Ja 99 The Story about More than a Thousand Fools
(Parosahassajātaka)
In the present the monks are wondering at how Ven. Sāriputta can answer a question put by the Buddha that is beyond everyone else. The Buddha says that he could do this also in the past, and shows how his last words in that life had been correctly interpreted by his chief disciple (full story).
1. Parosahassam-pi samāgatānaṁ
Kandeyyuṁ te vassasataṁ apaññā,
Eko va seyyo puriso sapañño,
Yo bhāsitassa vijānāti atthan-ti.
Of those who gathered, more than a thousand who were unwise might cry a hundred years, but one person with wisdom is better, one who knows the meaning of what is said.
In this connection, more than a thousand means in excess of a thousand.
Of those who gathered means fools who have assembled but are unable to know the meaning of what is said.
Who were unwise might cry a hundred years means like those foolish ascetics without wisdom who met for a hundred years, a thousand years, wail, lament, and while weeping, still they would not know the meaning or the reason, this is the explanation.
But one person with wisdom is better, than more than a thousand such fools better, more noble, is one wise person, this is the meaning.
Of what kind is one with wisdom? One who knows the meaning of what is said, like this elder student.