Ja 34 The Story about the Fish
(Macchajātaka)
In the present a monk is overcome by passion thinking about his former wife. When the Buddha hears about this he tells a story of the past in which, blinded by passion, a fish had almost lost his life, and grieved that his wife may think him unfaithful, while she herself had escaped capture. The Bodhisatta saved him from his fate (full story).
1. Na maṁ sītaṁ na maṁ uṇhaṁ, na maṁ jālasmi bādhanaṁ,
Yañ-ca maṁ maññate macchī: ‘Aññaṁ so ratiyā gato’ ti.
It’s not the cold or heat for me, not the being caught in a net, but my lady The word really means a female fish, but this is hard to get across fluently in the verse. thinking of me: ‘He went for joy to another.’ This line also occurs at Ja 216.
In this connection, it’s not the cold or heat for me, cold at the time of the fish being removed from the water, or hot when departing there, referring to both of them, he laments: “Being caught, it is not the cold or heat for me.” The suffering that will originate from being cooked in the embers, referring to that, he lamented: “It’s not the heat.”
Not the being caught in a net means it is not me being caught in a net, “Not my being caught,” he lamented.
But my and so on, this is the substance of it: that lady-fish, not knowing these fishermen had grabbed me, and dropped me in a net, not seeing me, will think: “Now that fish, having sensual delight, will be with another female fish,” being sorrowful for her, thinking: “I am caught.” While lying on his back in the sand, he laments.