In the present after Ajātasattu killed his father he fell into fighting with his uncle, Pasenadi. The latter kept getting defeated till his courtiers overheard two monks discussing the art of war. The Buddha tells a story about boars that were living in terror of a tiger, until one boar came along who taught them how to band together and fight off their foe.

1. Varaṁ varaṁ tvaṁ nihanaṁ pure cari,
Asmiṁ padese abhibhuyya sūkare,
Sodāni eko byapagamma jhāyasi,
Balaṁ nu te byaggha na cajja vijjatī” ti?

You wandered before destroying the best, having overcome the boar in this place, now alone, having departed, you brood, tiger, why is your strength not found today?”

In this connection, you wandered before destroying the best, having overcome the boar in this place, dear tiger, before, having overcome all the boars in this place, amongst the boars, the very best, you wandered around destroying the supreme boar.

Now alone, having departed, you brood, now you, after not grabbing a boar, and turning aside alone, brood, become sullen.

Tiger, why is your strength not found today? Dear tiger, why today do you have no strength of body?

2. Ime sudaṁ yanti disodisaṁ pure,
Bhayaṭṭitā leṇagavesino puthū,
Te dāni saṅgamma vasanti ekato,
Yatthaṭṭhitā duppasahajjame mayā ti.

Before these surely go from place to place, afraid, troubled, they sought out their own caves, now, having gathered, they dwell together, standing they are hard for me to conquer.

But this is the meaning in brief: before, these boars, having seen me, through fear, troubled, harassed, they sought out their own caves, being seperated they go from place to place, they flee facing in different directions, now having gathered all, they dwell and stand together, and having arrived at the highest ground where they stand, today they are hard for me to conquer, to crush.

3. Namatthu saṅghāna’ samāgatānaṁ,
Disvā sayaṁ sakhya vadāmi abbhutaṁ,
Byagghaṁ migā yattha jiniṁsu dāṭhino,
Sāmaggiyā dāṭhabalesu muccare ti.

Honour to the group gathered together, having seen a wondrous friendship, I say, where the tusker-beasts conquered the tiger, freed through concord amongst those strong in tooth.

In this connection, honour to the group, I pay my honours to the group of boars gathered together.

Having seen a wondrous friendship, I say, before this had never happened, having seen a wondrous friendship, companionship, I say.

Where the tusker-beasts conquered the tiger, where the tusker boars conquered the tiger, this is also a reading. It seems this must mean that yatra is also a reading alongside yattha. Both have the same meaning.

Freed through concord amongst those strong in tooth, whatever concord there is, amongst boars, strong in tooth, having one intention, those with strength of tooth, having grabbed their adversaries, through concord today they are free from the fear of death, this is the meaning.

 

last updated: November 2022