Dark Light’s ConductKaṇhadīpāyanacariya

“Then again when I was“Punāparaṁ yadā homi, the seer Dark Light,kaṇhadīpāyano isi; for more than fifty yearsParopaññāsavassāni, I lived dissatisfied.anabhiratocariṁ ahaṁ.

No one knew of thisNa koci etaṁ jānāti, dissatisfaction of mine,Anabhiratimanaṁ mama; for I mentioned it to no one,Ahañhi kassaci nācikkhiṁ, it only went on in my mind.Arati me carati mānase.

Maṇḍabya, a spiritual companionSabrahmacārī maṇḍabyo, and friend of mine was a great seer.sahāyo me mahāisi; Bound to a deed in a past life,Pubbakammasamāyutto, he got impaled on a stake.sūlamāropanaṁ labhi.

I nursed himTamahaṁ upaṭṭhahitvāna, and brought him back to health.ārogyamanupāpayiṁ; Asking leave, I returnedĀpucchitvāna āgañchiṁ, to my own hermitage.yaṁ mayhaṁ sakamassamaṁ.

A brahmin friend of mine,Sahāyo brāhmaṇo mayhaṁ, bringing wife and child,bhariyaṁ ādāya puttakaṁ; came to me, all three of them,Tayo janā samāgantvā, as my guests.āgañchuṁ pāhunāgataṁ.

As I exchanged greetings with them,Sammodamāno tehi saha, seated in my own hermitage,nisinno sakamassame; the boy threw a ballDārako vaṭṭamanukkhipaṁ, and angered a viper.āsīvisamakopayi.

Then the boy, looking which wayTato so vaṭṭagataṁ maggaṁ, the ball had gone,anvesanto kumārako; touched the viper’s headĀsīvisassa hatthena, with his hand.uttamaṅgaṁ parāmasi.

Angered at his touch,Tassa āmasane kuddho, the cobra, relying on its potent poison,sappo visabalassito; completely enraged,Kupito paramakopena, bit the boy right away.aḍaṁsi dārakaṁ khaṇe.

When bitten by the viper,Sahadaṭṭho āsīvisena, the boy fainted on the ground.dārako papati bhūmiyaṁ; It made me distraught,Tenāhaṁ dukkhito āsiṁ, the pain became as if mine.mama vāhasi taṁ dukkhaṁ.

Comforting the parents,Tyāhaṁ assāsayitvāna, in their suffering and sorrow,dukkhite sokasallite; I made the first act,Paṭhamaṁ akāsiṁ kiriyaṁ, the original, supreme declaration of truth:aggaṁ saccaṁ varuttamaṁ.

‘For just seven days with a mind of faith‘Sattāhamevāhaṁ pasannacitto, I led the spiritual life seeking merit.Puññatthiko acariṁ brahmacariyaṁ; My life since then,Athāparaṁ yaṁ caritaṁ mamedaṁ, for fifty years or more,Vassāni paññāsasamādhikāni.

I have lived unwillingly.Akāmako vāhi ahaṁ carāmi, By this truth, may he be well!Etena saccena suvatthi hotu; May the poison die! May Yaññadatta live!’Hataṁ visaṁ jīvatu yaññadatto’.

As I declared this truth,Saha sacce kate mayhaṁ, the boy trembling with poison,visavegena vedhito; awoke and got up,Abujjhitvāna vuṭṭhāsi, the brahmin youth was well.arogo cāsi māṇavo; There is no one to equal my truthfulness:Saccena me samo natthi, this is my perfection of truth.”esā me saccapāramī”ti.