Ja 29 The Story about the Bull Blackie
(Kaṇhajātaka)
In the present the Buddha, having bettered all his competitors, is praised by the monks. He then tells a story of how he was once a bull named Kaṇha who earned his owner a fortune by pulling carts no one else could pull, and taking the reward to his poor owner (full story).
1. Yato yato garu dhuraṁ, yato gambhīravattanī,
Tadāssu Kaṇhaṁ yuñjanti, svāssu taṁ vahate dhuran-ti.
However onerous the load, however deep the pathway is, at that time they harness Kaṇha, and he carries away the load.
In this connection, however onerous the load, in whatever place the heavy load is borne, other oxen are unable to raise it.
However deep the pathway is, what is said here is that pathway is a name for the path, in whatever place there is a lot of water and mud, or an unevenly cut riverbank, that path is deep, this is the meaning.
At that time they harness Kaṇha, at that time they harness Kaṇha, this is the meaning. Whenever the load is heavy the path is deep, therefore having dismissed the other oxen, they harness Kaṇha, this is what is said.
And he carries away the load, he carries the load is the meaning.