Ja 57 Vānarindajātaka
The Story about the Lord of the Monkeys
In the present Devadatta sets out to kill the Buddha, who replies that he did this in the past also, and tells a story of how, when he was a monkey, he outwitted a crocodile and escaped being eaten.
1. Yassete caturo dhammā, vānarinda, yathā tava:
He who, This verse appears verbatim at Ja 224 Kumbhilajātaka. monkey-king, like you, has these four things:
Saccaṁ dhammo dhiti cāgo, diṭṭhaṁ so ativattatī ti.
Truth, wisdom, courage, charity, will overcome his foe.
Tattha,
In this connection, he who means whatever person.
Ete ti idāni vattabbe paccakkhato niddisati.
These indicates that what should be said now is from personal experience.
Caturo dhammā ti cattāro guṇā.
Four things means four virtues.
Saccan-ti vacīsaccaṁ: “Mama santikaṁ āgamissāmī” ti, vatvā,
Truth means truthful speech, saying: “I will come into your presence,”
musāvādaṁ akatvā, āgato yevā, ti etaṁ te vacīsaccaṁ.
not making false speech, (and then) surely coming, this is your truthful speech.
Dhammo ti vicāraṇapaññā:
Wisdom means investigative wisdom:
“Evaṁ kate idaṁ nāma bhavissatī” ti, esā te vicāraṇapaññā atthi.
“It will surely be so because of this,” this is your investigative wisdom.
Dhitī, ti abbocchinnaṁ viriyaṁ vuccati, etam-pi te atthi.
Courage, this is said to be your uninterrupted effort, this is also yours.
Cāgo ti attapariccāgo,
Charity means self-sacrifice,
tvaṁ attānaṁ pariccajitvā, mama santikaṁ āgato.
having forsaken yourself, come into my presence.
Yaṁ panāhaṁ gaṇhituṁ nāsakkhiṁ mayham-evesa doso.
But that I was unable to capture (him) is my fault.
Diṭṭhan-ti diṭṭha here being equal to Sanskrit dviṣṭa, not in PED. paccāmittaṁ.
Foe means adversary.
So ativattatī ti yassa puggalassa yathā tava,
Will overcome for that person like you,
evaṁ ete cattāro dhammā atthi, so yathā maṁ ajja tvaṁ atikkanto,
having these four things, just as today you overcame me,
tatheva attano paccāmittaṁ atikkamati abhibhavatī ti.
so will he overthrow, conquer his enemy.