Chapter IV, Section 1a

p. 16 CHAPTER IV. FLOWERS . 44. Who shall overcome this earth, and the world of Yama (the lord of the departed), and the world of the gods? Who shall find out the plainly shown path of virtue, as a clever man finds out the (right) flower? 45. The disciple will overcome the earth, and the world of Yama, and the world of the gods. The disciple will find out the plainly shown path of virtue, as a clever man finds out the (right) flower. [1. See Beal, Dhammapada, p. 75. 44, 45. If I differ from the translation of Fausböll and Weber, it is because the commentary takes the two verbs, vi g essati and pa k essati, to mean in the end the same thing, i.e. sa kkh i-karissati, 'he will perceive.' I have not ventured to take vi g essate for vi g anissati, though it should be remembered that the overcoming of the earth and of the worlds below and above, as here alluded to, is meant to be achieved by means of knowledge. Pa k essati, 'he will gather' (cf. vi- k i, Indische Sprüche, 4560), means also, like 'to gather' in English, 'he will perceive or understand,' and the dhammapada, or 'path of virtue,' is distinctly explained by Buddhaghosa as consisting of the thirty-seven states or stations which lead to Bodhi. (See Burnouf, Lotus, p. 430; Hardy, Manual, p. 497.) Dhammapada might, no doubt, mean also 'a law-verse,' and sudesita, 'well taught,' and this double meaning may be intentional here as elsewhere. Buddha himself is called Mârga-dar s aka and Mârga-de s ika (cf. Lal. Vist. p. 551). There is a curions similarity between these verses and verses 6540-41, and 9939 of the S ânti-parva: Pushpâ n îva vi k invantam anyatragatamanasam, Anavâpteshu kâmeshu m ri tyur abhyeti mânavam. 'Death approaches man like one who is gathering flowers, and whose mind is turned elsewhere, before his desires have been fulfilled.' Supta m vyâghra m mahaugho vâ m ri tyur âdâya ga kkh ati, Sa ñk invânakam evaina m kâmânâm avit ri ptikam. 'As a stream (carries off) a sleeping tiger, death carries off this man who is gathering flowers, and who is not satiated in his pleasures.' This last verse, particularly, seems to me clearly a translation from Pâli, and the kam of sa ñk invânakam looks as if put in metri causâ.] p. 17 46. He who knows that this body is like froth, and has learnt that it is as unsubstantial as a mirage, will break the flower-pointed arrow of Mâra, and never see the king of death. 47. Death carries off a man who is gathering flowers and whose mind is distracted, as a flood carries off a sleeping village. 48. Death subdues a man who is gathering flowers, and whose mind is distracted, before he is satiated in his pleasures. 49. As the bee collects nectar and departs without injuring the flower, or its colour or scent, so let a sage dwell in his village. 50. Not the perversities of others, not their sins [46.