Fetching
One moment.
Fetching
One moment.
Romanised transliteration as printed by the translator, not the original script. This is what we hold.
1He keeps a large retinue; has his money invested in great territories?, and does great things in business, money-lending, agriculture, and commerce. In course of time, Lord, that poor man, in quest of food and clothing, roaming through villages, towns, boroughs, provinces, kingdoms, and royal capitals, reaches the place where his father, the owner of much wealth and gold, treasures and granaries, is residing. Now the poor man’s father, Lord, the owner of much wealth and gold, treasures and granaries, who was residing in that town, had always and ever been thinking of the son he had lost fifty years ago, but he gave no utterance to ‘his thoughts before others, and was only pining in himself and thinking: I am old, aged, advanced 1 Dhanya, wanting in some MSS. * Mahaganapadeshu dhanika&. The translation is doubtful; the words may as well mean, a creditor of people at large. IV. DISPOSITION. IOI in years, and possess abundance of bullion, gold, money and corn, treasures and granaries, but have no son. It is to be feared lest death shall overtake me and all this perish unused. Repeatedly he was thinking of that son: O how happy should I be, were my son to enjoy this mass of wealth! Meanwhile, Lord, the poor man in search of food and clothing was gradually approaching the house of the rich man, the owner of abundant bullion, gold, money and corn, treasures and granaries. And the father of the poor man happened to sit at the door of his house, surrounded and waited upon by a great crowd of Brahmans, Kshatriyas, Vaisyas, and S(dras; he was sitting on a magnificent throne with a footstool decorated with gold and silver, while dealing with hundred thousands of kofis of gold-pieces, and fanned with a chowrie, on a spot under an extended awning inlaid with pearls and flowers and adorned with hanging garlands of jewels ; sitting (in short) in great pomp. The poor man, Lord, saw his own father in such pomp sitting at the door of the house, surrounded with a great crowd of people and doing a householder’s business. The poor man frightened, terrified, alarmed, seized with a feeling of horripilation all over the body, and agitated in mind, reflects thus: Unexpectedly have I here fallen in with a king or grandee. People like me have nothing to do here; let me go; in the street of the poor I am likely to find food and clothing without much difficulty. Let me no longer tarry at this place, lest I be taken to do forced labour or incur some other injury. Thereupon, Lord, the poor man quickly departs, runs off, does not tarry from fear of a series of 102 SADDHARMA-PUNDARIKA. IV.
2Let me no longer tarry at this place, lest I be taken to do forced labour or incur some other injury. Thereupon, Lord, the poor man quickly departs, runs off, does not tarry from fear of a series of 102 SADDHARMA-PUNDARIKA. IV. supposed dangers. But the rich man, sitting on the throne at the door of his mansion, has recognised his son at first sight, in consequence whereof he is content, in high spirits, charmed, delighted, filled with joy and cheerfulness. He thinks: Wonderful! he who is to enjoy this plenty of bullion, gold, money and corn, treasures and granaries, has been found! He of whom I have been thinking again and again, is here now that I am old, aged, advanced in years. At the same time, moment, and instant, Lord, he despatches couriers, to whom he says: Go, sirs, and quickly fetch me that man. The fellows thereon all run forth in full speed and overtake the poor man, who, frightened, terrified, alarmed, seized with a feeling of horripilation all over his body, agitated in mind, utters a lamentable cry of distress, screams, and exclaims: I have given you no offence. But the fellows drag the poor man, however lamenting, violently with them. He, frightened, terrified, alarmed, seized with a feeling of horripilation all over his body, and agitated in mind, thinks by himself: I fear lest I shall be punished with capital punishment?; I am lost. He faints away, and falls on the earth. His father dismayed and near despondency? says to those fellows: Do not carry® the 1 According to the reading vadhyddandyak, If we read vadhyo dazdya4, the rendering would be, executed or punished (fined). Cf. stanza 19 below. ® Vishannaska siddsanne &asya sa pita bhavet; var. lect. v.syad 4sannaska kasyas.p.b. Both readings are corrupt; we have to read sAd4sannaska. The final e of asanne is likely to be a remnant of the original Magadhf (not Pali) text, the e being the nom. case sing. of masculine words in a. 5’ M4 bhavanta enam (var. lect. evam) purusham 4yishur IV. DISPOSITION. 103
