2. Sippaṁ
Knowledge
(14 Verses)
14–15 = Ln 10–11 [stm.]
Suti Sammuti Saṅkhyā ca, Yogā Nīti Visesikā,
gandhabbā gaṇikā ceva, dhanubbedā ca Pūraṇā,
tikicchā itihāsā ca, joti māyā ca chandasā,
hetu mantā ca saddā ca—sippāṭṭhārasakā ime.
Veda, Smṛti, Saṅkhya, Yoga, Nyāya, Vaiśeśika, Suti here = Śruti, revealed texts (Veda); Sammuti = Smṛti, the traditional commentaries on those texts; Saṅkhyā = dualistic metaphysics; Yoga = mental and physical exercises; Nyāya = Lit: methodology (includes logic, reasoning,epistomology, etc.); Vaiśeśika = one of the six schoolsof Hindu philosophy, later partially merged with Nyāya. music, computation, archery and Ancient Tales, medicine, history, astrology, magic, prosody, logic, incantations and phonetics—these are the eighteen (braches of) knowledge. Cf. Mil. 3: suti sammuti saṅkhyā yogā nīti visesikā gaṇikā gandhabbā tikicchā cātubbedā purāṇā itihāsā jotisā māyā ketu mantanā yuddhā chandasā muddhā vacanena ekūnavīsati; which Horner translates as: the revealed tradition, secular lore, the Sankhya, Yoga, Nyāya and Vaiśeśika systems, accountancy, music, medicine, the four Vedas, the Purāṇas, the oral traditions, astronomy, conjuring, logic, spells, fighting, poetry, reckoning on the fingers, in a word, the nineteen (arts). The list of 18 also occurs in Kavidappaṇanīti, with some small differences.
16 = Ln 3; ≈ Pratyayaśatakaya 74a-d [rh.q.]
Alasassa kuto sippaṁ? Asippassa kuto dhanaṁ?
adhanassa kuto mittaṁ? Amittassa kuto sukhaṁ?
Asukhassa kuto puññaṁ? Apuññassa kuto Nibbānaṁ? Line f is hypermetric, and doesn’t fit the metre.
For the lazy how is there a craft? For the craftless how is there wealth? For the poor how is there a friend? For the friendless how is there happiness? For the unhappy one how is there merit? For the meritless how is there Nibbāna?
Spiritual and worldly prosperity follow a logical sequence of cultivation. Laziness prevents the mastery of a skill or craft. Without a valuable skill, one cannot acquire wealth. Poverty leads to isolation, as friends are attracted to resources and stability. Without friends, there is no social happiness or support. A joyless, isolated life offers little opportunity to perform acts of generosity and kindness that generate merit. Without the foundation of merit the ultimate goal of Nibbāna is impossible to reach.
Pratyayaśatakaya 74
Alasasya kutaḥ śilpam? Aśilpasya kuto dhanam?
Adhanasyakuto mitram? Amitrasya kutaḥ sukham? The Sanskrit only has four lines, it is reasonable to assume the Pāḷi added the last pādayuga, giving it a specific Buddhist flavour.
17 = Ln 4 [stm.]
Sippasamaṁ dhanaṁ natthi, sippaṁ corā na gaṇhanti,
idha loke sippaṁ mittaṁ, paraloke sukhāvahaṁ.
There is no wealth the same as a craft, a craft cannot be carried off by thieves, in this world a craft is a friend, and in the next world a craft brings happiness.
This verse extols the supreme value of a true skill or mastery. Unlike material wealth, which can decay be lost or stolen, an internalised art or craft is an imperishable treasure. It is a constant companion and protector in this life, providing livelihood and respect. Furthermore, a skill righteously used supports a virtuous life, generating happiness and favorable conditions not only in the present world but also in future states of existence. It is the ultimate safe investment, benefiting both mundane and spiritual journeys.
18 ≈ Über 100 Sprüche des Cāṇakya 92 [adm.]
Bodha putra sadā: nityaṁ mā khedācariyaṁ garuṁ.
Sadese pūjito rājā, budho sabbattha pūjito. This last pādayuga is also found at Dhn 34 below.
Understand, child, always: do not constantly distress an instructor or teacher. A king is worshipped is his own country, a wise one is worshipped everywhere.
A student must never cause distress to their teacher. This is not merely etiquette but recognition of the teacher’s role as the source of priceless knowledge. A king’s power and honour are territorial and temporary, limited to his own domain. In contrast, the wisdom of a truly learned person commands respect universally, transcending borders and circumstances. Therefore, honouring the teacher is the foundation for acquiring the kind of wisdom that earns enduring, boundless reverence.
