Mātaṅga’s ConductMātaṅgacariya

“Then again when I was“Punāparaṁ yadā homi, a matted-hair ascetic of severe penance,jaṭilo uggatāpano; Mātaṅga was my name,Mātaṅgo nāma nāmena, I was virtuous and serene.sīlavā susamāhito.

A brahmin and I both livedAhañca brāhmaṇo eko, on a bank of the Ganges.gaṅgākūle vasāmubho; I stayed upstream,Ahaṁ vasāmi upari, the brahmin downstream.heṭṭhā vasati brāhmaṇo.

Wandering along the riverbank,Vicaranto anukūlamhi, he saw my hermitage upstream.uddhaṁ me assamaddasa; Then he abused and cursed me,Tattha maṁ paribhāsetvā, that my head would split in seven.abhisapi muddhaphālanaṁ.

If I were upset with himYadihaṁ tassa pakuppeyyaṁ, and if I were not taking care of my ethics,yadi sīlaṁ na gopaye; then just with a glanceOloketvānahaṁ tassa, I could have reduced him to ashes.kareyyaṁ chārikaṁ viya.

But when he cursed me then,Yaṁ so tadā maṁ abhisapi, so angry and bitter-hearted,kupito duṭṭhamānaso; it fell right back on his own head:Tasseva matthake nipati, I freed him from that yoke.yogena taṁ pamocayiṁ.

I guarded my ethics,Anurakkhiṁ mama sīlaṁ, not my life.nārakkhiṁ mama jīvitaṁ; For then I was ethical,Sīlavā hi tadā āsiṁ, because it was solely for awakening.”bodhiyāyeva kāraṇā”ti.