Ja 149 Ekapaṇṇajātaka
The Story about One Leaf
In the present one cruel prince is cured of his wickedness by the teaching of the Buddha, who then tells a similar story of the past whereby he cured one prince of his bad ways with a simile of a bitter leaf.
1. Ekapaṇṇo ayaṁ rukkho, na bhūmyā caturaṅgulo,
This tree has but one leaf, it is not four inches above the ground,
Phalena visakappena, mahāyaṁ kiṁ bhavissatī ti?
It has fruit filled up with poison, what will it be when it is grown?
Tattha,
In this connection, one leaf means on both sides there is but one leaf.
Na bhūmyā caturaṅgulo ti bhūmito caturaṅgulamattam-pi na vaḍḍhito.
It is not four inches above the ground means it has developed a mere Or, perhaps, a measure of four inches... four inches above the ground.
Phalenā ti phalarasena.
It has fruit means it is fruity.
Visakappenā ti halāhalavisasadisena.
Filled up with poison DPD: kappa 6. adj, from kappati. equipped with; endowed with; full of. means it is like a deadly poison.
Evaṁ khuddako pi samāno
Though it is very small
evarūpena tittakena paṇṇena samannāgato, ti attho.
it is endowed with such a bitter leaf, this is the meaning.
Mahāyaṁ kiṁ bhavissatī ti?
What will it be when it is grown?
Yadā panāyaṁ vuddhippatto mahā bhavissati,
But when it has become grown up and is large,
tadā kiṁ nāma bhavissati, addhā manussamārako bhavissatī ti,
then what will it be, it will certainly be a killer of mankind,
etaṁ uppāṭetvā madditvā, chaḍḍesin-ti āha.
having torn it up and crushed it, I have abandoned it, this is what is said.