Ja 218 The Story about the Cheating Merchant
(Kūṭavāṇijajātaka)
In the present one merchant tries to cheat another out of his share by delaying to pay him. The Buddha tells a story of a man who told his friend 500 ploughshares were eaten by mice, but his victim then told him his son had been taken by a hawk. The Bodhisatta settles both improbabilities with wisdom.
1. Saṭhassa sāṭheyyam-idaṁ sucintitaṁ,
Paccoḍḍitaṁ paṭikūṭassa kūṭaṁ,
Phālaṁ ce khādeyyuṁ mūsikā,
Kasmā kumāraṁ Text: kumāre; plural form, I suppose we could translate: Why can’t a hawk carry off boys. kulalā no Cst reads na, but no is needed m.c. hareyyuṁ?
Treachery to the treacherous is well thought-out, fraud to the fraudulent is planted in return, if the mice can devour a ploughshare, why can a hawk not carry away a boy child?
2. Kūṭassa hi santi kūṭakūṭā,
Bhavati cāpi nikatino nikatyā,
Dehi putta(naṭṭha)phālanaṭṭhassa phālaṁ,
Mā te puttam-ahāsi Text: putte ahāsi, plural, but in the story only one child had been taken. phālanaṭṭho ti.
There is fraud upon fraud for the fraudulent one, there is cheating in return for the one who cheats, he must give the ploughshare to the one who lost it, the one who lost his ploughshare must not steal his child.
In this connection, to the treacherous, through being deceitful, being treacherous, thinking: “After finding a means, it is right to devour what belongs to another,” thus he is treacherous.
Treachery... is well thought-out, this deceit in return through thinking was well thought out by you.
Fraud to the fraudulent is planted in return, this fraud against the fraudulent person was well planted in return by you, having made this complement, he laid it down it like a snare, this is the meaning.
Why can a hawk not carry away a boy child? When mice devour ploughshares, for what reason can a hawk not carry away a boy child?
There is fraud upon fraud for the fraudulent one, do you think: “I am a person who made mice devour ploughshares, a fraud,” but for such a deceitful one in this world there is lots of deceit, deceit for deceit, deceit in return for deceit this is called, there is what is known as deceit in return for deceit, this is what is said.
There is cheating in return for the one who cheats, there is cheating for the one who cheats, for the one who defrauds there is cheating, he is another fraudulent person who causes cheating.
He must give the ploughshare to the one who lost it, dear friend who lost a son, you must give the ploughshare to the one who lost it.
The one who lost his ploughshare must not steal his child, if the ploughshare is not given him, he will carry off your son, do not let him carry him off, give the ploughshare to him. “I will give, The present tense here has immediate future meaning. master, if you give my son.” “I will give, master, if you give my ploughshare.”