Ja 81 The Story about Liquor
(Surāpānajātaka)
In the present one monk, though having great powers was brought low by strong liquor. The Buddha tells how a whole group of worthy ascetics in the past had similarly lost their powers through drink (full story).
1. Apāyimha anaccimha, agāyimha rudimha ca,
Visaññīkaraṇiṁ pitvā, diṭṭhā nāhumha vānarā ti.
We have drunk, we have danced, we have sung, we have cried, having drunk ourselves unconscious, we were not found to be monkeys.
In this connection, we have drunk means we have drunk spirits.
We have danced means after drinking it, we danced, swaying out hands and feet.
We have sung means after opening our mouth, we sing with extended tones.
And we have cried means having regret, we think: “Such a thing was certainly done by us!” and we cry.
Having drunk ourselves unconscious, we were not found to be monkeys, having drunk spirits till perception was in this way destroyed, till we became unconscious, thinking: “This is good, at least we have not become monkeys.” Thus they spoke negatively about themselves.