Ja 80 Bhīmasenajātaka
The Story about (the Useless Giant) Bhīmasena

In the present a monk lies about his family, fortune and fame, until he is discovered. The Buddha tells a story of a past life, in which the same person then called Bhīmasena sought to fool people into thinking he was a great hero, when in fact it was the Bodhisatta, who had been born in that life as a dwarf, who had really saved the people.

Tattha, {1.359} yaṁ te pavikatthitaṁ pure ti yaṁ tayā pubbe:
In this connection, whatever you boasted of beforehand means whatever you previously said:

“Kiṁ tvaṁ yeva puriso, nāhaṁ puriso, aham-pi saṅgāmayodho” ti,
“Why, are you only a man, am I not a man, I am also a warrior in battle,”

vikatthitaṁ vambhanavacanaṁ, vuttaṁ idaṁ tāva ekaṁ.
you boasted using this contemptuous word, having spoken this much.

Atha te pūtisarā sajanti pacchā ti
Yet later you let loose a stinking mess means

atha te ime pūtibhāvena saraṇabhāvena ca pūtisarā ti laddhanāmā,
then, because of having the nature of stinking and of being defiled, the name stinking mess is acquired,

sarīravaḷañjadhārā sajanti vaḷañjanti paggharanti.
they let loose, dispensed, oozed bodily excrement.

Pacchā ti tato pure vikatthitato aparabhāge
Later means the time remaining from when you boasted previously

idāni imasmiṁ saṅgāmasīse, ti attho.
until now on this battlefield, this is the meaning.

Ubhayaṁ na sameti Bhīmasenā ti
Both are disagreeable, Bhīmasena means

idaṁ Bhīmasena ubhayaṁ na sameti.
both of these, Bhīmasena, are not agreeable.

Kataraṁ?
Which?

Yuddhakathā ca idañ-ca te vihaññan-ti,
Talk of war and (now) this – you are fatigued,

yā ca pure kathitā yuddhakathā,
you spoke of war-talk in the past,

yañ-ca te idāni vihaññaṁ kilamatho,
and now you are fatigued, weary,

hatthipiṭṭhidūsanākārappatto vighāto, ti attho.
afflicted by the way you fouled an elephant’s back, this is the meaning.

last updated: July 2022