Ja 57 The Story about the Lord of the Monkeys
(Vānarindajātaka)
In the present Devadatta sets out to kill the Buddha, who replies that he did this in the past also, and tells a story of how, when he was a monkey, he outwitted a crocodile and escaped being eaten (full story).
1. Yassete caturo dhammā, vānarinda, yathā tava:
Saccaṁ dhammo dhiti cāgo, diṭṭhaṁ so ativattatī ti.
He who, This verse appears verbatim at Ja 224 Kumbhilajātaka. monkey-king, like you, has these four things: truth, wisdom, courage, charity, will overcome his foe.
In this connection, he who means whatever person.
These indicates that what should be said now is from personal experience.
Four things means four virtues.
Truth means truthful speech, saying: “I will come into your presence,” not making false speech, and then surely coming, this is your truthful speech.
Wisdom means investigative wisdom: “It will surely be so because of this,” this is your investigative wisdom.
Courage, this is said to be your uninterrupted effort, this is also yours.
Charity means self-sacrifice, having forsaken yourself, come into my presence. But that I was unable to capture him is my fault.
Foe means adversary.
Will overcome for that person like you, having these four things, just as today you overcame me, so will he overthrow, conquer his enemy.