Ja 238 The Story about One Word
(Ekapadajātaka)
In the present one boy asks his father a question about how to accomplish his purpose, and his father takes him to the Buddha to get the answer. The Buddha tells a story about how a similar question was asked in the past, and how he as Bodhisatta had answered it.
1. Iṅgha ekapadaṁ, tāta, anekatthapadassitaṁ,
Kiñci saṅgāhikaṁ brūsi, yenatthe sādhayemase ti.
Come, speak one word, father, a word relying on multiple meanings, something comprehensive, by which our purpose may be successful.
In this connection, come, this particle has the meaning of requesting or reproving.
One word mean one reasonable word, one word connected with reason, or, one expressive word.
A word relying on multiple meanings, words that have multiple meanings, depending on words that have reason.
Speak... something comprehensive, speak something, one word, that comprehends many words, or, this is the reading. This is not at all clear. Perhaps it means that brūhi is an alternative reading for brūsi? Both words give the same meaning.
By which our purpose may be successful, with one word that depends on multiple meanings by which we may be successful in developing ourselves, speak that to me, he requests.
2. Dakkheyyekapadaṁ, tāta, anekatthapadassitaṁ,
Tañ-ca sīlena saññuttaṁ, khantiyā upapāditaṁ,
Alaṁ mitte sukhāpetuṁ, amittānaṁ dukhāya cā ti.
Skill is one word, dear, a word relying on multiple meanings, that’s connected with virtue, being accomplished in forebearance, able to endow friends with happiness, enemies with suffering.
In this connection, what is called skill is what is remunerative, clever and wholesome, and is endowed with knowledge and effort.
A word relying on multiple meanings, so in the same manner, effort relies on being a word with multiple meanings. Which of these? virtue, and so on. Because of that that’s connected with virtue, and so on is said.
This is the meaning: but this effort that is endowed with virtuous conduct, furnished with tolerance and forebearance, is capable enough to endow happiness on friends, with suffering for enemies. Whoever is known as being endowed with remuneration, knowledge, wholesomeness and effort, endowed with forebearing conduct, is not able to endow happiness on friends, or endow suffering on enemies. I am at a loss to explain why this seems to say the exact opposite of what was stated in the previous sentence.