'^HjfffT^*r^' O»o L_C^ r LOKANlTI TRANSLATION by JAMES GRAY if ( im ) G77 URIS LIBRARY CORNELL UNIVERSITY LIBRARY 3 1924 052 490 913 DATE DUE CAVLORD PRINTED INU.S. A. Cornell University Library The original of this book is in the Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/cletails/cu31924052490913 TRUBNER'S ORIENTAL SERIES. . * • PRINTED BY THE •1 BUDDHA SASANA COUNCIL UNION OF BURMA KABA-AYE (For Research Purpose and Study ) ANCIENT PROVERBS AND MAXIMS jfrom Burmese Sources; OR, THE NITI LITERATURE OF BURMA. BY JAMES GRAY, AUTHOR OF ' ELSHEHT9 OF PALI ORAMHAR," " TBANSLATION OF THE DHAUMAPAOA," ETC. LONDON: TEiJBNER & CO., LUDGATE HILL. 1886. [All rights reiervcd.} URIS LIBRARY FEB OS 1990 •'C\\'\'CS'^-^' . y BALLANTYNE, HANSON AND CO. EDINBURGH AND LONDON CONTENTS. INTRODUCTION vii I. THE LOKANlTI Thb Wise Man Thb Good Man Thb Wise Man i II Thb Evil-Dobe ,5 Fbiendship ,q Woman 22 Kings Rbsidenoe 26 Misckllaneods . . / 31 II. THE DHAMMANlTI— The Peeobptok 37 soholaeship 40 Wisdom 4, KnOWLEDOE AQ CONVEBSATIDN ji Wealth c. Residence cc Dependence 57 FeIENDSHIP . rn The Bad Man 62 The Good Man 67 The PowEBifUL 6g Women 70 Sons j. Servants je 76 What should be Done 70 Ti CONTENTS. TAOE What should be Avoided 85 Obnahentation 90 Kings 92 MiNIBTBATION 96 Things Taken bt Twos, &c 102 MiSOELLANEOUB I05 III. THEBlJANlTI 119 IV. THE STJTTAVADDHANANtTI 142 APPENDIX :— A. Old Indian Sayings 161 B. Coeeespondino Stanzas in the NItis . . . -175 C. Coeeespondino Stanzas in the Dhamuaniti . . .179 INTRODUCTION. The Saiiskrit-P§,li word IfUi is equivalent to " conduct " in its abstract, and "guide" in its concrete signification. As applied to books, it is a general term for a treatise which includes maxims, pithy sayings, and didactic stories, intended as a guide to such matters of everyday life as form the character of an individual and influence him in his relations to his fellow-men. Treatises of this kind have been popular in all ages, and have served as a most effective medium of instruction. In India a very compre- hensive literature sprang up, known as the Nitisdstras, embracing what is called " Beast-fable " lore, represented by the Pandatantra, and its epitome the Hitopadeia of Vishnusarman, and the numerous ethico-didactic antho- logies which, based chiefly on the Mahdhhdraia and other ancient poems, gained popularity by the collected apo- phthegms of Bhartrihari and C 4nakya. Anthological study at length became so inviting, that in the Sdriigadharapad- dhati, a compilation of the fourteenth century A.D., we find about 6000 stanzas, gathered from more than 250 sources. The Buddhist Jdtakam, containing 550 stories, is a rich storehouse of fables, and, though in character similar to the Pandafantra, is not classed as a Ifiti, nor does the Dhammapada, and other treatises of the same kind, fuU of maxims of morality and religious reflections, come under the designation. The term If^tti, in so far as it describes anthological collections, is, in Burma, found viii INTRODUCTION. connected with the following works — the Zokaniti, the Dhammaniti, the Bdjaniti, and the Suttavaddhananih: Of these, the first three are original recensions in the M^gadhese dialect, adapted from Sanskrit works; while the last is a comparatively recent collection of useful maxims from the Buddhist canon itself. The former form a group in themselves, and owe their importance to being of Sanskritic origin. The remarks which follow are in special reference to them alone. The earliest reference in Burmese literature to the Zokaniti and Rdjaniti is, so far as I have been able to ascertain, to be found in the Arakan Bdzdwin, or " Chronicles of Arakan," in connection with Prince Kha Maung's visit to Pegu early in the seventeenth century. Mention of the Bhammaniti is rarely met with, as it seems never to have become a handbook for study like the other two. The exact dates of these collections in Burma are not recorded anywhere, nor is their authorship a matter of certainty. That they were compiled between the twelfth and fourteenth centuries is not unlikely, judging from the progress of literature under the patronage of Burmese kings. King Anoratha, in the first half of the eleventh century, organised an expedition to Thaton, and obtained thence a copy of the Buddhist Scriptures. Their interpretation was then only possible through the Mun language. The Mun alphabet was consequently adopted by the Burmese, and the learned among the latter made the literature written in it an important study. Wars between the Muns and Burmese led eventually to a good deal of intercommunication between the two races. Hindu colonists, besides, had settled on the lower valleys of the Irawadi and Sittang rivers, and a religious struggle be- tween Brahmans and Buddhists resulted in evoking the erudition of the learned Punnas. Their services were Suon utilised by the Burmese kings in furtherance of the cause of literature, and it was through their invaluable assistance that the study of Sanskrit became a sine qud non INTRODUCTION. ix in the royal monasteries. Being familiar with M&gadhese (then the literary language of the country), and also ac- quainted with the local vernacular, they were of great help to the Buddhist Bahans in the interpretation of the Pitagat. And it is reasonable to suppose that when that great task was completed attention was paid to secular literature, the outcome of which was the compilation of the three NUis. Similar, or perhaps the very same treatises, were in use in the royal courts of India, and their introduction into the court of Ava was natural enough. The translation of Sanskrit works of a more erudite character was a work of later date. That Brahmanic influence had been at work in the compilation of the Nitis of Burma is evident from the nature of certain passages found in them. Evidence is also not wanting to show that additions have been made to the original treatises more in consonance with Bud- dhistic belief and idiosyncrasies. Partial emendations have also been resorted to, and can be discovered as the work of Eahans anxious to replace Hinduic ideas by others more congenial to their orthodoxy. Sanskrit editions of the three Mtis are to be found imong the Manipurian Punnas, who, driven from their native abode by the vicissitudes of war, made a home for themselves in Burma. They are written in Bengali characters, but editions in Sanskritised Burmese are also procurable. The Sanskrit Lohanih of the Manipurian Punnas commences with the same stanza as the Hitopa- deia of Vishnu^arman — Siddbis s^dhye sat&m astu Fran&d&t tasya dhtlrjates J^hnaviphenalekheva Yadmurdbni iakmah kal&,' ' "For the good may there be BuccesB in acbievements through the grace of Dbt^jati (Siva), on whose head there is the moon's sixteenth part, like a streak of the Ganges' foam," X INTRODUCTION. This stanza is disregarded ia the Burmese anthology, most probably on account of the difficulty of its adaptation tQ- Buddhistic views. The Sanskrit LoTeanUi originally contained 109 g§,th&s, which, iu^the Burniese version, have been expanded to 167. The Zokaniti and DMmmaniti embrace a miscella- neous collection of subjects, and serve as suitable hand- books for the general reader for the study of prudential rules and principles of morality. The former is taught in almost every monastic school in Burma, and printed editions of it have helped considerably to extend its popularity. That a work of the kind should have charms for the Buddhist is not to be wondered at. He firmly believes that his future happiness depends upon his be- haviour in his present life, and relies more on practical deeds rather than on the faith which his religion demands ; saad nothing could be more suitable to his wants than a kind of literature which lays down for him in pithy stanzas, and often in metaphoric language, a number of simply- worded apophthegms which are to shape his career in this world and fit him for a better sphere of existence when he leaves it. The Bdjaniti is an anthology originally compiled for the use of kings and princes, and based chiefly on the ancient Dharma^§,stras, of which Manu's code has evidently sup- plied the greater proportion of the stanzas. It must not be confounded with the Bdjaniti of Lallu Mia, which is nothing more than an adaptation in the Braj dialect of the Sanskrit HitopadeSa. The Burmese Mti seems to have for its prototype the Bdjanitiidstra of C'§,nakya, The Shammaniti, although the best and most comprehensive of the Nitis, is very little studied — a circumstance that can be explained by its being more extensive in its scope than the Lohaniti, and therefore proving a task of greater labour to the copyist, through whom chiefly the wide circulation of texts could have been carried on in the absence of printing-presses. The Lohaniti, besides, had INTRODUCTION. xi an Indian reputation which was never extended to the Dhawmaniti. The same may be said of the E&janiti. The stanzas of the NUis helong chiefly to the Vatta, or heroic measure, corresponding with the octosyllabic ^lokas of the Mahdbhdrata and Rdmdyana, but the exigencies of expression have, as in those poems, necessitated the occa- sional use of longer-lined verses. The P§,li of the texts belongs to the later rather than to the earlier style as represented in the Bhammapada of the Buddhist canon. On the whole, the translations are faithful to the original Sanskrit from which they have been adopted. In some cases the PSli is a mere transcript. For instance, the Sanskrit — M&U iatruh pit& vairi Yena MIo na pt.thitah Na ^obhate sabh&madhye Hamsamadhye vako yath$ is rendered in P^li by MEltS. veri pit£ satru Kena b^e na sikkhit^ SabhS,majjhe na sobhati Hamsamajjhe bako yathS. Again, in Sanskrit we have — Bftpayauvanasampann^ YhHakulasaiubhaT&h Vidy^hin^ na ^obhante Nirgandhd. iva kim^uk4h, and in P^li- Vis^akulasambhav^ VijjS,hm£ na sobhanti NiggandM iva kimsuk^. In other instances some material modifications have been made necessary, as would be expected in a para- phrastic translation, in which the rules of versification have to be rigidly enforced, and in which Brahmanic sen- timents had to be so modified as not to wound the suscep- xii INTRODUCTION. tibilities of the Buddhist reader. Some passages will be found revolting to our intelligence, but they may bts of use in giving us an insight into the superstitious practices of the ancient Indians, and furnishing an index to the state of society at the period to which they refer. In the footnotes to the English translations I have made some passing observations and given parallel pas- sages. These might have been largely augmented, but I have refrained from encumbering the pages of a work intended chiefly for the general reader. 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The author has manifestly devoted much labour to the tank of studying the poetical literature of the Japanese, and rendering charactetistic specimens into Eni^Iish verse," — Daily Heios. " Mr. Chamberlain's volume is, so far as we are aware, the first attiompt which has been made to interpret the literature-of the Japanese to the Western world. It is to the classical poetry of Old Japan that we must turn for indigenous Japanese thought, and in the volume before us we have a selection from t^t poetry rendered into graceful English verse." — Tablet. "It is undoubtedly one of the best translations of lyric literature which has appeared during the close of the last year." — Celestial Empire. " Mr. Chamberlain set himself a difScult task when he undertook to reproduce Japanese poeu? in an English form. But he has evidently laboured con amore, and hia efforts are successful to a degree." — Ltmdon and China Exprat. Post Svo, pp. xii. — 164, cloth, price los. 6d. THE HIST0B7 OF ESABHADDON (Son of Sennacherib), KING OF ASSYRIA, B.O. 681-668. Translated from the Cuneiform Inscriptions upon Cylinders and Tablets in the British Museum Collection ; together with a Grammatical Analysis of each Word, Explanations of the Ideographs by Extracts from the Bi-Lingual Syllabaries, and List of Eponyms, &c. By ERNEST A. BUDGE, B.A., M.R.A.S., Assyrian Exhibitioner, Christ's College, Cambridge. *' Students of scriptural archEBology will also appreciate the ' History of Esar- haddon.' " — Times. " There is much to attract the scholar in this volume. It does not pretend to popularise studies which are yet in their infancy. Its primary object is to translate, but it does not assume to be more than tentative, and it offers both to the professed Assyriologist and to the ordinary non-AssyiloIogical Semitic -scholar the means of controlling its results." — Academy. "Mr. Budge's book is, of course, mainly addressed to Assyrian scholars and students. 