Über 100 Sprüche des Cāṇakya 92
Paṭha putra sadā, nityam akṣaraṁ hṛdaye kuru.
Svadeśe pūjyate rājā, vidyā sarvatra pūjyate.
Study, child, always, forever lodge the syllables in the heart. A king is worshipped is his own country, a wise one is worshipped everywhere.
19 ≈ Ln 17 [rh.q.]
Bodha putra kim-ālasse? Abodho bhāravāhako,
bodhako pūjito loke, bodha putra dine dine.
Understand, child, why be lazy? One unwise bears the burden, a wise one is worshipped in the world, understand (this), child, day by day.
This verse combats laziness with reason. The unwise person, lacking knowledge and skill, is condemned to bear life’s burdens: physical labor, dependence, and ignorance. The wise person, through their cultivated understanding, lightens these burdens and is honoured by society. The call to understand this day by day is a practice instruction: one should use this reflection as a daily antidote to procrastination, seeing each day as an opportunity to avoid the weight of folly and move toward the ease and respect borne of wisdom.
Paṭha putra kim-ālassaṁ? Apaṭho bhāravāhako,
pāṭhako pūjito loke, paṭha putra dine dine.
Study, child, why be lazy? One unstudied bears the burden, one studied is worshipped in the world, study, child, day by day.
20 = Cāṇakya-sāra-saṁgraha 3.8 [sim., stm.]
Rūpayobbannasampannā, visālakulasambhavā,
vidyāhīnā na sobhanti, nigandhā iva Kiṁsukā.
Endowed with youth and beauty, arising in a distinguished family, those without knowledge do not shine, they are like a Flame of the Forest which lacks scent.
External endowments like beauty, youth, and noble birth are highly regarded in the world. However, they are hollow without the inner light of knowledge. The flower of the Flame of the Forest tree has brilliantly colored flowers but it has no fragrance. Similarly, a person adorned with all worldly advantages but devoid of learning and virtue lacks true substance and fails to make a meaningful impression. The beauty that matters is the beauty of a cultivated mind.
Cāṇakya-sāra-saṁgraha 3.8
Rūpayauvanasampannā, viśālakulasambhavāḥ,
vidyāhīnā na śobhante, nirgandhā iva Kiṁsukhāḥ.
21 = Ln 18; ≈ Cāṇakya-nīti-śāstra 7 [sim., stm.]
Mātā satru pitā verī, bālakāle na sikkhito,
na sobhati sabhāmajjhe, haṁsamajjhe bako yathā.
A mother is an enemy, a father is a foe, (if) during childhood they do not train one, he does not shine in the midst of an assembly, like a heron amongst the geese.
If parents, through neglect or indulgence, fail to properly educate and discipline their child in youth, they are not benefactors, but adversaries. Such an untrained person, lacking discipline and knowledge, will be painfully exposed in any intelligent gathering. The simile of a heron among geese highlights awkwardness and inferiority; the heron stands out for its lack of grace in the community. Proper early training is essential for social and personal competence.
Ln 18
Mātā verī pitā satru, yena bālā na sikkhitā,
sabhāmajjhe na sobhanti, haṁsamajjhe bakā yathā.
A mother is a foe, a father is an enemy, when they have not trained their children, they do not shine in the midst of an assembly, like herons amongst the geese.
Cāṇakya-nīti-śāstra 7
Mātā śatruḥ pitā vairī, yena bālo na pāṭhitaḥ, Line b means: When a child does not study.
na śobhate sabhāmadhye, haṁsamadhye bako yathā.
22 ≈ Śārṅgadharapaddhati 302 [rh.q.]
Guṇe uṭṭhaṅgataṁ yāti, na ucce sayane vase,
pāsādasikhare vāso. Kāko kiṁ Garuḷo siyā.
It goes to one who is active in virtue, not to one living in high beds, or who dwells on the pinnacle of a palace. Can a crow become a Garuḷa?
True honour and spiritual progress are not awarded based on external status or luxury. Living in a high bed or a palace pinnacle signifies worldly privilege, not virtue. The respect of the wise and the blessings of the Dhamma flow to the person who is energetically devoted to cultivating virtue, regardless of their social station. A base creature like a crow cannot become a noble bird merely by changing its perch. Transformation comes from inner development, not outer circumstance.
Śārṅgadharapaddhati 302
Guṇair uttuṅgatāṁ yāti, noccair āsanasaṁsthitaḥ
prāsādaśikharastho ’pi. Kākaḥ kiṁ Garuḍāyate.
It goes to one who is active in virtue, not to one stuck on seats, or who dwells on the pinnacle of a palace. Can a crow approach a Garuḷa?
