Ja 38 The Story about the Crane
(Bakajātaka)
In the present one monk, who was good at tailoring, deceived his fellow monks with his work, and made a good profit, until he himself was deceived in return. When this is told to the Buddha he tells a story of a crane who deceived the fish and ate them all up, until a crab deceived him and nipped his head off (full story).
1. Nāccantaṁ nikatippañño nikatyā sukham-edhati,
Ārādheti nikatippañño, bako kakkaṭakā-m-ivā ti.
The clever cheat cannot attain final happiness through cheating, the clever cheat gets a like return, just like the crane with the crab.
In this connection, the clever cheat cannot attain final happiness through cheating, cheating is said to be deceiving. One who is wise in cheating, wise in deceiving, that person who cheats you and cheats you, through deceiving cannot be finally happy. He is not able to be established in happiness constantly, but he certainly attains his own ruin, this is the meaning.
Gets a like return means receives back.
The clever cheat means the bad person cleverly trained in dishonesty, for his own bad deeds, is found to receive back, get a like fruit in return, this is the meaning.
How? Just like the crane with the crab, just as the crab gained the cutting of the crane’s neck, so the bad person, from his own bad deed, in this life or in the next life gets back, gets in return, something fearful.
The Great Being making this known made the Dhamma teaching resound in the forest.