Ja 216 The Story about the (Lamenting) Fish
(Macchajātaka)
In the present one monk is wavering because of having thoughts of his former wife. The Buddha tells a story of a fish who was caught, but whose lament over what his wife might think of him saved him from being roasted.
1. Na māyam-aggi tapati, na sūlo sādhutacchito,
Yañ-ca maṁ maññate macchī: ‘Aññaṁ so ratiyā gato.’
It is not this fire that burns me, nor the spit that is well fashioned, but my lady The word really means a female fish, but this is hard to get across fluently in the verse. thinking of me: ‘He went for joy to another.’ This line also occurs at Ja 34.
2. So maṁ dahati rāgaggi, cittaṁ cūpatapeti maṁ,
Jālino muñcathāyirā maṁ, na kāme haññate kvacī ti.
The fire of lust it is that burns me, and my heart it does torment. Fisherman, master, free me, there is no pleasure in being killed.
In this connection, it is not this fire that burns me, it is not this fire that burns me, nor causes burning, nor grieves me, this is the meaning.
Nor the spit means this spit that is well fashioned does not harm Tapati has the meanings of both harm and burn. me, nor does it cause grief to arise in me.
But my lady thinking of me, but my lady thinking of me: “He has gone to another lady to find joy in the five strands of sensual pleasure,” that very thing burns me, grieves me.
The fire of lust it is that burns me, but he who has this fire of lust, that is what burns me, sets me on fire.
My heart it does torment, my heart is joined together with lust and that torments, wearies, vexes me.
Fisherman, Jālino means one having a net, and indicates in this context a fisherman, the more usual word is kevaṭṭa. he calls on the fisherman. Because he has a net, fisherman is said.
Master, free me, free me lord, he begs. The compound is muñcatha + ayira, which is itself a variant form of the more familiar ariya.
There is no pleasure in being killed, being established in pleasure, led by pleasure, a being is not killed anywhere. He laments: it is not suitable to kill any of your kind.
Or, kāme is a causal word, in the locative case, by following after the lady because of pleasure he laments: nowhere is he killed by you and your kind.