Ja 3 The Story about the Tradesman from Serivā
(Serivavāṇijajātaka)
In the present a monk is about to give up striving. The Buddha tells a story of two merchants called Serivā, one of whom attempts to cheat a poor family out of its riches, while the other paid a decent price for their golden bowl (full story).
1. Idha ce naṁ virādhesi Saddhammassa niyāmataṁ,
Ciraṁ tvaṁ anutappesi, Serivāyaṁ va vāṇijo ti.
If here you miss being certain of results in the True Dhamma, for a long time you will suffer, like the merchant in Serivā.
In this connection, if here you miss being certain of results in the True Dhamma, means: in this dispensation of the True Dhamma, you miss the Path of Stream-Entry which is reckoned as a certainty. If you miss, through giving up effort, and do not attain, do not gain these, is the meaning.
For a long time you will suffer, in this case while grieving, lamenting for a long period of time, you will feel remorse, or, through giving up effort, and losing the Noble Path, and being reborn in hell and so forth for a long time, while experiencing various sufferings, you will become remorseful and weary, this is the meaning here.
How? Like the merchant in Serivā. Serivā, such is the name of this trader.
This is what is said: Just as formerly the trader called Serivā, having received the golden dish worth a hundred thousand, because of not having made a proper effort to take it, was remorseful at his loss, so you, in this dispensation, like the decorated golden dish, through giving up effort, not attaining the Noble Path, then losing out, you will have remorse for a long time.
But if you do not give up effort, like the wise trader and the golden dish, you will attain the supermundane in nine ways i.e., the four Paths, the four Fruits, and Nibbāna. in my dispensation.