Mātuposakacariya

“Yadā ahosiṁ pavane, kuñjaro mātuposako; Na tadā atthi mahiyā, guṇena mama sādiso.

“Once I lived in the forest as an elephant who provided for his mother. At that time no one on earth could equal my virtues.

Pavane disvā vanacaro, rañño maṁ paṭivedayi; ‘Tavānucchavo mahārāja, gajo vasati kānane.

Seeing me in the forest, a forester informed the king about me. ‘Great King, an elephant that befits you is dwelling in the forest grove.

Na tassa parikkhāyattho, napi āḷakakāsuyā; Saha gahite soṇḍāya, sayameva idhehi’ti.

No need to dig a moat around him, nor tether him to a post in a pit. Taken by the trunk, he will come here by himself.’

Tassa taṁ vacanaṁ sutvā, rājāpi tuṭṭhamānaso; Pesesi hatthidamakaṁ, chekācariyaṁ susikkhitaṁ.

When he heard these words, the king, elated, sent an elephant-tamer, a well-trained and expert tutor.

Gantvā so hatthidamako, addasa padumassare; Bhisamuḷālaṁ uddharantaṁ, yāpanatthāya mātuyā.

When the elephant-tamer reached there, he saw me in a lotus pond, pulling out lotus roots to feed my mother.

Viññāya me sīlaguṇaṁ, lakkhaṇaṁ upadhārayi; ‘Ehi puttā’ti vatvāna, mama soṇḍāya aggahi.

Discerning my moral virtue, he checked me for marks. Saying, ‘Come, child’, he took me by the trunk.

Yaṁ me tadā pākatikaṁ, sarīrānugataṁ balaṁ; Ajja nāgasahassānaṁ, balena samasādisaṁ.

What was at that time the natural strength of my body, would equal a thousand of the elephants of today.

Yadihaṁ tesaṁ pakuppeyyaṁ, upetānaṁ gahaṇāya maṁ; Paṭibalo bhave tesaṁ, yāva rajjampi mānusaṁ.

If I had been upset with those who came to capture me, I would have had the power to defeat even a kingdom of men.

Api cāhaṁ sīlarakkhāya, Sīlapāramipūriyā; Na karomi citte aññathattaṁ, Pakkhipantaṁ mamāḷake.

Nevertheless, for the sake of guarding my ethics, and fulfilling my perfection of ethics, I did not let my mind change, even as they caged me.

Yadi te maṁ tattha koṭṭeyyuṁ, pharasūhi tomarehi ca; Neva tesaṁ pakuppeyyaṁ, sīlakhaṇḍabhayā mamā”ti.

And even were they to beat me with hatchets and lances, I would never become upset, for fear of violating my ethics.”

Mātuposakacariyaṁ paṭhamaṁ.