as implying a particular path and fruit; on the four floods, see n. 1. Si
nce the faith faculty is the basis for the four factors of stream-entry (see 55:1), the first line shows the stream-enterer, who has crossed the flood of views; the second line shows the once-returner, who by means of diligence has crossed the flood of existence except for one more existence in the sense-sphere world; the third line shows the nonreturner, who has overcome the flood of sensuality, a mass of suffering; and the fourth line shows the path of arahantship, which includes the fully purified wisdom by means of which one crosses over the flood of ignorance.This completes the eight questions that the yakkha had learnt from his parents. When the Buddha finished speaking, bringing his verse to a climax in arahantship, the yakkha was established in the fruit of stream-entry.
599 Spk: When the Buddha said, “By wisdom one is purified,” the yakkha picked up on the word “wisdom” and, through his own ingenuity, asked a question of mixed mundane and supramundane significance.
600 In pāda c, I read sussūsā with Se and Ee1 & 2. Be reads sussūsaṃ as does the lemma of Spk (Be), while the corresponding lemma in Spk (Se) has sussūsā. From the paraphrase (see below) sussūsā can be understood as a truncated instrumental (= sussūsāya). In Be, sussūsaṃ seems to function as an accusative in apposition to paññaṃ, perhaps as the first member of a split compound, i.e., “the wisdom (consisting in) the desire to learn.”Spk: The Blessed One shows here four causes for the gaining of wisdom. First one places faith in the Dhamma by which the arahants—Buddhas, paccekabuddhas, and disciples—attained Nibbāna. By so doing one gains the mundane and supramundane wisdom for the attainment of Nibbāna. But that does not come to pass merely by faith. When faith is born one approaches a teacher, lends an ear, and hears the Dhamma; thus one gains a desire to learn (sussūsaṃ). When one lends an ear and listens from a desire to learn, one gains wisdom. But one must also be diligent (appamatto), in the sense of being constantly mindful, and astute (vicakkhaṇa), able to distinguish what is well spoken and badly spoken. Through faith one enters upon the practice that leads to gaining wisdom. Through a desire to learn (sussūsāya) one carefully listens to the means for acquiring wisdom; through diligence (appamādena) one does not forget what one has learnt; through astuteness (vicakkhaṇatāya) one expands upon what one has learnt. Or else: through a desire to learn one lends an ear and listens to the Dhamma by which one gains wisdom; through diligence one bears in mind the Dhamma heard; by astuteness one examines the meaning and then gradually one realizes the ultimate truth.
The Connected Discourses of the Buddha Page 51