Ja 22 The Story about the Dog
(Kukkurajātaka)
In the present the Buddha reconciles the king of Kosala to his queen, and then tells this story about a king who condemned all dogs to die for destroying the straps of his carriages. The Bodhisatta, as a leader of the dogs, showed the king that not all dogs were guilty, and thereby earned them a reprieve (full story).
1. Ye kukkurā rājakulamhi vaddhā,
Koleyyakā vaṇṇabalūpapannā,
Te me na vajjhā, mayam-asma vajjhā,
Nāyaṁ saghaccā dubbalaghātikāyan-ti.
Those hounds reared by the royal family, well-bred and endowed with good looks and strength, these are not slaughtered, but we are slaughtered, this is not just, only the weak are killed.
In this connection, those hounds means those dogs. Employing a more common word to define the term. Just as urine that has been held and heated is called fermented urine, and even a jackal born that day is called an old jackal, and even a lotus that has medicinal creepers Tinospora Cordifolia, usually spelt gaḷocī. is called a stinking creeper, Coccolus Cordifolius. and a golden body is nevertheless called a stinking body, so too even a one hundred year old dog is called a hound. Therefore though endowed with an old and weak body, those hounds is still said.
Reared means raised.
Well-bred means born, produced, bred in the royal family.
Endowed with good looks and strength means endowed with a good looking body, and with strength of body.
These are not slaughtered means those who have a master, who have protection, are not slaughtered.
But we are slaughtered means we who have no master, who are without protection, will normally This translation of nāma by normally, which I don’t find in the dictionaries, seems to fit in numerous places in these word definitions better than known as or called, or its being used as an emphatic. be slaughtered.
This is not just means in this way because of not being special there is certainly no justice.
Only the weak are killed, the thieves should certainly be captured by the kings, but not those who are not thieves. But here the thieves have no fear, and those who are not thieves are sentenced to death. Alas, in this world the unsuitable exists, alas, unrighteousness exists.