Ja 54 The Story about the Fruit
(Phalajātaka)
In the present the monks come across a clever gardener, who knows all the fruits and their various stages. When the Buddha hears of this, he tells of how in a past life his knowledge of fruits had saved the lives of the men of his caravan, when he had correctly identified a poisonous fruit that looked like a mango (full story).
1. Nāyaṁ rukkho durāruho, na pi gāmato ārakā,
Ākāraṇena jānāmi nāyaṁ sāduphalo dumo ti.
This tree is not hard to climb up, nor is it far from the village, for this reason I know that this tree does not have delicious fruit.
In this connection, this tree is not hard to climb up, this poisonous tree is not hard to climb, having ascended, by placing something like a ladder, he is able to climb up easily, this is what is said.
Nor is it far from the village means it stands not far from the village, it stands just at the gate to the village, this is the explanation.
For this reason I know means because of these two reasons I know this tree.
In what way? This tree does not have delicious fruit. If this would have been a sweet fruit on a mango tree, so easy to climb, and standing not far away, not one fruit would persist on it, for it would be constantly surrounded by people eating fruit.