Ja 13 Kaṇḍinajātaka
The Story about the Dart
In the present a monk, through love of his former wife, is in danger of falling away from the spiritual life. The Buddha tells a story about the same person’s past in which, as a stag attached to his doe, he had been caught, killed and roasted because of his attachment.
1. Dhi-r-atthu kaṇḍinaṁ, sallaṁ, purisaṁ gāḷhavedhinaṁ,
Cursed be the dart, the barb, that strongly pierces into a person,
Dhi-r-atthu taṁ janapadaṁ yatthitthī pariṇāyikā,
Cursed be the country where women are the advisors (of the king),
Te cāpi dhikkitā sattā ye itthīnaṁ vasaṁ gatā ti.
Blameable are those beings who come under the sway of women.
Tattha,
In this connection, cursed be is a particle It is interesting that the commentary describes it as a particle, as it seems to be a combination of a particle (dhi) with a verb (atthu) joined by a glide (-r-). expressing blame
svāyam-idha uttāsubbegavasena garahaṇe daṭṭhabbo.
so here because of fear and anxiety blame is to be seen.
Uttasitubbiggo hi honto Bodhisatto evam-āha.
Because of the existence of fear and anxiety the Bodhisatta said this.
Kaṇḍam-assa atthī ti kaṇḍī, taṁ kaṇḍinaṁ.
His shaft has a pointed tip, this is a dart.
Taṁ pana kaṇḍaṁ anupavisanaṭṭhena sallan-ti vuccati,
But because the dart enters right in barb is said,
tasmā kaṇḍinaṁ sallan-ti ettha sallakaṇḍinan-ti attho.
therefore the dart, the barb, here a barb-like dart, this is the meaning.
Sallaṁ vā assatthī ti pi sallo, taṁ sallaṁ.
A barb made of fig-tree wood is also a barb, that is a barb.
Mahantaṁ vaṇamukhaṁ katvā, balavappahāraṁ dento,
Having made a large wound, giving a strong blow,
gāḷhaṁ vijjhatī ti gāḷhavedhī,
it penetrates strongly, strongly pierces,
taṁ gāḷhavedhinaṁ.
that is strongly pierces.
Nānappakārena kaṇḍena, kumudapattasaṇṭhānathalena,
In various ways a barb, having a hilt the shape of a waterlily leaf,
ujukagamaneneva sallena ca samannāgataṁ,
endowed with a barb that flies on a straight path,
gāḷhavedhinaṁ purisaṁ dhi-r-atthū, ti ayam-ettha attho.
which strongly pierces into a person, cursed be, this is the meaning here.
Pariṇāyikā ti issarā saṁvidhāyikā.
The advisors means the lord’s managers.
Dhikkitā ti garahitā.
Blameable means reproachable. Using a more regular word to define an obscure one.
Sesam-ettha uttānattham-eva.
The meaning of the rest is clear.
Ito paraṁ pana ettakam-pi avatvā,
From here on, without saying this much again,
yaṁ yaṁ anuttānaṁ taṁ tad-eva vaṇṇayissāma.
only whatever is not clear will be explained. i.e. he is not going to keep on saying: the rest is clear; if it is not explained it is to be taken as clear.