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Post 8to, pp. xvi.— 280, oloth, price 6b. EASTIiKN PROVERBS AKD EMBLEMS ILLUSTSATING OLD TRUTHS. By Kbv. J. LONG, Member of the Bengal Asiatic Society, F.B.G.S. " We regard the book as valuable, and wish for it a wide circulation and attentive reading."— iiawrd. " Altogether, it is quite a feast of good things."— Sloie. " It is full of interesting matter." — Antiguary, Post 8vo, pp. viii. — 270, cloth, price 7s. 6d. INDIAN POETRY; Containing a New Edition of the " Indian Song of Songs," from theSanscrit of the "Gita Govinda" of Jayadeva; Two Boolcs from "The Iliad of India " (Mahabharata), " Proverbial Wisdom " from the Shlokas of the Hitopadesa, and other Oriental Poems. By EDWIN ARNOLD, C.S.L, Author of " The Light of Asia." " In this new volume of Messrs, TrUbner's Orientsd Series, Mr, Edwin Arnold does good service by illustrating, through the medium of his musical EogUsh melodies, the power of Indian poetry to stir European emotions. The * Indian Song of Songs Is not unknown to scholars. Mr. Arnold will have introduced it among popular English poems. Nothing could be more graceful aod delicate than the shades by which Krishna is portrayed in the gradual process of being weaned by the love of 'Beautiful Badha, jasmine-bosomed Radba,' from the allurements of the forest nymphs, in whom the five senses are typified." — Timet. ** No other English poet has ever thrown his genius and bis art so thoroughly into the work of translating Eastern ideas as Mr. Arnold has done in bis splendid para, phrases of language contained in these mighty epics."— Daily Teleffraph. 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HUTCHINSON, C.M.S., Church Mission, Hong Kong. " Mr. Faber is already well known in the field of Chinese studies by bis digest of the doctrines of ConfuciuV The value of this work will be perceived when it is remembered that at no time since relations commenced between China and the West has the former been so powerful — we had almost said aggressive — as now. For those who will give it careful study, Mr. Faber's work is one of the most valuable of the excellent series to which it belongs." — Nature. TRUBNER'S ORIENTAL SERIES. Post 8vo, pp. 336, clotli, price i6b. THE RELIGIONS OF INDIA. By A. EARTH. Translated from the French with the authority and assistance of the Author. The author has, at the request of the puhlishers, considerahly enlarged the work for the translator, and has added the literature of the subject to date ; the translation may, therefore, he looked upon as an eqidvalent of a new and improved edition of the original. " Is not only a valuable manual of the religions of India^ which marks a distinct step in the treatment of the subject, but also a useful work of reference." — Academy. " This volume is a reproduction, with corrections and additions, of an arti(^e contributed by the learned author two years ago to the ' £ncyclDp6die des Sciences Beligieuses.* It attracted much notice when it first appeared, and is generally admitted to present the best summary extant of the vast subject with which it deals." — Tablet. **'This is not only on the whole the best but the only manual of the religions of India, apart from Buddhism, which we have in English. The present work . . . shows not only great knowledge of the facts and power of clear exposition, but also great insight into the inner history and the deeper meaning of the great religion, for it is in reality only one, which it proposes to describe."— Jfotfem Review. " The merit of the work has been emphatically recognised by the most authoritative Orientalists, both in this country and on the continent of Europe, But probably there are few Indianists (if we may use the word) who would not derive a good deal of information from it, and especially from the extensive bibliography provided in the notes." — Dublin Eeview. " Such a sketch M. Barth has drawn with a master-hand." — Critic (New Tork). Post 8vo, pp. viii. — 152, cloth, price 6b. HINDU PHILOSOPHY. The SlNKHYA KAEIKA of IS'WAEA K:RISHNA. An Exposition of the System of Kapila, with an Appendix on the Nyaya and Vais'eshika Systems. By JOHN DAVIES, M.A. (Cantab.), M.R.A.S. {The system of Kapila contains nearly all that India has produced in the department of pure philosophy. "The non-Orientalist . . . finds in Mr. Davies a patient and' learned guide who leads him into the intricacies of the philosophy of India, and supidies him with a clue, that he may not be lost in them. In the preface he states that the system of Kapila Is the 'earliest attempt on record to give an answer, from reason alone, to the mysterious questions which arise in every thoughtful mind about the.origin of the world, Uie nature and relations of man and his future desti&y, ' and in his learned and able notes be exhibits * the connection of the Sankhya system with tiie philo- sophy of Spinoza/ and ' the connection of the system of Eapila with that of Schopen- hauer and Von Hartmann.* " — Fordgn Church Chronicle. " Mr. Davies's volume on Hindu Philosophy is an undoubted gain to all students of the development of thought. The system of Eapila, which is here given in a trans- lation from the Sankhya K^rika, is the only contributionjPf India to pure philosophy. . . . Presents many points of deep interest to the stnBent of comparative philo- sophy, and without Mr. Davies's lucid interpretation it would be difficult to apin^ ciate these points in any adequate manner,'* — Saturday Review. "We welcome Mr. Davies's book as a valuable addition to our philosophical library.*'— iiro(« and Quiries. TRUBNER'S ORIENTAL SERIES. Post 8to, pp. X. — 130, cloth, price 6s. A MANUAL OF HINDU PANTHEISM. VEDANTASAKA. Translated, with copious Annotations, by Major 6. A. JACOB, Bombay StaSf Corps ; Inspector of Army Schools. The design of this little work is to provide for missionaries, and for others who, like them, have little leisure for original research, an accurate summary of the doctrines of the Vedanta. " There can be no qtiestion that the religious doctrines most widely held by the |>eople of India are mainly Pantheiatio. And of Hindu Pantheism, at all events in its most modern phases, its VedAntas^ra presents the best summary. But then this work is a mere summary : a skeleton, the dry bones of which require to be clothed with skin and bones, and to be animated by vital breath before the ordinary reader will discern in It a living reality. Major Jacob, therefore, has wisely added to his translation of the Ved&ntaiiLra copious notes from the writings of well-known Oriental scholars, in which be has, we think, elucidated all that required elucidation. So that the work, as here presented to us, presents no difficulties which a very moderate amount of application will not overcome." — TdbUt. " The modest title of Major Jacob's work conveys but an inadequate idea of the vast amount of research embodied in his notes to the text of the Vedantasara. So copious, indeed, are these, and so much collateral matter do they bring to bear on the subject, that the diligent student will rise from their perusal with a fairly adequate view of Hindfl philosophy generally. His work ... is one of the best of its kind that we have seen." — Calcutta Review. Post 8vo, pp. xii. — 134, cloth, price 7s. 6d. TSUNI— 1 1 aOAM : The Sufbeme Being of the Kboi-Khoi. 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Post 8vo, Vol. I., pp. xii.— 392, cloth, price 12s. 6d., Vol. II., pp. vL — ^408, cloth, price 12s. 6d., Vol. III., pp. viii. — 414, cloth, price I2B. 6d. A COMPREHENSIVE COMMENTARY TO THE QURAN. To WHICH IS PEEFIXED SALB'S PeEHMINAET DiSOOUESB, WITH Additional Notes and Emendations. Together with a Complete Index to the Text, Preliminary Discourse, and Notes. By Eev. E. M. ■WHBEET, M.A., Lodiana. " As Mr. Wherry's book is intended for missionaries in India, it is no doubt well that they should be prepared to meet, if they can, the ordinary arguments and inter- pretations, and for this purpose Mr. Wherry's additions will prove useful." — Saturday Remea. TRUBNER'S ORIENTAL SERIES. Post 8vo, pp. vi.— 208, cloth, price 8b. fid. THE BHAGAVAD-aiTA. Translated, with Introduction and Notes By JOHN DA VIES, M.A. (Cantab.) . 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The most pro- minent features in the Quatrains are their profound agnosticism, combined with a fatalism based more on philosophic than religious grounds, their Epicureanism and the spirit of universal tolerance and charity which animates them." — Calcutta Review. Post 8vo, pp. xxiv. — 268, cloth, price 9s, THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE UPANISHADS AND ANCIENT INDIAN METAPHYSICS. As exhibited in a series of Articles contributed to the CalcvMa Beview. By AECHIBAXD EDWAED GOUGH, M.A., Lincoln College, Oxford ; Principal of the Calcutta Madrasa. "For practical purposes this is perhaps the most important of the works that have thus far appeared in * TrUbner*s Oriental Series.' . . . We cannot doubt that for all who may take il up the work must be one of profound interest." — Saturday Reviea. In Two Volumes. Vol. I., post Bvo, pp. xxiv. — 230, cloth, price 7s. 6d. A COMPARATIVE HISTORY OF THE EGYPTIAN AND MESOFOTAMIAN RELIGIONS. By Dr. C. P. TIELE. Vol. I. — HiSTOBT OP THE EGYPTIAN BeLIGIOK. Translated from the Dutch with the Assistance of the Author. By JAMES BALLINGAL. " It places in the hands of the English readers a history of Egyptian Religion which IS very complete, which is based on the best materials, and which has been illustrated by the &test results of research. In this volume there is a great deal of information, as well as Independent investigation, for the trustworthiness of which Dr. Tide's name is in itself a guarantee ; and the description of the Kuccessive religions under the Old Kingdom, the Middle Kingdom, and the New Kingdom, is given in a manner which is ^olarly and minute." — Scotiman. TRVBNER'S ORIENTAL SERIES. Post 8vo, pp. xii. — ^302, cloth, price Ss. 6d. YUSTJP AND ZULAIKHA, A POEU BT 3 AMI. Translated from the Persian into English Verse, By EALPH T. H. 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By carl ABEL. *' All these essays of Dr. Abel's are so thoughtful, so full of happy illustrations, and so admirably pat together, that we hardly know to which we should specially turn tn select for our readers a sample of his workmanship." — Tablet. *' An entirely novel method of dealing with philosophical questions and impart a real human interest to the otherwise dry technicalities of the science." — Standard. " Dr. Abel is an opponent from whom it ia pleasant to differ, for he writes with enthusiasm smd temper, and his mastery over the English language fits him to be a champion of unpopuLu* doctrines." — Athenoium. "Dr. Abel writes very good English, and much of his book will prove entertaining to ttie general reader. It may give some useful hints, and suggest some subjects for profitable investigation, even to philologists." — NoMon {New York). Post 8vo, pp. ix. — 281, cloth, price los. 6cl. THE SABV A - DARSANA - SAMGRAHA ; Ob, review of the different systems of HINDU PHILOSOPHY. 