3Both readings are corrupt; we have to read sAd4sannaska. The final e of asanne is likely to be a remnant of the original Magadhf (not Pali) text, the e being the nom. case sing. of masculine words in a. 5’ M4 bhavanta enam (var. lect. evam) purusham 4yishur IV. DISPOSITION. 103 man in that manner. With these words he sprinkles him with cold water without addressing him any further. For that householder knows the poor man’s humble disposition! and his own elevated position; yet he feels that the man is his son. The householder, Lord, skilfully conceals from every one that it is his son. He calls one of his servants and says to him: Go, sirrah, and tell that poor man: Go, sirrah, whither thou likest; thou art free. The servant obeys, approaches the poor man and tells him: Go, sirrah, whither thou likest; thou art free. The poor man is astonished and amazed at hearing these words; he leaves that spot and wanders to the street of the poor in search of food and clothing. In order to attract him the householder practises an able device. He employs for it two men ill-favoured and of little splendour *. Go, says he, go to the man you saw in this place; hire him in your own name for a double daily fee, and order him to do work here in my house. And if he asks: What work shall I have to do? tell him: Help us in clearing the heap of dirt. The two (var. lect. Anayeyur) iti. A would-be correction has 4nayata, at any rate a blunder, because 4nayantu would be required. The original reading may have been Anayishur, in common Sanskrit Anaishur. Quite different is the reading, atha khalu sa daridrapurusham 4nayantv iti tam enam sftalena, &c., ‘thereupon he (the rich man) ordered the poor man to be brought before him and,’ &c. 1 Here and repeatedly in the sequel the term hfinadhimuktata would much better be rendered by ‘ humble or low position.’ * Durvarnz4av alpaugaskau. The idiomatic meaning of durvarna a. is ‘having a bad complexion or colour (e.g. from ill health) and little vitality or vigour.’ The artificial or so-called etymological meaning may be, ‘ of bad caste and of little splendour or majesty ;’ see, however, below at stanza 21. 104 SADDHARMA-PUNDARIKA, Iv. fellows go and seek the poor man and engage him for such work as mentioned. Thereupon the two fellows conjointly with the poor man clear the heap of dirt in the house for the daily pay they receive from the rich man, while they take up their abode in a hovel of straw? in the neighbourhood of the rich man’s dwelling. And that rich man beholds through a window his own son clearing the heap of dirt, at which sight he is anew struck with wonder and astonishment.
The source text as printed, transcribed diplomatically. Where the source language uses a non-Latin script that reaches us only through a Victorian romanisation, this layer is labelled transliteration, because that is what we hold.
Romanised transliteration as printed by the translator, not the original script. This is what we hold.
1He keeps a large retinue; has his money invested in great territories?, and does great things in business, money-lending, agriculture, and commerce. In course of time, Lord, that poor man, in quest of food and clothing, roaming through villages, towns, boroughs, provinces, kingdoms, and royal capitals, reaches the place where his father, the owner of much wealth and gold, treasures and granaries, is residing. Now the poor man’s father, Lord, the owner of much wealth and gold, treasures and granaries, who was residing in that town, had always and ever been thinking of the son he had lost fifty years ago, but he gave no utterance to ‘his thoughts before others, and was only pining in himself and thinking: I am old, aged, advanced 1 Dhanya, wanting in some MSS. * Mahaganapadeshu dhanika&. The translation is doubtful; the words may as well mean, a creditor of people at large. IV. DISPOSITION. IOI in years, and possess abundance of bullion, gold, money and corn, treasures and granaries, but have no son. It is to be feared lest death shall overtake me and all this perish unused. Repeatedly he was thinking of that son: O how happy should I be, were my son to enjoy this mass of wealth! Meanwhile, Lord, the poor man in search of food and clothing was gradually approaching the house of the rich man, the owner of abundant bullion, gold, money and corn, treasures and granaries. And the father of the poor man happened to sit at the door of his house, surrounded and waited upon by a great crowd of Brahmans, Kshatriyas, Vaisyas, and S(dras; he was sitting on a magnificent throne with a footstool decorated with gold and silver, while dealing with hundred thousands of kofis of gold-pieces, and fanned with a chowrie, on a spot under an extended awning inlaid with pearls and flowers and adorned with hanging garlands of jewels ; sitting (in short) in great pomp. The poor man, Lord, saw his own father in such pomp sitting at the door of the house, surrounded with a great crowd of people and doing a householder’s business. The poor man frightened, terrified, alarmed, seized with a feeling of horripilation all over the body, and agitated in mind, reflects thus: Unexpectedly have I here fallen in with a king or grandee. People like me have nothing to do here; let me go; in the street of the poor I am likely to find food and clothing without much difficulty. Let me no longer tarry at this place, lest I be taken to do forced labour or incur some other injury. Thereupon, Lord, the poor man quickly departs, runs off, does not tarry from fear of a series of 102 SADDHARMA-PUNDARIKA. IV.
