Ja 54 Phalajātaka
The Story about the Fruit
In the present the monks come across a clever gardener, who knows all the fruits and their various stages. When the Buddha hears of this, he tells of how in a past life his knowledge of fruits had saved the lives of the men of his caravan, when he had correctly identified a poisonous fruit that looked like a mango.
1. Nāyaṁ rukkho durāruho, na pi gāmato ārakā,
This tree is not hard to climb up, nor is it far from the village,
Ākāraṇena jānāmi nāyaṁ sāduphalo dumo ti.
For this reason I know that this tree does not have delicious fruit.
Tattha,
In this connection, this tree is not hard to climb up,
ayaṁ visarukkho na dukkhāruho,
this poisonous tree is not hard to climb,
ukkhipitvā ṭhapitanisseṇī viya sukhenārohituṁ sakkā, ti vadati.
having ascended, by placing (something) like a ladder, he is able to climb up easily, this is what is said.
Na pi gāmato ārakā ti gāmato dūre ṭhito pi na hoti,
Nor is it far from the village means it stands not far from the village,
gāmadvāre ṭhito yevā, ti dīpeti.
it stands just at the gate to the village, this is the explanation.
Ākāraṇena jānāmī ti
For this reason I know means
iminā duvidhena kāraṇenāhaṁ imaṁ rukkhaṁ jānāmi.
because of these two reasons I know this tree.
Kinti?
In what way?
Nāyaṁ sāduphalo dumo ti.
This tree does not have delicious fruit.
Sace hi ayaṁ madhuraphalo ambarukkho abhavissa,
If this would have been a sweet fruit on a mango tree,
evaṁ sukhāruḷhe, avidūre ṭhite, etasmiṁ ekam-pi phalaṁ na tiṭṭheyya,
so easy to climb, and standing not far away, not one fruit would persist on it,
phalakhādakamanussehi niccaṁ parivuto va assa.
for it would be constantly surrounded by people eating fruit.