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RALSTON, M.A. ''Mr. Ralston, whose name is so familiar to all lovers of Russian folk-lore, has supplied some interesting Western analogies and parallels, diaWn, for the most) part, from Slavonic sources, to the Eastern folk-tales, culled from the Eabgyur, one of the divisions of the Tibetan sacred hookB."— Academy. "The translation . . . could scarcely have fallen into better hands. An Introduc- tion . . . gives the leading facts in the lives of those scholars who have given their attention to gaining a knowledge of the Tibetan literature and language." — Calcutta Jtevievj. " Ought to Interest, all who care for the East, for' amusing stories, or for comparative folk-lore."— PoJJ Mall OazetU. TRUBNER'S ORIENTAL SERIES. Post 8vo, pp. xvl — 224, cloth, price ga. UDANAVABQ-A. A COLLECnON OrYsBSES FBOH THE BUDDHIST CaNON. Compiled by DHAHMATBITA. Bkino the northern BUDDHIST VERSION op DHAMMAPADA. Tianslated from the Tibetan of Bkah-hgyur, with Notes, and Extracts from the Commentary of PradjnaTarman, By TV. WOODVILLE ROCKHILL. " Mr. Bockhill's present work i^ the first from which assistance will be gained for a more accurate understanding of the Pali text ; it is, in fact, as yet the only term of cumparison available to us. The ' Udanavarga,' the Thibetan version, was originally discovered by tlie late M. Schiefner, who published the Tibetan text, and had intended adding a translation, an intention frustrated by his death, but which has been carried out by Mr. Bockhill. . . . Mr. Bockhill may be congratulated for having well accomplished a difficult task." — Saturday Review, In Two Volumes, post 8vo, pp. xxiv. — 566, cloth, accompanied by a Language Map, price 25s. A SKETCH OF THE MODERN LANGUAGES OF AFRICA. By ROBERT NEEDHAM OUST, Barrister-at-Law, and late of Her Majesty's Indian Civil Service. ** Any one at all interested in African languages cannot do better than get Mr. Cust's book. It is encyclopaedic in its scope, and the reader gete a start clear away in any particular language, and ia left free to add to the initial sum of knowledge there collected." — Hatal Mercury. " Mr. Gust has contrived to produce a work of value to linguistic students." — Ifature. Post 8vo, pp. xii. — 312, with Maps and Flan, cloth, price 14^. A HISTORY OF BURMA, Including Burma Proper, Pegu, Taungu, Tenasserim, and Arakan. From the Earliest Time to the End of the First War with British India. By Lieut. -Gen. Sie ABTHUB P. PHATRB, G.C.M.G., K.C.S.I,, andO.B.. Membre Conespoudant de la Soci^t^ Academique Indo-Chinoise de France. 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" Dr. Edkins' valuable work, of which' this is a second and revised edition, has, from the time that it was published, been the standard authority upon the subject of which it tTea.ta."~Nonconfomiat. " Dr. Edkins . . . may now be fairly regarded as among the first authorities on Chinese religion and language."— Bi-itisA Quarterly Review. TRUBNER'S ORIENTAL SERIES. Third Edition. Post 8vo, pp. XV.-250, cloth, price 7s. 6d. OUTLINES OF THE HISTORY OF RELIGION TO THE SPREAD OF THE UNIVERSAL RELIOIONS. By C. p. TIELB, Doctor of Theology, Professor of the History of Beligions in the University of Leyden. Translated from the Dutch by J. ESTLIN Cabfenteb, M.A. " Few boolcs of its size contain the result of so much wide thinking, able and labo- rious study, or enable the reader to gain a better bird's-eye view of the latest results of investigations into the religious history of nations. As Professor Tiele modestly says, ' In this little book are outlines — ^pencil sketches, I might say^nothing more.' But there are some men whose sketches from a thumb-nail are of' far more worth than an enormous canvas covered with the crude painting of others, and it is easy to see that these pages, full of information, these sentences, cut and perhaps also dry, short and clear, condense the fruits of long and thorough research." — ScoUman. Post 8vo, pp. X.-274, cloth, price gs. THE LIFE OF THE BUDDHA AND THE EARLY HISTORY OF HIS ORDER. Derived from Tibetan Works in the Bkah-hgyur and Bstan-hgyur. Followed by notices on the Early History of Tibet and Ehoten. Transla;ted by W. W. EOCKHILL, Second Secretary U.S. Legation in China. "The volume bears testimony to the diligence and fulness with which the author has consulted and tested the ancient documents bearing upon his remarkable sub- ject." — TirfUi. *' Will be appreciated by those who devote themselves to tliose Buddhist studies which have of late years taken in these Western regions so i-emarkable a develop- ment. Its matter possesses a special interest as being derived from ancient Tibetan works, some portions of which, here analysed and translated, have not yet attracted the attention of scholars. The volume is rich in ancient stories bearing upon the world's renovation and the origin of castes, as recorded in these venerable autho- rities." — Hdily NeiM. Third Edition. Post 8vo, pp. viii.-464, cloth, price i6s. THE SANKHYA APHORISMS OF KAPILA, With Illustrative Bitraots from the Commentaries. Translated by J. B. BALLANTTNE, LL.D., late Principal of the Benares College. Edited by FITZEDWAKD HALL. "The work displays .a vast expenditure of labour and scholarship, for which students of Hindoo philosophy have every reason to be grateful to Dr. Hall and the publishers." — Calcutta Review. In Two Volumes, post 8vo, pp. cviii.-242, and viii.-370, cloth, price 24s. Dedicated by permission to H.R.H. the Prince of Wales. BUDDHIST RECORDS OF THE WESTERN WORLD, Translated from the Chinese of Hiuen Tsiang (a.d. 629). Bt SAMUEL BEAL, B.A., (Trin. Coll., Camb.) ; E.N. (Ketired Chaplain and N.L) ; Professor of Chinese, University College, London ; Kector of Wark, Northumberland, &c. An eminent Indian authority writes respecting this work:— "Nothing more can be done in elucidating the History of India untQ Mr. Seal's trans- lation of the ' Si-yu-ki' appears." 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Ic is a great boon to get so notable a work in so accessible a form, admirably edited, and competently translated." — 8cot»ma7u "Few men were more competent thuu Bumell to give us a really good translation of this well-known law book, first rendered into English by Sir William Jones. Bumell was not only an independent Sanskrit scholar, but an experienced lawyer, fmd he joined to these two important qualifications the rare faculty of being able to express. his thoughts in clear and trenchant English. . . . We ought to feel very grateful to Dr. Hopkins for having given us all that could be publi^ed of the trans- hition left by Bumell." — F. Hax MOller in the Academy. Post 8vo, pp. xii.-234, cloth, price 93. THE LIFE AND WORKS OF ALEXANDER CSOMA DE EOBOS, Between 1819 and 1842. With a Short Notice of all his Published and TJn- pwblished Works and Essays. From Original and for most part Un- published Documents. By THEODORE DtJKA, M.D., F.B.C.S. (Eng.), Surgeon-Major H.M.'b Bengal Medical Service, Ketired, &c. "Not too soon have Messrs. Trfibner added to their valuable Oriental Series a history of the life and works of one of the most gifted and devoted of Oriental students, Alexander Csoma de Eoros. It Is forty-three years since his death, and though an account of his career was demanded soon after his decease, it has only now appeared in tlie important memoir of his compatriot, Br. Duka." — BookaelUr. In Two Volumes, post 8T0,.pp. zii.-3i8 and 310, cloth, price 21B. MISCELLANEOUS ESSAYS ON SUBJECTS OONNECTED WnU THE MALAY PENINSULA AND THE INDLA.N ABCHIPELAaO. Reprinted from "Dalrymple's Oriental Repertory," " Asiatiok Researches," and the " Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal." "The papers treat of almost every aspect of Indo-Ohlua~lts philology, economy, geography, geology — and constitute a very material and important contribution to our accesable iuiormation'regarding that country and its people." — Cmiemporary Meview. Post 8to, pp. zii.-72, cloth, price 5b. THE SATAEAS OF BHABTBIHABL Translated from the Sanskrit By the Rev. B. HAIE WORTHAM, M.B.A.S., Rector of Eggesford, North Devon. " A very interesting addition to Trttbner's Oriental Series." — &iturdaj/ Beview. •I Many of the Maxims in the book have a Biblical ring and beauty of expression " — 8t. JaToea' GtaetU, LONDON : TRUBNER & CO., 57 and 59 LUDGATE HILL. 500—20/3/86 — M. THE mTI LITERATURE OF BURMA. I.— THE LOKANITI.^ SECTION I. THE WISE MAN. Having paid homage to the Three Gems,^ I recite con- cisely in MIgadhese* the "Lokaniti," extracted from various treatises.* ' I have selected this Nlti for translation before the others because it is the most popular in Burma. Its popularity during recent years has been increased by printed editions of it emanating from the presses of Bangoon. It forms, besides, a text- book for the vernacular schools of the province. The Pali text of it is very corrupt in many places, and an emended edition has not yet been attempted. The Lohaniti ("Worldly Behaviour") is divided into seven sections, viz., (i) The EviL-DoEE, (2) The Good Man, (3) The EviL-DoEE, (4) Fbiestdship, (5) Woman, (6) Kings, and (7) Miscel- lANEOUS. It was, for the first time, rendered into Burmese in A.D. 1835, during the reign of Bhagidaw, by the guru CakkaudS,bhislri. 2 The Tiratanarh, viz., Buddha, his Law {i.e., the Buddhist Scrip- turec), and the Priesthood. Bud- dhistic compositions frequently begin with a respectful reference to these three objects of veneration in addi- tion to the formula addressed to Gotama — Namo tassa bhagavato arahato sammdaamiuddhassa, ''Hon- our to him the Blessed, the Sancti- fied, and All-wise." ^ The language of MSgadha. This was one of the nine tracts into which India of the PurSna period was known to be divided. IJuring Golama's time it was probably bounded by the Ganges on the north, Hiranya Parvata (Monghyr) on the east, Kirana Suvarna on the south, and the Benares district on the west, making in all a circuit of about 800 mUes. Its ancient capital was P^taUputra, established in the reign of !A.j^tasatru. Magadha was also known as PalMa or Pardsa,, the land of the Butea f random. Hence Arrian, Strabo, and Pliny call the A 2 NiTI LITERATURE OF BURMA. 2. The "Niti,"5 in this -world, is a man's substance, his father, his mother, his teacher, his friend : a person, there- fore, knowing the " Mti," is a wise man, both excellent and well-informed. 3- How can there be proficiency for one who is indolent, wealth for one without proficiency, friendship for one without wealth, happiness for the friendless, merit for the unhappy, and NibMn * for the unmeritorious person ? 4- Wealth is not equal in value to learning. Thieves do not take away learning:^ it is friendship in this world, and the bearer of happiness in the next. 5- One should not despise a little; he should keep in his mind what has been acquired : drops of water in an ant- hill will fill it at length.8 people Prasii. The chief places of ing to rule, becomes nihhd/na, "a Buddhistic interest in Magadha were going out."] Buddha GayS, EAjagriha, Naianda, ' The idea is borrowed from Can- and KusSgarapura, the original . akya : — capital. The sacred texts written " With knowledge say what other in the Magadha dialect are, properly wealth speaking, termed F41i. The latter Can vie, which neither thieves by word is spelt P41i by the Burmese. stealth * Sanskrit chiefly. There is in- Can take, nor kinsmen make their temal evidence to show that pre- prey ; existing Buddhistic compilations Which lavish'd, never wastes have also been made use of in this away." — Muir. anthology. Or, more literally, " That jewel know- ° This word has the form niti also ledge, which kinsmen plunder not, in Burmese palm-leafs. The ortho- nor thieves carry away, which de- graphy nidhi, signifying a " reposi- creaseth not by giving, is great tory," is met with occasionally, but wealth." this, no doubt, is the result of pho- ' Compare Eitopadeia, ii. lo : — netic similarity. For remarks on "By drops of water falling one by Nlti literature, see the Introduction one, to this work. Little by little may a jar be filled ; ' This is the form which the Such is the law of all accumuia- Sanskrit NirvS.na takes in Burmese tions — literature. [NMdn = iiM&na = ni Of money, knowledge, and religious + vd+7ux,=niwdna, which, accord- merit." — Indian WUdom. THE LOKANItI. 