Ja 228 The Story about being Guided by Desire
(Kāmanītajātaka)
In the present one brahmin, after careful tending his crops with the intention of giving a gift to the Buddha and the Saṅgha, loses all in a night’s flood. The Buddha then tells a story of the past in which a greedy king loses his chance to gain three kingdoms, before being taught the folly of desire, and putting his grief aside.
1. Tayo giriṁ antaraṁ kāmayāmi,
Pañcālā Kuruyo Kekake ca,
Tat-uttariṁ, brāhmaṇa, kāmayāmi
Tikiccha maṁ, brāhmaṇa, kāmanītan-ti.
Three inside of the mountain I desire, the Pañcālas, Kurus and Kekakas, more than that, brahmin, I desire that you cure me, brahmin, one guided by desire.
In this connection, three inside of the mountain, three mountains, this is also a reading. Three mountains would then be the translation.
Since: “He opens the gate of the Sudassana mountain,” having fought here at the Devas’ city of Sudassana, by being difficult to conquer, by being difficult to shake: Mount Sudassana These words only occur here, and it is hard to see how they define sudassana, which means: good looking, or easy to see. is said, so here also these three cities is intended by ‘three inside of the mountain’. Therefore this here is the meaning: three cities and those who are within them, I desire the threefold country also.
The Pañcālas, Kurus and Kekakas, these are the names of the three countries.
Of these, Pañcāla means Uttarapañcāla, the name of the city there is Kapila. Kurus means the country of Kuru, the name of the city there is Indapatta. Kekakas, the accusative word is in the nominative case, by this the country of Kekaka is indicated, there the capital city is (also called) Kekaka.
More than that means after having obtained the kingdom of Benares, more than that, I desire the threefold kingdoms.
Cure me, brahmin, one guided by desire, being guided by the objects of sensuality and the defilements of sensuality, if you are able to beat, overcome these, please cure me, brahmin.
2. Kaṇhāhi daṭṭhassa karonti heke,
Amanussaviṭṭhassa karonti paṇḍitā.
Na kāmanītassa karoti koci,
Okkantasukkassa hi kā tikicchā ti?
Some there are who can work the bite of the cobras, the wise can work possession by Amanussa. But no one can work one who is led by desire, what cure is there for one fallen from purity?
In this connection, some there are who can work the bite of the cobras, some can cure the bite of the cobra snake with its awful poison, they can work a cure by mantras and by medicine.
The wise can work possession by Amanussa, other wise ones who are exorcists, for those grabbed, overcome and entered into by Amanussa, Bhūtas, Yakkhas and so on, they work a cure with offerings, making safeguards, medicines and suffusions and so on.
But no one can work one who is led by desire, for that sensuality-poisoned person who is led by sensuality, except for the wise ones, no one can work a cure, though working, there is no one able to work a cure.
What is the reason? What cure is there for one fallen from purity? For one fallen from purity, having fallen away from noble wholesome things, for a person who is established and overcome by unwholesomeness, what is called a cure through mantras, medicine and so on, such a one is not able to be cured through medicines.