2Let me no longer tarry at this place, lest I be taken to do forced labour or incur some other injury. Thereupon, Lord, the poor man quickly departs, runs off, does not tarry from fear of a series of 102 SADDHARMA-PUNDARIKA. IV. supposed dangers. But the rich man, sitting on the throne at the door of his mansion, has recognised his son at first sight, in consequence whereof he is content, in high spirits, charmed, delighted, filled with joy and cheerfulness. He thinks: Wonderful! he who is to enjoy this plenty of bullion, gold, money and corn, treasures and granaries, has been found! He of whom I have been thinking again and again, is here now that I am old, aged, advanced in years. At the same time, moment, and instant, Lord, he despatches couriers, to whom he says: Go, sirs, and quickly fetch me that man. The fellows thereon all run forth in full speed and overtake the poor man, who, frightened, terrified, alarmed, seized with a feeling of horripilation all over his body, agitated in mind, utters a lamentable cry of distress, screams, and exclaims: I have given you no offence. But the fellows drag the poor man, however lamenting, violently with them. He, frightened, terrified, alarmed, seized with a feeling of horripilation all over his body, and agitated in mind, thinks by himself: I fear lest I shall be punished with capital punishment?; I am lost. He faints away, and falls on the earth. His father dismayed and near despondency? says to those fellows: Do not carry® the 1 According to the reading vadhyddandyak, If we read vadhyo dazdya4, the rendering would be, executed or punished (fined). Cf. stanza 19 below. ® Vishannaska siddsanne &asya sa pita bhavet; var. lect. v.syad 4sannaska kasyas.p.b. Both readings are corrupt; we have to read sAd4sannaska. The final e of asanne is likely to be a remnant of the original Magadhf (not Pali) text, the e being the nom. case sing. of masculine words in a. 5’ M4 bhavanta enam (var. lect. evam) purusham 4yishur IV. DISPOSITION. 103
3Both readings are corrupt; we have to read sAd4sannaska. The final e of asanne is likely to be a remnant of the original Magadhf (not Pali) text, the e being the nom. case sing. of masculine words in a. 5’ M4 bhavanta enam (var. lect. evam) purusham 4yishur IV. DISPOSITION. 103 man in that manner. With these words he sprinkles him with cold water without addressing him any further. For that householder knows the poor man’s humble disposition! and his own elevated position; yet he feels that the man is his son. The householder, Lord, skilfully conceals from every one that it is his son. He calls one of his servants and says to him: Go, sirrah, and tell that poor man: Go, sirrah, whither thou likest; thou art free. The servant obeys, approaches the poor man and tells him: Go, sirrah, whither thou likest; thou art free. The poor man is astonished and amazed at hearing these words; he leaves that spot and wanders to the street of the poor in search of food and clothing. In order to attract him the householder practises an able device. He employs for it two men ill-favoured and of little splendour *. Go, says he, go to the man you saw in this place; hire him in your own name for a double daily fee, and order him to do work here in my house. And if he asks: What work shall I have to do? tell him: Help us in clearing the heap of dirt. The two (var. lect. Anayeyur) iti. A would-be correction has 4nayata, at any rate a blunder, because 4nayantu would be required. The original reading may have been Anayishur, in common Sanskrit Anaishur. Quite different is the reading, atha khalu sa daridrapurusham 4nayantv iti tam enam sftalena, &c., ‘thereupon he (the rich man) ordered the poor man to be brought before him and,’ &c. 1 Here and repeatedly in the sequel the term hfinadhimuktata would much better be rendered by ‘ humble or low position.’ * Durvarnz4av alpaugaskau. The idiomatic meaning of durvarna a. is ‘having a bad complexion or colour (e.g. from ill health) and little vitality or vigour.’ The artificial or so-called etymological meaning may be, ‘ of bad caste and of little splendour or majesty ;’ see, however, below at stanza 21. 104 SADDHARMA-PUNDARIKA, Iv. fellows go and seek the poor man and engage him for such work as mentioned. Thereupon the two fellows conjointly with the poor man clear the heap of dirt in the house for the daily pay they receive from the rich man, while they take up their abode in a hovel of straw? in the neighbourhood of the rich man’s dwelling. And that rich man beholds through a window his own son clearing the heap of dirt, at which sight he is anew struck with wonder and astonishment.
The source text as printed, transcribed diplomatically. Where the source language uses a non-Latin script that reaches us only through a Victorian romanisation, this layer is labelled transliteration, because that is what we hold.
No commentary for this page.