3 6. One should despise neither science nor art, saying to himself — " It is of little consequence : " even one learnt to perfection is a suitable means of livelihood. 7- There is not a gem in every rock nor pearl in every elephant,® not sandal-wood in every forest, nor erudition in every place. 8. If it be known where a wise man, full of learning, is — one in search of knowledge should eagerly repair to that place. 9- Learning comes by degrees, wealth little by little, climbing a mountain is done gradually, love comes by degrees, anger little by little, — these five little by little.^" lO. General knowledge," the science of law,^^ calculation, ' Fabulously supposed to b& in the head. There is a similar conceit concerning the snake and toad. " Sine sine= "little by little." " SuH (= Sanskrit ^ruti, "hear- ing") is rendered in Burmese by "what is heard and seen." I have translated it by "general know- ledge." The reference, no doubt, is to the knowledge of the Vedas, or at least of the mantras (hymns), and brdhmanas (expositions) — the books obtained by Kishis through divine revelation. '^ The Pall sammuti (an adapta- tion of smriti, "memory") is ren- dered by "the knowledge of the Dkammathats." Sammuti, strictly speaking, signifies "tradition," to which heading the Sanskrit DJuir- masdstras are referred. Srati is what is heard by divine revelation in contrast with smriti — what is received from memory (tradition). With regard to the latter, Monier Williams remarks : — " This is be- lieved to be founded on Sruti, 'direct revelation,' as its primary basis, and only possesses authority in so far as it is in. harmony with such revealed truth. The very essence of Smriti, however, is con- sidered to be that it was delivered memoriter by human authors and put into the form of human composi- tion." The six principal divisions of Smriti in Sanskrit literature are : — I. The Veddngas ("Helps to the Vedas"), comprising — (a) Kalpa (Ceremonial DireC' tory). (6) SilcshA (Pronunciation). (c) Chcmdas (Metre). (d) Nvrakta (Exposition). (e) Vydkarana (Grammar). (/) Jyotislm (Astronomy). II. The SmArta Sutras (Non-Vedic Ceremonies). 4 Ntri LITERATURE OF BURMA. mecbanical art ; the knowledge of the "Niti," ^^ the By^- karein," and music; manual dexterity, archery, antiqui- ties;^^ II. Science of medicine, wit and humour,^* astrology;" strategy ,^^ versification; diplomacy, magic,^® and grammar : these are the eighteen acquirements.^" 12. A wise man who is not questioned is like a drum ; ^^ one who is questioned is like a violent shower : a fool, whether addressed or not, speaks much. 13- The knowledge that is in books, and the wealth that III. The DharmcUdstras (Law Books). IV. The ItiMsas (Legendary Poems), v. ThePMrd!»a8(LegendaryTale3). "VI. The NUU&slraa (Moral Pre- cepts). 1' The ancient collection known as the Nitiidstra is referred to. '* Visesakd is so translated in the Burmese nissya, and "grammatical analysis" is probably referred to. "The word Vydharana (Pali Byd- iarana, Burmese BydJea/rein) means literally 'undoing,' and is applied first to linguistic analysis and then generally to grammar, but especially to PSnini's Grammar. It is oppo- site to Sanslcarana, 'putting to- gether,' whence the formed language is called Samskrita, 'constructed.'" — Indian Wisdom. As there seems to be a great deal of misconception on the part of the Burmese trans- lator in several of the renderings of words in the loth and nth stanzas, the rendering attached to visesakd can scarcely be looked upon as the right one. I have no doubt that there is a reference to the Vaii^eshika philosophy, one of the six systeme which had their origin in the Vjia- nisJiads of the Vedas ; so yoga may refer -to the yoga system and not to " mechanical art." 15 Or " Old Writings," i.e., the eighteen PurSnas or Ancient Legen- dary Histories. '" The Jtihdsas or "Legendary Poems" are referred to. Among them are the Rdmdyana and Makd- bhdrata. " Joti (jyotisha). ^8 Or "circumvention.'' Bymdyd, possibly "mysticism," such as we read of in connection with the VedSntist and Mim^nsS, systems, is the idea intended to be conveyed by the text. 1' Or "incantations," "the use of spells." 21' The following is the Paii text of the loth and nth stanzas, com- posed in the Vatta metre : — (10) Suti sammuti sankhy^ ca yoga niti visesakS< gandhabb^ ganikd ceva dhanubbeda ca ptlranS, (11) tikicchaitihils^ca joti m&y& ca chandati ketumant^ ca saddS. ca sippS,tthS,rasakS. ime. ^ The sound may be produced from it whenever it is necessary. THE LOKANlTI. 5 is not in one's hands, — the one is not knowledge, and the other not wealth, when occasion arises.^^ 14. The criterion of water is the water-lily; of a race, discipline and discourse ; of wisdom, the words that are uttered ; and of the ground, the fading of the grass. IS- A man of little learning deems that little a great deal ; he is proud : a frog not seeing the water of the sea,^^ considers it as much as the water in a well. 16. One who, in the first place, has not acquired knowledge, in the second, has not obtained wealth, and, thirdly, has not acquired the " Law " 2* — what will he do in the fourth place ? 17- Children, be wise ; wherefore are ye idle ? One without wisdom is the bearer of another's burden. A wise man is honoured in the world; day by day be ye wise, children. 18. A mother is an enemy, a father is an enemy. Where- fore ? Because their offspring, being uneducated in their youth, are as unbecoming in an assembly as cranes among swans.^ 19- Who gives the point to a mountaiil thorn ? Who gives "^ Kicce samupanne, " when occa- hue. It is possible that the flam- sion arises." According to C^nakya, ingo {PJuenicopterus ruber) is re- "the time of action." ferred to by Indian writers. The '^ The Japanese proverb says, lower eastern part of the delta " A frog in a well sees nothing of of the Irawadi was called Hartisa- the high seas." vatt (" valley of harhsas "). Hiuen ^ The Buddhist Scriptures— the Tsiang, the Chinese pilgrim, refers Tipitaha — as furnishing the rules to the tract as being included in for religious duties, &a Kdirudankd. ^ " Brahmanio ducks " of golden 6 Ntri LITERATURE OF BURMA. sight to the eye of a deer or fragrance to a lily in the pond? Who gives to the descendants of a race their disposition ? Each comes of itself.^^ 20. Flavourless is a betel-leaf without lime ^ and insipid the adornments of one without wealth; tasteless is a curry devoid of salt; senseless the exposition^ of one without knowledge. 21. One observant is full of learning; he increases his knowledge; by means of knowledge he understands the meaning: 2* the comprehension of the meaning brings satisfaction. 22. Food, sexual intercourse, and sleep appertain both to oxen and men ; knowledge is peculiar ** to man : one of a debased intellect is on a level with oxen. 23. Friendship is not equal in value to knowledge ; there is no enemy like sickness ; no love is equal to self-love ; no power equal to moral merit.^^ ^ Buddhism does not accept a cajrminatiTe, a destroyer of phlegm, god as creator. Hence, samati bhavo a vermifuge, a sweetener of the {hoti). breath, an ornament of the month, '^ Ahotamhda/ifi = "betel -leaf a remover of impurities, and a -without lime," where ko is used for kindler of the fla&ie of love I O lime. The betel (Malabar beeUa) friend ! these thirteen properties of is a species of pepper, the leaves of betel are hard to be met with, even which are chewed in the East with in heaven ! " a little areca-nut, catechu, and shell- ^ Sydkarcuui/ih, (here equivalent lime. To improve the flavour rose- to niruhta). This word has a com- i^ater and spices, such as cinnamon, prehensive application in Burmese clove, &c. , are added. The prepared literature. Not only is the term betel-leaf acts as a digestive after applied to F&nini's great Grammar, meals, and serves the same purpose but also to several works, astrologi- as smoking in temporarily staving cal, medical, &c, translated into the off hunger. By some it is looked vernacular from Sanskrit, upon as a, luxury, and one of the ^ Atthwili. etiquettes of hospitality is to offer '" Or " distinguishes man." Vijja it to a visitor. The HUopadeia potaasa viieao. Vide Hiiopadeia, says : " Betel is pungent, bitter, Introduction, 25. spicy, sweet, Alkaline, astringent ; a ^ Kamma/ih, (Sanskrit harma. THE LOKANlTI. 24. A swan is out of place among crows, a lion among bulls, a horse in the midst of asses, and a wise man among fools. 25. If '^ a fool be attached to a wise man all his life long, he does not know the "Law,"'* just as a spoon does not know the taste* of a curry gravy. 26. If, however, a man of understanding be associated for a short time with one who is wise,'* he perceives the " Law " just as the tongue the flavour of the curry gravy. 27. A warrior should not go on the battle-field without his weapon,*^ nor a wise man go about without his book : a Burmese Mn) = "moral merit." The doctrine of iximma ia bound up with that of transmigration, and implies that the present condition of every sentient being is deter- mined by the aggregate of its ac- tions in previous states of existence. What one now is is the result of his previous deeds in one or more past existences. What one sows that he must reap. We have as a corollary to this teaching that the cessation of existence (or the attainment of NibbS,n) is dependent on the destruction of its cause, kamTtia. This is effected by sancti- fication, or the entrance into the Four Paths [cattdro maggd). '^ This and the following stanza are verses 64 and 65 of the Dham- mapada, the former having been nttered' by Gotama in reference to Ud^yithera. The idea about the spoon and curry gravy is taken from the MaMbhdrata. In Bk. it 1945 we have : " He who is vrithout understanding, but merely learned, learns not the sense of books, as a spoon does not taste the flavour of broth;" and in x. 178 — "A brave man, if stupid, though he serves a learned man for a long time, does not know what is duty, as a spoon does not taste the flavour of broth, but an intelligent man who has served a learned man a short time only, soon knows his duty, as the tongue tastes the flavour of broth." ** "Law" used in the sense of duty. ^ Compare ffitopadeia (Introduc- tion, 41) : — " A piece of glass may like a jewel glow. If but a lump of gold be placed below ; So even fools to eminence may rise By close association with the wise." — Indian Wisdom, ^ There is a play here on the word sattha, which signifies a "book," a "weapon," and a "com- panion." The stanza runs : — " Vin^sattham na gaccheyya SOro sang&mabhflmiyam Panditavaddhagu v&nijo Videsagamano tatfa^." Here, by mndhi, panditwaad- dhagu =pandita + addhagu. 8 NtTI LITERATURE OF BURMA. travelling merchant and one going to another land should not move ■without a companion. 28. A wise man should not proclaim the loss of his wealth, the anxiety of his heart, domestic misdeeds, and his de- ception and disrespect hy others.^® 29. He is a wise man who knows the use of opportune language, who knows of one worthy of his love and what a befitting temper is.^' 30. One without wealth consuming his substance, a weak person engaging in fight, and one without wisdom taking part in discussions — these are like madmen. 31- Going to a place uninvited, speaking much when not questioned, proclaiming one's own merits: these three things are the characteristics of baseness. 32. One of little beauty speaks a great deal (of his looks) ; one of little understanding shows off (a great deal) ; a jar, not fuU, causes the water in it to shake ; a cow with little milk kicks about. 