Ja 133 The Story about the Fire
(Ghatāsanajātaka)

In the present one monk goes for meditation, but when his hut burns down he is unable to make progress. He stays on in the village anyway. When he comes to the Buddha after the Rains Retreat, the latter tells him a story of how in a past life he had acted quickly to save his subjects when a Nāga had attacked them with fire (full story).

1. Khemaṁ yahiṁ tattha arī udīrito,
Dakassa majjhe jalate ghatāsano,
Na ajja vāso mahiyā mahīruhe,
Disā bhajavho saraṇājja no bhayan-ti.

Where there is safety there are foes, is said, fire burns in the middle of the water. Not living today in this tree on earth, go away, there is danger from our refuge today.

In this connection, where there is safety there are foes, is said, on the surface of the water which is a state of safety, fearlessness, in that place an enemy, hostile to oneself, has arisen.

The fire means the fire. Because it eats the ghee, therefore fire or ghee eater is said. Ghatāsana (ghee eater) means something closer to the sacrificial fire, but here we are not talking about a sacrifice.

Not living today means today there is no living for us.

In the tree on earth, tree is said to be tree, Rukkha is the common word for tree, and is used to define mahīruha, lit: growing from the earth. in this tree, born in the earth, this is the meaning.

Go away means go away, The phrase is hard to say concisely in English, it means something like go to the furthest regions. begone.

There is danger... from our refuge today, now today from our refuge danger has arisen, from the place of shelter danger has arisen, this is the meaning.