8. Vācavarga
The Chapter about Speech
(15 Verses)
[8.1]
[stm.]
Abhūtavādī narakān upaiti,
yaś cānyad apy ācaratīha karma,
ubhau hi tau pretya samau niruktau,
nihīnadharmau manujau paratra.
The one who speaks falsely undergoes purgatory, so too does one who does any other wrong deeds here, both of these are declared the same after death, in the next world they are declared humans who did base things.
[8.2]
[stm. + ana.]
Puruṣasya hi jātasya, kuṭhārī jāyate mukhe,
yayā chinatti hātmānaṁ, vācā durbhāṣitaṁ vadan.
When a man is born, This is a genitive absolute construction specifying when. a hatchet arises in his mouth, with that he cuts himself up, speaking words that are badly spoken.
[8.3]
[stm.]
Yo nindiyāṁ praśaṁsati,
tān api nindati ye praśaṁsiyāḥ,
sa cinoti mukhena taṁ kaliṁ,
kalinā tena sukhaṁ na vindati.
The one who praises the blameworthy, who even blames those who are praiseworthy, that one accumulates an offence with his mouth, because of that offence happiness is not found.
[8.4]
[stm.]
Alpamātro hy ayaṁ kalir ya ihākṣeṇa dhanaṁ parājayet,
ayam atra mahattaraḥ kalir, yaḥ sugateṣu manaḥ pradūṣayet.
One who were to lose wealth through dice here, this offence is insignificant, this is a far greater offence here, the one who would corrupt the mind towards those who are good.
[8.5]
[stm.]
Śataṁ sahasrāṇi nirarbudāni,
ṣaṭtrimśatiṁ pañca tathārbudāni,
yān āryagarhī narakān upaiti,
vācaṁ manaś ca praṇidhāya pāpakam.
Hundreds, thousands, many billions, DPD says this number equals 1063. thirty-six plus five billions DPD: 1056. The numbers are, of course, incredibly long, the exact number is perhaps not important. of years, one who blames the noble undergoes purgatory for this long, having directed his mind and speech to wrong.
[8.6]
[stm.]
Asataṁ hi vadanti pāpacittā,
narakaṁ vardhayate, vadhāya nityam,
anavadyabalas titīkṣate, tāṁ
manaso hy āvilatāṁ vivarjayitvā.
Indeed the bad speak with wicked minds, increasing purgatory, constantly punishing themselves, but the blameless, strong one, endures, avoiding that agitation of the mind.
[8.7]
[stm. + sim.]
Yaḥ śāsanaṁ hy Arhatām Āryāṇāṁ Dharmajīvinām
pratikrośati durmedhā dṛṣṭiṁ niḥśritya pāpikām, It may be better to reverse these lines. In prose order we might have expected: Durmedhā pāpikāṁ dṛṣṭiṁ niḥśritya, yaḥ Āryāṇāṁ Dharmajīvinām Arhatāṁ śāsanaṁ pratikrośati … saḥ ātmavadhāya: the unintelligent one, depending on wrong views, who reviles the teaching of the Noble Arhats, who live by Dharma … brings about his own destruction.
phalaṁ kaṇṭakaveṇur vā phalaty ātmavadhāya saḥ.
The one who reviles the teaching of those who live by the Dharma of the Noble Arhats, the unintelligent one, depending on wrong views, like the thorny bamboo when it bears fruit, brings about his own destruction.
[8.8]
[adm.]
Kalyāṇikāṁ vimuñceta, naiva muñceta pāpikām,
muktā kalyāṇikī śreyo, muktā tapati pāpikā.
One should set free the wholesome ones, never set free wicked ones, the wholesome one freed up is best, when set free the wicked one burns.
[8.9]
[adm.]
Na ca mukte pramuñcet tāṁ, muñcamāno hi bādhyate,
naivam Āryāḥ pramuñcanti, muktā bālair hi pāpikā.
One should not set free that wickedness which is not free, the one freeing it is afflicted, not in this way do the Noble Ones set it free, but wickedness is set free by fools.
[8.10]
[stm. + ana.]
Mukhena saṁyato bhikṣur,
mandabhāṣī hy anuddhataḥ,
arthaṁ Dharmaṁ ca deśayati,
madhuraṁ tasya bhāṣitam.
That monastic who is restrained with his mouth, who speaks gently, who is modest, who teaches the meaning of the Dharma, his speech is sweet.
[8.11]
[adm.]
Subhāṣitaṁ hy uttamam āhur āryā;
Dharmaṁ vaden nādharmaṁ tad dvitīyam;
priyaṁ vaden nāpriyaṁ tat tṛtīyaṁ;
satyaṁ vaden nāsatyaṁ tac caturtham.
The noble say what is well-spoken is first; speak Dharma, not what is not Dharma, is second; speak what is kind, not unkind, is the third; speak truth, not untruth, that is the fourth.
[8.12]
[adm.]
Tām eva vācaṁ bhāṣeta yayātmānaṁ na tāpayet,
parāṁś ca na vihiṁseta, sā hi vāk sādhu bhāṣitā.
One should speak a word by which one would not torment oneself, and would not harm others, this speech is indeed well-spoken.
[8.13]
[adm.]
Priyodyam eva bhāṣeta, yā hi vācābhinanditā,
nādadāti yayā pāpaṁ, bhāṣamāṇaḥ sadā priyam.
One should only speak what is loved and uplifting, words that are rejoiced in, by which wrong is not taken up, speaking always what is loved.
[8.14]
[stm.]
Satyā syād amṛtā vācā, satyavācā hy anuttarā,
satyam arthe ca Dharme ca vācam āhuḥ pratiṣṭhitām.
Truthful speech can be immortal, truthful speech is unsurpassed, truthful speech they say is established in both meaning and Dharma.
[8.15]
[stm.]
Yāṁ Buddho bhāṣate vācaṁ kṣemāṁ Nirvāṇaprāptaye,
duḥkhasyāntakriyāyuktāṁ, sā hi vāk sādhu bhāṣitā.
Whatever words a Buddha speaks for attaining the safety of Nirvāṇa, connected to making an end of suffering, that speech is indeed well-spoken.
Vācavargaḥ, 8.
The Chapter about Speech, the Eighth