33- A frog, sitting on its haunches, considers itself a lion ; a crow, being captured, cries out, " Dear friend ! dear friend!" When questioned by the wise, an ignorant man, thinking himself wise, exclaims, " My master ! my master ! " 3' Compare ffitopadeia, i. 138, ^ Compare Hitopadda, iL 48, and see note to corresponding stanza and see note to corresponding stanza in DhxtitiTtKiniH, in Dhamm/inUi, THE LOKANtTI. 34- Does a frog, seated on its haunches, become a lion? — a hog, grunting, become a leopard ? Does a cat, by its similarity to a tiger, become a tiger ? Are all wise men alike in knowledge ? 35- A king is not satisfied with his wealth,^* a wise man with well-uttered discourse ; the eye in seeing a lover, and the sea with its water. 36. They who, being of little knowledge, are full of youth and beauty and have a noble lineage, do not appear to advantage; like the Butea frondosa, they are without fragrance.^^ ^ Mahdbhdrata, xii. 6713, says : " Men, after obtaining riches, desire royal power ; after getting kingly power, they desire godhead ; ob- taining that, they desire the rank of Indra. Thou art wealthy, but neither a king nor a god ; but even shouldst thou attain to godhead and to the rank of Indra, thou wouldst not be content." 2' This is an often-quoted saying of danakya. The apothegm has re- ceived various developments. We quote from Long's "Eastern Em- blems and Mottoes " : — "Men are foolish in cherishing the gay blossoms of the palas tree, fair to see, but without scent." — Hindu Dramatist. " A bad person, though decorated, remains the same as cow-dung, which, though it be fertilising, does not become pleasing." — DrUhtanta Shatah. " Outside smooth and painted, inside only straw — like Hindu idols stuffed with straw." — Bengal. "The fruit of the oolocynth is good to look at, not to taste." — Urdu. " Like a broom bound with a silk thread. " — Malay. " Beauty in the ignorant as a jewel in a swine's snout." — Prov. xi. 22. The kirhsuko or paldso is the Butea frondosa. Southern Be- har was formerly called Palasa on account of the luxuriant growth of the tree from which it got its name. Behar signifies the " land of monasteries (mh&ras)," of which a large numbet were erected in the reign of Asoka. The bright -red flowers of the paldsa have furnished many an imagery to Indian poets and prose writers. The following is from the Mahdbhdrata (vide Monier Williams' " Indian Wisdom," page 406):— " Anon the clashing iron met, and scattered round A fiery shower ; then fierce as elephants Or butting bulls they battered each the other. Thick fell the blows, and soon each stalwart frame, Spattered with gore, glowed like the kin^uka, Bedeck'd with scarlet blossoms." lo Ntri LITERATURE OF BURMA. 37- The son of a man of low origin becomes a king's min- ister, a fool's son a learned man, a pauper's son a million- aire : do not, therefore, despise men. 38. A pupil who, by a desire of knowledge, learns off a great deal, that knowledge he is unable to reproduce, just as a dumb person, seeing a dream, is unable to give utter- ance to it. 39- A potter does not strike a pot to break it, but to fashion it : a teacher beats his pupils to increase their knowledge', not to throw them into the states of suffering.** 40. The man who rolls up the taggara^ with thepaldsa leaf finds that a fragrant odour is emitted from the leaf itself : serving the wise produces a similar result. *" By apdyesu, the catulbhido in thickness, and their brightness so apdyaloim, or "Four States of Snf- overpowering that they burst the fering," are referred to. They are, eyes of those who look at them, (l) NwraJsa-loka, (2) tiraochdna-l', The Buddhist hell is a kind of pur- (3) peta-V, and (4) atwra-V. The gatory for the expiation of former Naraha-f, or "Hell for Human sins. It is a temporary state lead- Beings," has eight subdivisions, ing to re-birth in a blissful state. Each hell is said to be 10,000 yo- ^ The TaherruBmoTiitomacoronaria. janas in length, breadth, and height, It is a shrub from which a fragrant and is situated in the interior of the powder is obtained, earth. The walls are nine yojanas ( II ) SECTION II. THE GOOD MAN. 41. Associate with the good, form companionship with the righteous : it is good, not bad, knowing the goodly ways of righteous men. 42. Spurn companionship with the wicked, cultivate the society of the virtuous ; night and day do what is good ; remember always the impermanence ^ of worldly things. 43- Just as ripe figs,** although red outside, are full of worms inside, even so are the hearts of wicked men. 44. But as ripe jacks, although, thorny outside, are full of juice inside, even so are the hearts of righteous men. 45- The sandal- tree, being dry, does not part with its odour ; ** an elephant, on the march, ceases not to display its grace in the eyes of men; the sugar-cane, being brought under a pressing-machine, does not dissipate its sweet juice ; a wise man even under affliction does not abandon his virtuous conduct. *^ Aniccataih. The "Imperma- "beautiful outside, bitter with- nence of Worldly Things " is one of in. " the salient doctrines of Buddhism. ^ The idea contaiued in the fol- Vide Hitopadeia, iii 24, in con- lowing couplet is from the SubhdAu nection with the gander, crow, and tdrmwa : — the traveller, &c. " The satidal-tree, most sacred tree ^ Udumbara = Fieus glomerata. of all, In Bengali literature a hypocrite Perfumes the very axe which bids is compared to the makhala fruit, it fall." 12 Ntri LITERATURE OF BURMA. 46. The lion, being hungry, does not eat leaves and the like; even emaciated, he does not eat the flesh of the elephant. 47- A descendant, belonging to a good family, maintains well the family lineage; having of himself fallen into trouble, he. should not commit a mean action. 48. Sandal-wood, in the world, is pleasant; pleasanter is the light of the moon ; far pleasanter than sandal- wood and the moon is the well-uttered discourse of the righteous. 49. Should the sun rise in the west,*^ and Meru,*^ king of mountains, bend, — should the fire of hell grow cold and the lily grow on the mountain-top, yet unchangeable will be a good man's words. SO. Pleasant is the shadow of a tree ; pleasanter that of a relative, a father, or a, mother; more pleasant that of a teacher ; pleasanter stiU that of a king ; and still more pleasant, in many ways, the shadow of Buddha. Si- Bees wish for flowers ; good men for what is virtuous ; flies for what is putrid; bad men for blemishes*^ (in others). *^ Comp. Hamlet, act ii. so. 2 : — yojanas in height. Immediately " Doubt thou the stars are fire, above it is the TAvatiihsa heaven, Doubt that the sun doth move ; over which Sakka (ludra) holds Doubt truth to be a liar, sovereignty ; under it the asura hell. But never doubt I love." Around Meru are four hddcaZas or *^ Each Cdkkav&la, or " World concentric circles of rock, and be- System" of the Buddhist cosmogony, yond these the four MaMMpas or has a huge and high mountain in its Great Continents. centre called Meru, or generally *' Compare ilfoWJAiSrato, v. 1380: Mahdmeru. It is said to be 168,000 "Evil men do not so much like to THE LOKANtTI. 13 52. Bad is the speech of one who has a vile mother, bad the conduct of one who has a vile father ; hut he who has a father and mother both vile, his speech as well as his con- duct is bad. S3- Good is the speech of an excellent mother, good is the conduct of one who has an excellent father ; but he who has a mother and father both excellent, his speech as well as his conduct is good. 54- In battle we need a warrior, in a commotion a coun- sellor, during meals a loved one, a wise man in an emer- gency. 55- A dogi seeing a dog, shows its teeth to harm ; a bad man, being irritable, on seeing a good man, wishes to oppress him. 56. Do not perform nor cause actions to be performed hastily ; a deed being done hastily, a foolish man suffers at length. 57- A person grieves not at all, having put aside anger ; the sages praise the abandonment of hypocrisy;** bear with the harsh language of all : the righteous say that this forbearance is excellent. 58. Living in a place dirty, circumscribed, and crowded is learn the good qualities of others as To hear of others' virtues makes their want of virtues." And also them sad." xiil 1 1014 : " Detractors do not so This couplet is a metrical rendering much like to speak of a man's good by Muir of the sentiment Conveyed qualities as of his want of virtues. " in the above passages. " Of others' ill to hear makes bad * MaMhapaMnajfi issayo vanna- men glad ; yanti. 14 NtTI LITERATURE OF BURMA. a hardship ; a greater hardship living with an unloving foe ; living with one ungrateful is a greater hardship stilL 59- A man should admonish in what requires admonition ; he should prevent the commission of an evil deed. Such a one is beloved by the good, but disliked by the wicked. 60. One exalted should be overcome by humility, a warrior by dissension, one lower in position by the bestowal of a small gift, one's equal by industry. 61. A poison, they say, is not a poison ; the wealth of the priesthood *^ is said to be a poison ; poison kills but once ; the wealth of the priesthood kills entirely.^" 62. They know a horse's worth by its speed,^^ the value of oxen by their carrying power, the worth of a cow by its milk-giving capacity, that of a wise man by his speech."^ 63- The wealth of the virtuous,^^ although scant, is service- able like the water in a well- ; that of the bad, though con- siderable, is like the water in the ocean. 64. Elvers do not drink up their water, nor trees eat up *' One of the rules of the order '° The Chinese say : "A man's strictly forbids the amassing of conversation is the mirror of the wealth. heart." "• Through every transmigration. ^'' A Canarese proverb says : "The '1 Compare the Bengali apothegm: riches of the good are like water " One knows the horse by his ears; turned off into a rice-field." The the generous by his gifts ; a man by Raghweania has : " The good, like laughing ; and a jewel by its bril- clouds, receive only to give away." liancy." — KMiddaa. THE LOKANtTI. 15 their fruit ; rain does not fall in some places only : ^* the wealth of the virtuous is for others. 65. One should not long for what should not be desired, nor think of what should not be thought ; he should think only of what his duty is ; he should not wish for unpro- fitable time. 66. What is not thought of happens; what is thought of comes to naught ; riches therefore, for man or woman, are not made by thinking.*^ 67. He who has an endearment for a bad man does not love a virtuous one ; he delights in the ways of wicked men : that delight to him is the occasion of ruin. "* The Sanskrit version is : " The Nahi cintamay^ bhogS. cloads eat not the crops." Itthiy^ purisassa v&." 65 The principle of fatality or In the Introduction to the Sito- Earma underlies the sentiment ex- padeia we find : " Deeds are accom- presaed here. The stanza runs : — plished by effort, not by wishes ; " Acintitampi bhavati verily deer do not enter into the Cintitampi vinassati mouth of a sleeping lion." ( i6 ) SECTION III. THE EVIL-DOBK. 68. A WICKED man should not be loved much, being as unstable as a jar half-full of water carried along on the head. 69. A snake is harmful ; a wicked man is harmful, a wicked man being more harmful than a snake : a snake is brought to subjection by charms and drugs — how can a wicked man be subdued ? 70. The fool who knows his ignorance is a wise man on that very account ; a fool who deems himself wise, he is called a fool indeed ! ^« 71- So long as his sin does not ripen,^'^ a fool considers it as sweet as honey ; when his -sin ripens, he then undergoes suffering. 72. It is not good for a foolish man to be strong ; he obtains his possessions by force : on the dissolution of the body he goes to hell, being of little understanding. 