In the present a Devatā works to dissuade her landlord, Anāthapiṇḍika, from his allegiance to the Buddha, and is expelled from her home for the trouble. To make up she recovers three great fortunes her host had lost. A brahmin then tries to steal Anāthapiṇḍika’s luck, but fails. When the Buddha hears of this he tells a story about an elephant trainer who had his share of a bird who could bring good luck and three days later became king.

1. Yaṁ ussukā saṅgharanti alakkhikā bahuṁ dhanaṁ,
Sippavanto asippā ca lakkhivā tāni bhuñjati.

Whoever zealously gathers a lot of wealth, without fortune, those with skill, those without skill, having good luck, can enjoy that wealth.

2. Sabbattha katapuññassa aticcañ-ñeva pāṇino,
Uppajjanti bahū bhogā, appanāyatanesu pī ti.

Everywhere to the one who made merit, overcoming beings, a lot of wealth will arise, even without making exertion.

In this connection, whoever zealously, whoever with zeal is intent and fixed on gathering wealth, gathers a lot of wealth with difficulty. Those who zealously, is also a reading. Those people who zealously gather wealth through skill in elephants so on, those with skill, and those without, even with having done a deed having renumeration, gather a lot of wealth, this is the meaning.

Having good luck, can enjoy that wealth, a lot of wealth means that wealth spoken about, a meritorious person, enjoying the fruit of his own merit, even without having done any further good deed, can still enjoy.

Overcoming beings means overcoming other beings. The indeclinable eva surely should be joined with the previous line, This is demonstrated in the next line: sabbattheva… surely everywhere the one who has made merit overcomes other beings who haven’t made merit, this is the meaning.

Even without making exertion, even without exertion, jewels within what is not a jewel mine, gold and so on within the place there is not gold and so on, elephants and so on within the place that does not have elephants and so on, a lot of wealth with consciousness or without consciousness will arise. In this connection, regarding the arising of pearls, gems and so on in what was not a receptacle for them, the story of the great king Duṭṭhagāmaṇi-abhaya should be told. This seems to refer to the building of the Mahā Thūpa by the king, in which he was helped by Sakka and other Devas who provided the necessary materials and decorations, see Mhv 28.

3. Kukkuṭo maṇayo daṇḍo thiyo ca puññalakkhaṇā,
Uppajjanti apāpassa katapuññassa jantuno ti.

A chicken, jewels, a staff, and women are all signs of merit, they arise for the person, without wickedness, who made merit.

In this connection, a staff, this is said in reference to a staff for protection.

Women the wealthy man’s wife, the divine Puññalakkhaṇā.

Here the rest is clear.

 

last updated: November 2022