23 = Mhn 43; Ja 373, last verse [adm.]
Sabbaṁ sutaṁ adhīyetha – hīnam-ukkaṭṭhamajjhimaṁ –
sabbassa atthaṁ jāneyya, na ca sabbaṁ payojaye.
Hoti tādisako kālo yadi attāvahaṁ sutaṁ.
One must learn by heart all that is heard – inferior, superior or middling – you should know every matter, but you should not undertake everything. There comes such a time when what was learned is taken up.
One should be a receptive vessel, learning everything one hears—good, bad, and mediocre—to understand the full spectrum of ideas and their consequences. This comprehensive knowledge allows for wise discrimination. However, one should not actively practice or endorse everything learned. Instead, one stores this knowledge, and when the appropriate time and situation arise, the right piece of learning can be recalled and applied effectively.
24 = Mhn 84 [ana, stm.]
Na loke sobhate mūḷho kevalattapasaṁsako,
api sampihito kūpe, katavijjo pakāsito.
A fool who praises himself wholly does not shine in the world, (but) even when completely covered in a well, an educated person is manifest.
A fool who is full of self-praise invites ridicule, not respect. His boasting exposes his emptiness. In stark contrast, a genuinely educated person, one with deep knowledge and virtue, cannot remain hidden. His qualities will shine through and be recognised by the wise even if he is in obscurity or facing adversity, like being hidden in a well. True merit is self-revealing and does not depend on self-promotion; it is perceived through one’s actions, speech, and understanding.
25 = Mhn 85; ≈ Pañcatantra PP 1.267 [sim., stm.]
Madantadamanaṁ satthaṁ khalānaṁ kurute madaṁ,
cakkhusaṅkhārakaṁ This form seems to be only found here in Pāḷi. tejaṁ, ulūkānam-iv’ andhakaṁ. Andhakaṁ seems to be an abbreviation for andhakaraṁ. Cf. the Sanskrit.
The teaching that tames the passionate makes villains passionate, just as the light, which is a condition for the eye, blinds the owls.
Even the most sublime teaching, the Dhamma which tames the wild mind, can have a perverse effect on a corrupt person. Instead of humbling them, it may make them passionate if they use it for debate, status, or to look down on others. Just as sunlight, which enables the eye to see, is like darkness for nocturnal owls. Similarly, the light of truth, which illuminates the virtuous, only confounds and aggravates those whose inner nature is opposed to it. The fault lies not in the teaching, but in the flawed character of the recipient.
Pañcatantra (PP) 1.267
Madādikṣālanaṁ śāstram mandānāṁ kurute madam
cakṣuṣprabodhaṁ teja, ulūkānām ivāndhyakṛt.
The teaching that cleanses passion and so on makes fools passionate, just as the light which awakens the eye, blinds the owls.
26 = Ln 22, Mhn 118 [stm.]
Bhojanaṁ methunaṁ niddā gave pose ca vijjati.
Vijjā viseso posassa, taṁ hīno gosamo bhave.
Food, intercourse, sleep are found in cattle and men. The distinction of a man is knowledge, lacking it, one will become like a cow.
The basic drives for food, sleep, and sex are biological necessities shared by humans and cattle. What elevates a person is knowledge and specifically, the knowledge of Dhamma that leads to understanding, ethics, and liberation. Without actively cultivating this distinctively human capacity for wisdom and virtue, a person lives on the same plane as an animal, driven solely by instinct and appetite. The human potential is wasted.
Ln 22
Bhojanaṁ methunaṁ niddā goṇe pose ca vijjati.
Vijjā viseso posassa, hīno goṇasamo bhave. Although the readings differ somewhat the meaning is the same.
27 = Ln 38 [stm.]
Yo sisso sippalobhena, bahuṁ bahuṁ va gaṇhati,
mūgo va supinaṁ passaṁ na sakkā kathituṁ paraṁ.
The pupil who, out of greed for the crafts, takes up many, like a mute seeing a dream will not be able to explain them to another.
A student who, driven by acquisitiveness rather than depth, tries to master too many skills or teachings simultaneously ends up mastering none. His understanding becomes superficial and fragmented. Like a mute person who sees a vivid dream, he may have an internal experience or a jumble of information, but he lacks the coherent, integrated mastery necessary to articulate it clearly or use it effectively.
Ln 38
Yo sisso sippalobhena, bahuṁ gaṇhāti taṁ sippaṁ,
mūgo va supinaṁ passaṁ kathetuṁ pi na ussahe.
The pupil who, out of greed for the crafts, takes up a craft, like a mute seeing a dream will not make an effort to speak.