Ja 13 The Story about the Dart
(Kaṇḍinajātaka)
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 (full story).
1. Dhi-r-atthu kaṇḍinaṁ, sallaṁ, purisaṁ gāḷhavedhinaṁ,
Dhi-r-atthu taṁ janapadaṁ yatthitthī pariṇāyikā,
Te cāpi dhikkitā sattā ye itthīnaṁ vasaṁ gatā ti.
Cursed be the dart, the barb, that strongly pierces into a person, cursed be the country where women are the advisors of the king, blameable are those beings who come under the sway of women.
In this connection, cursed 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, so here because of fear and anxiety blame is to be seen. Because of the existence of fear and anxiety the Bodhisatta said this.
His shaft has a pointed tip, this is a dart. But because the dart enters right in barb is said, therefore the dart, the barb, here a barb-like dart, this is the meaning. A barb made of fig-tree wood is also a barb, that is a barb.
Having made a large wound, giving a strong blow, it penetrates strongly, strongly pierces, that is strongly pierces.
In various ways a barb, having a hilt the shape of a waterlily leaf, endowed with a barb that flies on a straight path, which strongly pierces into a person, let it be cursed, this is the meaning here.
The advisors means the lord’s managers.
Blameable means reproachable. Using a more regular word to define an obscure one.
The meaning of the rest is clear. From here on, without saying this much again, 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.