The Baby Quail’s ConductVaṭṭapotakacariya

“Then again when I was“Punāparaṁ yadā homi, a baby quail in Magadha,magadhe vaṭṭapotako; I was young, with wings unsprouted,Ajātapakkho taruṇo, just a scrap of meat in the nest.maṁsapesi kulāvake.

With food she brought in her beakMukhatuṇḍakenāharitvā, my mother nurtured me.mātā posayatī mamaṁ; I survived through her touch,Tassā phassena jīvāmi, for I had no physical strength.natthi me kāyikaṁ balaṁ.

One year, in the hot season,Saṁvacchare gimhasamaye, the forest caught fire.davaḍāho padippati; It came toward us,Upagacchati amhākaṁ, a conflagration with a blackened trail.pāvako kaṇhavattanī.

The fire roared and rumbledDhamadhamāiti evaṁ, with great crests of flame,saddāyanto mahāsikhī; gradually burningAnupubbena jhāpento, closer to me.aggi mamamupāgami.

Alarmed and terrified at the fierce fire,Aggivegabhayātītā, my mother and fathertasitā mātāpitā mama; abandoned me in the nest,Kulāvake maṁ chaḍḍetvā, saving themselves.attānaṁ parimocayuṁ.

I beat my feet and wings,Pāde pakkhe pajahāmi, but I had no physical strength.natthi me kāyikaṁ balaṁ; When unable to leave,Sohaṁ agatiko tattha, I thought this there:evaṁ cintesahaṁ tadā.

‘Those to whom I ought to run,‘Yesāhaṁ upadhāveyyaṁ, scared and trembling with fear,bhīto tasitavedhito; have escaped, leaving me behind.Te maṁ ohāya pakkantā, How should I act today?kathaṁ me ajja kātave.

There is the quality of virtue in the world,Atthi loke sīlaguṇo, truth, purity, and mercy.saccaṁ soceyyanuddayā; By this truth I will makeTena saccena kāhāmi, a supreme declaration of truth.’saccakiriyamuttamaṁ.

Inspired by the power of Dhamma,Āvejjetvā dhammabalaṁ, recollecting the former Victors,saritvā pubbake jine; relying on the power of truth,Saccabalamavassāya, I made a declaration of truth.saccakiriyamakāsahaṁ.

‘I have wings that do not fly!Santi pakkhā apatanā, I have feet that do not walk!santi pādā avañcanā; Mother and father have fled!Mātāpitā ca nikkhantā, Jātaveda the fire: go back!’jātaveda paṭikkama’.

As I declared this truthSahasacce kate mayhaṁ, the great crested flamesMahāpajjalito sikhī; withdrew sixteen leagues,Vajjesi soḷasakarīsāni, as if they had come to water.Udakaṁ patvā yathā sikhī; There is no one to equal my truthfulness:Saccena me samo natthi, this is my perfection of truth.”Esā me saccapāramī”ti.