73- A mouse is destructive in a house, a monkey in the forest ; injurious among birds is the crow, among men a Brahman.^^ 66 This is stanza 63 of the DJiam- ^ At the time of Gotama there mapada. were two religious parties — the '' Compare Dhammapada, 69 : Samanas and BWlhmanas. Gotama "Does not ripen," i.e., "when the himself belonged to the former, and consequence has not been developed." the latter, therefore, were considered The verb paccati is used in this as heretical by him and his disciples, sense. and looked upon with contempt. THE LOKANtl'I. 17 74- Tlie night is long to one awake, a stage ** to one who is weary ; to fools not knowing the true Law,** transmigra- tion, too, is long. 75- One of vile nature notices the trivial fault of others though smaU as a grain of sessamum, but his own fault, as large as a cocoa-nut, he does not see.*^ 76. A wise man should not make known his fault to others ; he should, however, notice the defects of another; as a tortoise conceals the members of its body, so should he conceal his own blemishes, but discover those of others.'^ 77- Punishment is awarded to a wise man when praised by a fool ; ^ a wise man praised by a wise man is well praised. Hence the iispersion against them. When Buddhism was fully estab- lished, the word brahmana was employed as a term for an Arhat, or " one who has obtained final sanctification." ^ " A stage," i.e., the distance of a yojana (eight mUes). This stanza is the 60th of the DAammapada. ^ " True law," i.e., religious duty. °' Compare the following metrical translations by Muir : — " Thou mark'st the faults of other men, Although as mustard-seeds mi- nute : Thine own escape thy partial ken, Though each in size a bilva fruit." — MahMhArata, i. 3069. " All men are very quick to spy Their neighbours' faults, but very slow To note their own ; when these they Isnow, With self-deluding art they eye.'' — MahMhi/rata, viii. 21 16. The following is adapted from Suhh&ihMrnaaia, 275 : — "Men soon the faults of others learn : A few their virtues, too, find out ; But is there one — I have a doubt — Who can his own defects discern ? " Compare also Matthew vii. 3 and 4 : " And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?" &c. The Burmese version makes a compari- son with the cocoa-nut (ndlikera), the Sanskrit version with the bilva or Bengal quince {.^gle Marmdoa), which is sacred to MahMeva. 62 Compare Mwnu, vii. 104 and 105, vrith reference to a king's duties : — " He should indeed act guilelessly, never by guile ; but he, self-guarded, should be aware of the frauds used by his enemy. Let another know his weak point ; like a tortoise, he should protect his members and guard his own defect." °' Compare MahdbJidrata, xii. 4*17. B i8 NTTI LITERATURE OF BURMA. 78. One should win over an avaricious person by money, one presumptuous by a salutation, an ignorant man by giving him his way, and a wise one by speaking the truth.** " Compare Hitopadeia, iv. 108, joining the bands," the Oriental where we find " the haughty by method of showing respect. ( 19 ) SECTION IV. FRIENDSHIP. 79- A STBAKGEB, being a benefactor, is a (real) relative; a relative not conferring a benefit is a stranger ; a disease, though arising in the body, is not beneficial ; a herb from the forest is a boon.^ 80. A man who injures another's virtue in his absence, who speaks lovingly in his presence, one would consider such friendship like honey in a pot of poison.^ 81. In poverty a friend forsakes you; son, and wife, and brothers too forsake you ; being rich, they cling to you : wealth in this world is a great friend.'^ 82. One can know a (good) servant by his taking errands, a relative when danger comes ; thus also a friend in times of poverty, and a wife when wealth disappears. 83. He is a relative who in prosperity makes you cling to him ; he a father who supports you ; in whom there is affection, he is a friend ; she a wife who pacifies. " This stanza is adopted from " There are some very fine lines Sitopadeia, iiL loi. in the MahdbkOmita on the subject * d&nakya says, " As a bowl of of riches and poverty. Vide xii poison With milk on its sorface." 213 ff. 20 Ntri LITERATURE OF BURMA. 84. One should confide neither in an enemy nor a friend ; , when a friend becomes angry he makes known all your faults.** 85. He who once becomes angry with a friend and wishes to be reconciled, he follows him even unto death, like a mare pregnant with a Tar§, colt.™ 86. Until the time (for vengeance) has not arrived, one might carry his enemy on his shoulders ; the time hav- ing come, he should break him to pieces like a jar on a rock.™ 87. A debt balance as well as a remaining fire increases re- peatedly; so also increases remaining enmity: one should, therefore, have nothing remaining.'^ ^ This and the following two stanzas are of an epigrammatic, sati- rical character, «9 XheTara,liketheAjftniya horses, are fabulous animals with supernatu- ral powers. It is' said' that -as soon as the Tar4 colt is bom, the mother at once dies. Hence the allusion. The Tardi horses are also called aam- tard (fem. asiatart). ''" The idea set forth here is 6t a somewhat repulsive nature. Zn the Burmese anthology it can only be construed as sarcastia The advice, however, appears in the MahMhd- rata as a Mkchiavelian counsel, and there are others of a similar nature in the poem most repugnant to the moral sense. Muir has col- lected several in his supplement to "Metrical Translations from Sanskrit Writers." The following are examples :— " Let a man be very- humble in his speech, but in heart as sharp as a razor ; let him speak with a smile when bent on a ter- rible act " [Mdhdbh. i. 5606]. " By kindling fire, by sacrifice, by a beggar's saffron gArb, by braided hair, and clothing of skin, let a man fill his enemy with confidence, and then seize him like a wolf " [i. 5560]. The Sanskrit version (MaMbh., i. 5563) is well rendered by Muir ; — " Whilst thou dost w^atch thy chance, with seeming care Thy mortal foe upon-thy shoulder bear ; Then down to earth thy hated burden dash. As men against a rock an earthen vessel smash." Compare MahMhArata, xii. 4167 : ''What is broken is with difficulty united, and what is whole is with difficulty broken. But the friend- ship which has been broken and again cemented does not continue to be affectionate." ^ C&nakya says : " To pay off debts, to quench a fire, and remove desire is good, for should they in- THE LOKANITI. 21 88. He whose face is like the lotus lily and his speech as cold as sandal-wood, one should not associate with such a person, there being poison in his intentions.'^ 89. One should not serve a severe master, nor one who is niggardly ; more so he should not serve one who does not commend, nor one who is an oppressor. 90. Horned animals should be avoided at a distance of fifty cubits, horses at a hundred, a tusked elephant at a thousand ; a bad man by quitting the place where he resides. 91. A ba,d place, a bad friend, a bad family, a bad relative, a bad wife, a bad servant — these should be avoided at a distance. 92. The friends who stand by you in severe ailment, in time of scarcity, or in misfortune, when captured by an enemy, at a king's door, or in the charnel-house, they indeed are good friends.'* 93- One of pleasant speech has many a friend, one of harsh speech few friends : in this place the illustration concern- ing the sun and moon'* should be remembered. crease, they cannot be stopped." '^ See Hitopadeia, i 74, 75. One passage advises that love alone ''* The reference is to the respec- should be allowed to remain. tive heat and coldness of the two '' In Sanskrit we have : " A face luminaries. The sun is said to be shaped like the petals of the lotus, composed of coral inside and gold a voice as cool as sandal, a heart outside, thereby giving rise to in- like a pair of scissors, and excessive tense heat ; the moon of crystal humility — these are the signs of a within and silver on the surface, rogue." — Eoitem Proverba and Em- thereby producing great cold. Uema. ( 22 ) SECTION V. WQMAN. 94. The beauty of the cuckoo is its voice ; of a woman, her devotedness (to her husband); the beauty of the uncomely is knowledge; that of hermits, forbearance J" 95- Women's wealth is beauty, learning that of men ; the wealth of priests is virtue, strength that of kings. 96. Hermits, if lean, are becoming ; becoming are quadru- peds if corpulent; men, being learned, are becoming; becoming are women having husbands. 97- A good musician is ruined in five days, an archer in seven, a good wife in a month, a pupil in half a month. 98. A buffalo delights in mud, a duck in a pond ; a woman delights in a husband, a priest in the law. 99- One should praise food after digestion, a wife when she has passed her prime, a warrior on his return from battle, and corn when it is brought home. 100. A woman who has had two 6r three husbands, a priest " This ie stanza 212 of the Mitral&bha section of the SUopadeia. THE LOKANtTI. 23 who has been in two or three monasteries, and a bird two or three times ensnared, are so many instances of practical deceit. lOI. Subjugation comes by beating a wicked man/* by not speaking to a bad friend ; to women there is subjugation by misfortune, to the greedy by moderation in food. 102. The night is not pleasing without the moon, nor the ocean without waves, a pond without ducks, nor a maiden without a husband." 103. By a husband is wealth produced; by woman is its preservation ; a man is, therefore, the origin ; a woman like thread in a needle. 104. All rivers are crooked ; all forests are made of wood ; all women, going into solitude, would do what is evil 105. A woman of contentious disposition or one using depre- ciatory language ; one who, seeing a thing, has a desire to have it, who cooks and eats often, who eats before her husband, who lives in another's house — such a woman, even if she have a hundred sons, is shunned by men. 106. The woman who, during meals and in her adornments, delights like a mother, who in things that should be concealed is bashful like a sister, who during business and when approaching her husband is respectful like a " The following, according to an ^ The Mitopadeia, iii. 29, says : old Sanskrit proverb, improve their " A husband is indeed the best oma- good qualities by beating : — A bad ment of a woman without other or- man, a bad woman, gold, a drum, naments. She, though ornamented, sugar-cane, and sesamum seed. deprived of him shines not." 24 NlTI LITERATURE OF BURMA. slave, in danger is deliberative, in sleep affords delight, in appearance is becoming, in moments of anger forbearing — such a woman, say the wise, is most excellent ; such a woman on the dissolution of her body will assuredly have a place in heavenJ^ I07. A youthful woman who is blonde, has deer-like eyes and slender parts, fine hair and even teeth, and is well- conducted — she, though she be in a wicked family, is sure to be taken to wife. 108. Of all seasons, autumn is the best; of all wives, she who is beautiful ; of sons, the eldest is the best ; of all directions, the north.™ 109. Whatever woman should wish to be a human being repeatedly in -every existence, she should cherish her husband as Paric^rik^ ^ cherished Inda.