Ja 153 The Story about the Boar
(Sūkarajātaka)

In the present after Ven. Sāriputta has given a discourse, one old monk thinks to make himself look good by asking a nonsensical question. Instead, however, he is chased away and falls into a cesspit. The Buddha tells how in a previous life as a boar he had challenged a lion, and, later, realising his mistake, had covered himself in offal to ward off sure death.

1. “Catuppado ahaṁ samma, tvam-pi samma catuppado,
Ehi samma nivattassu, kiṁ nu bhīto palāyasī” ti?

“I am four-footed, friend, you are four-footed, friend, come, friend, turn back, why do you run away in fear?”

[There is no word commentary to this verse.]

2. “Asuci pūtilomosi, duggandho vāsi sūkara,
Sace yujjhitukāmosi, jayaṁ samma dadāmi te” ti.

“Your coat is foul, unclean, you truly smell bad, boar, if you desire to fight, I give you victory, friend.”

Herein, your coat is foul means being plastered with excrement, your coat smells bad.

You truly smell bad means having become unpleasant, repulsive, disagreeable, you smell.

I give you victory, friend. Having said: “I give victory to you, I am defeated, you can go,” the lion, turned back from there, and after taking his food, and drinking from the lake, he went to the cave in the mountain.