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Mahāvira's Words by Walther Schubring
compassion.as Fettered on all sides by the bonds of kinship, the "dear" rushes home (again). 10. As the creeper 26) wraps itself around a tree that has grown in the forest, so too the family members wrap around him with their worldliness. 11. On all sides (they are] fettered by the bonds of kinship, like an elephant on re-capture; they prowl round him from behind, like a cow remaining near its offspring (read: sūim go vva, presumably for sūi g. of a MS.). 12. These [are the fetters of human beings; one gets over them with as much difficulty as over the underworld [volcanoes in the sea),27 and the cowards suffer pain under them,28 deluded by the bonds of kinship.
13. And when a monk has recognized this: 'all fetters provide (for an effective deed,] a vast influence', then he should not yearn for life [any longer), after he has heard the highest precept. 14. The following now are the turmoils of which Kāśyapa has spoken, (those) from which the awakened ones withdraw, in which showever) the unwise ones get stuck. 15. Princes and ministers, brahmins or nobles, they offer a monk who lives piously pleasures: 16. “Elephants, horses,29 chariots (and) ships, enjoy these wonderful pleasures; wise man, we revere you! 17. Clothes, perfumes, women, (soft] beds, enjoy these wonderful pleasures, venerable one, we revere you! 18. The restrictions which you have taken upon yourself in monastic life, you loyal one, remain exactly so when you live in a house (again). 19. How could you (thereby] commit a sin after you have lived a wandering life (so) long?" In this way they make proposals [to the monk], like one baits a boar with rice.30 20. (So) persuaded [and] not in a position to hang on to the monastic career all these indolent ones will be despondent, like weak (draught animals] on a hilly road (read: bhikkhu-cajjāe, MS has cajjhāe). 21. As a result of the rigours as though32 powerless, terrified through fasting, all these indolent ones will be des
- kārunīyā samuthiyā, literally: "setting out in the direction of compassion". 26 The mālu vine is probably Bauhinia vahlii which often strangles Sāl trees (Brandis 1907, p. 258 (WB)). (See Appendix 4 for "worldliness" in the sentence.)
27 Openings through which underwater fire emerges. (On pāyālā see Schubring, 1935, § 121 and, further, Bollée 1988, p. 104 (WB).)
28 The construction in the text is faulty. (This stanza is quoted in Norman 1969, pp. 274. (WB).) 29 hatth'assa for hatthi-assa. (See Appendix 4 for this form of address and "ships" in the sentence). 50 Cp. 4, 1, 31. (For "wandering life", dūijjae, in the sentence see Bollée 1988, p. 107, and 2002, p. 261 (WB).)
?'Or: "[Feeling themselves obliged to the monastic career (but not in a position to hang on to it." However, coijjanta in stanza 22 speaks for the interpretation above. (See Appendix 4 for this interpretation.) 52 va, actually not relevant. (See Appendix 4.)
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