^^ ™ Or "in the deva world" {dive hhaveyya). Vide Hitopadeia, iii. 27, 28. ''* Because the north face of Mount Meru and the oceans and lands which lie in the same direction are of a golden colour. Silver is the prevailing colour on the east, on the south sapphire, and on the west coral. *" The wife of Inda (Indra), also known as Suj&t&, having her abode with her husband on the T&vatimsa heaven above Mount Meru. ^ Inda or Sakka was deposed from his godshifi by Gotama, and made archangel over the five lowest E^madevalokas. He is inferior to. M^ra and Mah&brahma. Like these, he exercises a beneficent influence over human affairs, and Buddhist literature is full with instances of his descent upon earth in some form of disguise. In Vedic times he is represented as the god of the firma- ment, and stands in the first rank among deities. He was of a ruddy colour and capable of assuming any shape. His weapon was the thunder- bolt, which he carried in his right hand, and he is described as using arrows, a great hook, and a net, in which he entangled his enemies. The soma juice was his favourite drink, and, stimulated by it, he went forth to war and performed his numerous duties. In later .Indian mythology Indra lost his first rank, and is now ranked with gods of the second order. Among Buddhists Inda is considered as a "recording angel," who, "four times a month, seated in his Hall of Justice called Sudhammit, reads aloud from a golden book a record of good works done by men during the week." THE LOKANlri. 25 no. Whatever man should wish to be a man repeatedly in every existence, he should shun another's wife just as one washing another^s foot shuns the filth (that comes from it). III. An old man provides himself with a young wife with breasts like the tinduka*^ fruit. Her desire is not grati- fied : this is the cause of ruin.^ ^ Dioigayroa EmbryapteHi. her husband, vide MaMbhdrata, i. "' For duties of a wife towards and xii., and lianw, chap, ix. ( 26 ) SECTION VI. KINGS. 112. A KING should sleep during the period of one watch,** a wise man two, a householder three watches, a beggar during four. "3- In whatever place these five — a man of wealth, a man of learning, a king, a river, and likewise a doctor — are not to be found, there a man should not live for even a day.^ 114. Wherever respect, love, relatives, and a learned man are not to be found, there a man should not reside for even a day.'* 115. Dreary is a sonless home;** dreary a kingdom with- out a king ; ^7 dreary the utterance of an illiterate man ; dreary, altogether, that of a needy one. 116. A man should trade if he desire wealth ; if he desire knowledge, he should serve a learned man; if he want a child, he should establish a young woman (in his house) ; should he wish to be a king's minister, he ought to comply with the king's behests. " Y6mo, a watch of three hours. ** Bitopeuieia, L 135 : "Empty is The period from 6 P.M. to 6 A.M. was a childless home, empty the home divided by some into three, and by of a friendless person ; for a fool the others into four watchei or vigUg. regions of space are empty ; poverty " Vide notes to stanza 78 of is altogether dreary." Shammantti. >" See Hitopadeia, iii. 3, and L 216. THE LOKANtTI. 27 117. A priest is mined if discontented, an emperor if satis- fied ; a harlot being ashamed is niined, and ruined is a daughter of good lineage if not ashamed.^ 118. The strength of birds lies in air, that of fish in water ; the strength of the helpless is in a king, of children in tears. 119. Patience, vigilance, and industry, liberality, compassion, and hope — ^these are the qualities of a leader; these the qualities that should be wished for by the righteous. 120. Kings speak but once, so also Samanas and Brah- manas.^ Good men, in the world, speak but once : this is a constant practice. 121. A householder being idle is not good; a priest being unrestrained is not good ; it is not good a king being inconsiderate, or a wise man passionate. 122. Where chiefs are many, all consider themselves wise, all wish for superiority; their work (in consequence) ends in ruin. 123. A king should of himself know about the revenues as well as the expenditure; of himself should he know what is and what is not done; he should punish him who deserves punishment, and favour him who deserves favour.*" ^ HUopadda, iil 67. chapter vii. of the " Institutes of " Scnmnas = Buddhist monloi ; Mano." Also the Mah^hdrata, Brdhmanai=Axba,ts. Books v. and zii. " For the duties of a king, vide 28 Ntri LITERATURE OF BURMA. 124. The sun should be approached with the back towards it, fire by the stomach (facing it) ; a lord should be approached with all one's possessions, the next world with wisdom.'^ 125. Fire, water, a woman, a fool, a snake, and royal families — these should be passed by avoiding them; suddenly they take away life. 126. One living with a wicked wife, one sending a slave with a violent temper, one living in a house having snakes — this is death itself. 127. By giving instruction to a stupid pupil, by supporting a wicked wife, and by attachment to a person who is b9,d, even a wise man deteriorates. 128. A son's evil act is a mother's deed, a pupil's that of his teacher ; a people's act is the king's doing, a king's that of his private chaplain.^^ 129. One should overcome one haughty by civility, one who is bad by goodness ; a niggardly person by liberality, one mendacious by veracity.*' 130. Liberality is the subjugation of one who is not sub- " Hitopadeia, ii. 32. This stanza( 1 29) accords «fitbiI/aA(J- *^ Purohito. A private spiritual bhdrata, v. 1518, in which passage and temporal adviser used to be " one should overcome one haughty retained by a prince or grandee to by civility" appears rather as "one ofifer advice and specify lucky and should conquer anger by kindness." unlucky days. Compare also MaMbMrata, iii. "^ See Dhammapada, verse 221. 13235. THE LOKANtri: 29 dued; liberality is the consummation of every benefit; by liberality and loving speech men bow themselves and cause others too to bow. 131- Liberality is the medicine of love, niggardliness the medicine of hate, generosity the medicine that brines attendants, niggardliness that which keeps solitary, 132. One can overcome him who is to be overcome by the concord of many, though individually of little worth; by grass is rope made; by that same rope is an elephant secured.®* 133- What can one incompetent effect by his power, even if he have an ally ? fire lighted where there is no air goes out of itself. 134- Never should one indulge in the pleasures of sense that appertain to a king : personal appearance, command, using of flowers and perfume, dressing, ornaments — all these, in so far as a king indulges in them, should not be imitated. 135- " The king is not my friend ; the king is not my brother- ^ Compare the following transla- Through mutual support and de- tions by Muir from the Mahd- pendence kinsmen flourish as lotuses bhdrata: — in a pond" (v. 1321). Again: "A tree which stands by itself, "Even a powerful enemy can be though large, strong, and well rooted, destroyed by weak foes combined can be overthrown by the wind, and together, as a honey-gatherer is by by its trunk be broken down in a bees " (iii. 1333). Also : " Threads, moment. But those well-rooted though long and thin, if many and trees, which stand together in a similar, can, from their number, .clump, resist the fiercest winds, always bear many strains ; in this owing to their mutual support. So, is found, an emblem of the good " too, the enemies of a single man, (v. 1318). The following is like- though he be possessed of good wise a good metaphor: "Kinsmen qualities, regard him as in their resemble firebrands : separated they power to overwhelm, as the wind only smoke; united they blaze " (t. can overthrow a solitary tree. 1319). 30 Ntri LITERATURE OF BURMA. in-law ; this king is my lord " — this (idea) one should hold veiy carefully in his mind to the very end. 136. An attendant should not wait upon the king at too great a distance; he should not serve him too near at hand; he should not be in the way of the wind, nor directly opposite ; not in a place too low down, nor one too high up: these six faults he should avoid;, he should remain guarded as he would with regard to fire. 137. One replete with excellence like the Omniscient One ^ does not appear to advantage without a patron : a gem, though priceless, looks well being set in gold. " Sa/ttboMniMyo, "like the Omniscient One." ( 3' ) SECTION VII. MISCELLANEOUS. 138. How can there be piety in a priest who associates with a woman, compassion in a flesh-eater,*® truth in a drunkard, shame in one greatly covetous, proficiency in one who is slothful, and wealth in one with a bad temper 1 139- A drunkard, and one who goes about at unseasonable moments; one who frequents a public assembly (for amusement) ; a gambler ; one having wicked companions, and one who is an idler — these are persons who bring about the destruction of their own welfare. 140. During the day persons should not be spoken of with- out looking around, nor at night without inquiry being made (whether any one is near or not) ; one should act like a hunter, who, fearful of danger in a forest, looks this side and that. 141. Although living, four persons are declared to be dead by the Mti teacher Vy§,sa'^ — one in poverty, one in sickness, a fool, one in debt, and one who serves a king. " That is, one who kills animals of an animal when life leaves it in to eat their flesh. The taking of the natural course, life is forbidden by a Buddhist com- " Vy4sa is looked upon by the mandment. The Burmese are very Burmese as the compiler of an strict on this point, and eat the flesh ancient anthology. 32 Ntri LITERATURE OF BURMA. 142. A wise man, seeing danger not at hand, avoids it at a distance ; on seeing it approach, he remains undaunted. 143- A sleepy-headed fellow as well as one who is negligent, one who lives comfortably as well as one who is sick, a sluggard, one covetous, and one who delights in action — ^these seven have nothing to do with books. 144. gain ! do thou go to one in poverty ; a rich man is replete with wealth. rain ! pour thyself on dry land ; the sea is full of water. This, however, does not happen : the force of circumstance reigns paramount.®* 145. When what should be done is done, no one looks upon the doer; all that should be done, therefore, should be done without being brought to completion.^ 146. Cotton in this world is light ; lighter is one of a fickle disposition; lighter still one who does not suffer the^ reprimand of his elders ; still more light he who is negli- gent of the teachings of Buddha. 147. A stone umbrella is weighty ; weightier is the utterance of the gods ; the chiding of elders is weightier still, and still more weighty are the words of Buddha. 148. The right hand is the slave of the body; the small finger on it the slave of the ear, nose, and eyes ; the left iiand is the slave of the legs. '^ Xatth'idalh, kammapstthftQaih. " A aaicaam is implied heie. THE LOKANtri. 33 149. Kuvera^"* always keeps watch in the centre of the betel-leaf, Eakkha ^"^ at the base, and K^lakanni ^"^ at the tip. One should eat the leaf having broken off the upper and lower ends : ^"^ tis prosperity increases thereby. 150. Brahm^^"* watches the slate,^*^ Bissano^"^ the wrapper;!''^ let those who learn worship them. Upon him who does so they always look with complacence. 151. For the reason that cows nourish all men and give them happiness, for that very reason should men love and honour them.i«» i™ The god of wealth and chief of the Yakkhas, a class of superhuman beings. He and those subject to him are supposed to exercise a bene- ficial influence on human beings. The Yakkhas dwell upon earth and in the water, and form one section of the guards round the abode of Sakka. There are some malignant Yakkhas as well, but they are not referred to here. In Brahmanic mythology, Kuvera is looked upon as a kind of Pluto living in the shades and exercising an evU influence. "" Rakhlia = EakTchasa = Edksha, a demon living in the Himalayan forest and feeding on the carcases of men and beasts. "2 An evil Deva or Nat. ^"3 This is a common practice with the Burmans. ]"* The greatest of all the Devae. The world he rules is called Brahma- loka. ^"5 Rather " a wooden board " for writing on (sampunda)^ ^'^ A propitious Nat. "' Made of cloth, as a case (accu) for the wooden board. 