Ja 227 The Story about the Muckworm
(Gūthapāṇajātaka)
In the present one youth harrasses the monks as they go round for alms, so much so they abandon the village. One monk rectifies the situation by giving him a good beating. The Buddha then tells a story of how in a previous life an elephant had killed a dung-beetle with excrement.
1. Sūro sūrena saṅgamma, vikkantena pahārinā,
Ehi Nāga nivattassu, kiṁ nu bhīto palāyasi?
Passantu Aṅgamagadhā mama tuyhañ-ca vikkaman-ti.
A hero comes across a hero, beating him with heroism, come, O Nāga, turn back again, why do you run away in fear? See, people of Aṅga and Magadha, my heroism and yours.
This is the meaning: your hero coming across my hero, with the energy of a hero, with herosim, beating him with the ability of giving him a blow.
What is the reason? Not having come across him, you must go, surely he should give one good blow, therefore, come O Nāga, turn back again, being frightened by the fear of death to such an extent, why do you run away in fear?
Having made this the internal limit, while dwelling there, see, people of Aṅga and Magadha, my heroism and yours, see the persistence of both of us.
2. Na taṁ pādā vadhissāmi, na dantehi, na soṇḍiyā,
Mīḷhena taṁ vadhissāmi, pūti haññatu pūtinā ti.
Not with my feet will I kill you, not with my tusks, not with my trunk, I will kill you with excrement, the rotten will kill the rotten.
This is the meaning: not with my feet and so on will I kill you, but because it is suitable, I will kill you with excrement.