108 The Hindus hold the cow in great reverence, and in Vedic times it was an object of worship. " Like Egypt long ago, India has its sacred animals. Already in the ancient religion cows are the object of a special worship. It is expressly en- joined to treat them with gentleness, and the Smritis require the same respect for them as for the images of the gods. It soon became matter of religious scruple to offer them in sacrifice ; to slaughter them for a profane purpose is one of the greatest crimes ; to tend them, provide for them, serve them, is reckoned in the first rank of good works and of acts of expiation ; to risk one's own life to save theirs atones for a Brahma- nicide ; contact with them purifies ; and, as in the Parsi ritual, their very dung and urine have the power of preventing or cleansing away mate- rial and moral defilements. The-e customs subsist still in some degree in our own day. The Hindus do not scruple indeed to subject their miser- able cattle to a labour that is often excessive, but it is rare that they ill-use them. Very few, especially, will consent to feed on their fle^h, and the slaughter of a cow excites more horror among many of them ' than the slaying of a man."— Bari/i 'a " Religions of India. " C 34 NtTI LITERATURE OF BURMA. 152. They who eat ^"* the flesh of cows are like- persons who eat their mother's flesh : when cows die, we should give them to ATiltures or send them adrift upon a stream, IS3- Beginning a study on Thursday is the consummation of that study ; beginning on Sunday or Friday is doing but half; beginning on Wednesday or Monday is learning nothing; beginning on Saturday or Tuesday occasions death-iio 154. If a person learn on the eighth day of a lunar half month, it is like killing his teacher; on the fourteenth day, it is like killing the pupil ; it is like kUling know- ledge if one learn on the tenth day ; or killing his parents if he learn at full moon. A person who learns should not eat cocoa-nut on the seventh day ; he should, likewise, not eat pumpkin on the ninth ; on the twelfth day he should not eat pinnam ; ^^^ and on the third day he should not eat a curry : if he do so, there will be an end to his knowledge. 156. One of a family should be discarded for the good of the whole family ; a family for the good of a village ; a village "' There are some Buddhists in tion. The Burmese are a very Burma who will not eat the flesh of superstitious race, and place great the cow from a humane point of stress on lucky and unlucky days, view, but they form only an excep- They have a work called the 3i(th6n- tion. A Brahmanic influence in the Jcyam, which contains a detailed collection of the stanzas of this an- account of good and bad omens, thology is quite apparent from the Vide Sangermano's " Burmese Em- sentiments expressed here. pire,"chap. xvii., and"TheBurman: "" This and the following two His Life and Notions," chap. x. stanzas display a puerile supersti- ^^ A kind of potato. THE LOKANtn. 35 for the good of a district; and for one's own good the world itself should be abandoned.^^^ 157- A lion, a good man, and an elephant — these, abandoning their residence, go away (in search of a more suitable place); a crow, an evil-doer, and a deer arrive at destruction in their own habitation."^ 158. In whatever place there is no respect, no love, no rela- tives, and no clever man, there indeed a man should not make his abode.^" 159- A wise man takes a step at a time; he establishes himself on one foot (before he takes up the other) : an old place should not be forsaken recklessly. ^^* 160. When paddy is being sold and knowledge is being acquired, when a messenger is being sent and desire is being gratified, on occasions such as these shame should be abandoned. 161. Women's appetite is twice that of men, their wisdom four times,^!® their industry six times, and their desire eight times as great. '"■■ This stanza is adapted from the Hitopadeia, concerning the wily MitrcUdbha (in the ffitopadesa, 159). woman and the magistrate. In the The Sanskrit version has, " For the fourth section (Sandhi) we read : sake of his soul he should abandon "Now once this Jewdbright was the earth." seen by Sea-given to be kissing the "' Compare Mitraldbha, 105, cheek of the servant. Then the where, instead of " evil-doer," we wife instantly approaching her hus- find " coward." In verse 104 of the band said, ' Husband ! the assurance same, it is said that " teeth, hair, of this servant is groat, for he eats nails, and men, removed from their the camphor brought for you. I place, are not beautiful." have smelt the perfume of the oam- ^" Compare Mitraldbha, 109. phor plainly in his mouth.'" The "^ This stanza is No. 107 of Mit- application is the same. Instead of raMbha. "industry six times," the Sanskrit ^'° Read the illustrative story in has " cunning sixfold." Sahridbheda, the second section of 36 NtTI LITERATURE OF BURMA. • 162. The sugar-cane has a better taste knot after knot from the tip : a good friend is like that ; a bad man just the reverse. 163. A cultivator, a trader, a 'minister, a priest full of learning and virtue — when such as these increase in number, the country must assuredly grow great. 164. Texts, not being repeated, become useless ; the house of an indolent person comes to ruin ; indolence is filth to a person of comely appearance ; and forgetfulness a taint to one who keeps a watch over his senses.^^^ 165. The property of men of little industry becomes the possession of those more industrious : evil-doers say that their present lot has its origin in former deeds.^^^ 166. The wise do not say so;™ they have striven ener- getically in every work ; if their work does not come to completion, it is only devoid of fruit — what blame can there be ? 167." One of low extraction is without wisdom, beauty, and power ; wealth, however, is all-important, this age being a degenerate one.^^" ^1' There is here a play on the and forgetfulness the taint of one word malath. See Dhammui/pada, keeping watch." 239, where I have translated as ^'^ Compare Hitopadeia, iv. i, 2. follows : " The non-repetition (of ^'' Namely, what is said in the texts) is the taint of the wise ; non- latter part of the previous stanza, repair the taint of houses ; indolence See Hitopadeia, 2 and 3 of the the taint of (personal) appearance, Sandhi section. '™ Imam k^lam chuttakalam. ( 37 ) 11— THE DH AMMAN in } SECTION I. THE PEECEPTOE. To whom in this world there is no solicitude for service at the feet^ of preceptors, by them what can be accom- plished ? Those, however, who bow down to the dust at their teachers' feet are looked upon as both good and discriminatincr. ' The DhammanUi consists of 414 stanzas in 24 sections. It was for the first time translated into Bur- mese by the head priest Tipitakalia- kSra MahMhamma in 1784 A.D., in obedience to the order of King Bodopra. The following three stan- zas are introductory : — (i.) " VanditT^ ratanam settham Niss^ya pubbake garum Nltidhammaiu pavakkhSmi Sabbalokasukh^vaham. (ii.) Acariyo ca sippanca Fannd sutam kath^ dhanam Deso ca nissayo mittam Dujjano sujano balam. (iii.) Itthi putto ca d^so ca GharavRso kat^kato N^tabbo ca alank3,ro E&jadhammopasevako DukMimissako ceva Pakiiinako ti matikS." Translation : — (i. ) Having paid homage to the Three Gems and to my venerable preceptor, I shall recite the Dham- manUi, based on ancient works, for the benefit of the whole world. (ii.) The Preceptor, Scholarship, Wisdom, Knowledge, Conversation, Wealth, Habitation, Dependence, Friendship, the Dad Man, the Good Man, the Powerful ; (iii.) Wom^n, Children, Servants, Residence, What should be done. What should not be done. What should be known. Ornamentation, Royalty, Ministration, Things taken by twos and threes, and Miscellaneous : these fonn the subjects of discourse. ^ We find the following in Manu's Ordinances regarding a pupil when reciting the Law : — "At the begin- ning and end of the Veda (i.e., of its recitation), the teacher's two feet are always to be clasped. The clasping of the teacher's feet is to be done with the hands crossed" (ii. 71, 72). 38 NlTI LITERATURE OF BURMA. 2. An ignorant man, not following the instruction of his teacher, desires elegance of diction : how can the learned do otherwise than hold him in derision ? 3. A clever pupil delights his preceptor by his industry and support, by attention to his speech, ministration to his wants, and by zeal in the acquirement of know- ledge. 4- He who does not tend his spiritual and his secular teacher as well as his parents with due respect, his pupils, too, will be just like him. S- But he who does cherish his spiritual and his secular teacher as well as his parents with due respect, his pupils, too, will be just like him. A pupil, investigating both letters and words, should be like one who destroys a thief, but a teacher like one whose work is to examine a thief. 7- If it be heard where a wise man replete with learning is, that place should be eagerly resorted to by one desirous of knowledge. 8. Pleasant is the shade of a tree; pleasanter that of parents and relatives ; still more pleasant that of a teacher ; pleasanter yet is the shadow of a king, and still more pleasant in many ways that of the doctrine of Buddha.' * See stanza 50 of LokamSti. For ent Nitis, consult the comparative corresponding stanzas in the differ- table in the Appendix. THE DHAMMANtTI. 39 9- Weighty is an umbrella of stone ; weightier the utter- ance of the gods ; weightier still the admonition of elders, and still more weighty the teaching of Buddha. 10. Cotton in this world is light ; lighter is one t)f a fickle disposition ; lighter still he who does not mind the admo- nition of elders, and still more light a priest remiss in the law. ( 40 ) SECTION II. SCHOLARSHIP. II. General knowledge, * science of law, calculation,* mecha- nical art, the Byakareins,* music, manual dexterity, archery, antiquities; 12. Science of medicine, wit and humour, astrology, strategy, versification, diplomacy, magic, grammar — these are the eighteen acquirements.^ 13- How can there be knowledge to one who is idle, or ^ See notes on LokanUi, verses 10 and II. ^ Perhaps by Sankhyd the system of philosophy known by that name may have been originally intended. For the various systems of ancient Indian philosophy, vide Earth's " Religions of India." * Panini's Grammar and other translations in Burmese of scientific works from Sanskrit, prepared in the reign of Sinbyu-shin. ' Alabaster remarks : "In a Siamese historical novel treating of the kings of Pegu I found a list of twenty-four arts which princes should be conversant with. They are divided into 4 crafts, 5 arts, 8 merits, and 7 manners of action. The four crafts are — warlike tactics, omens, skill in dealing with men ac- cording to their characters, and the art of judiciously acquiring wealth. The five arts are — knowledge of all mechanical arts, soothsaying, history, law, and natural history. The eight merits are — truthfulness, just treat- ment of all people, kindliness, courage, good manners, knowledge of medicine, freedom from covetous- ness, and forethought. The seven mannei's are — noble daring when it is required, calm and even govern- ment, considerateness for the people, merciful adaptation of government according to circumstances, punish- ment of the wicked, watchfulness for their detection, and just appor- tionment of punishments." Trenckner, in a note to MUinda- panlio, writes: "The nineteen sci- ences are intended to represent the Yonaka cyclopaedia, the difference of which from the Indian must have been well known to the, author. Hence the number was fixed at nineteen to mark them out as dis- tinct from the ' eighteen ' Indian sciences. But this was all he knew about the matter, and so his specifi- cation of them turned out a mere farrago of Indian words, the exact meaning of which no one would pro- bably have been more puzzled to ex- plain than himself (Milinda). He first thought of 9ruti and smriti of THE DHAMMANtri. 41 wealth to one without knowledge ; friendship to one with- out wealth, happiness to the friendless ; merit to one un- happy, and Mbbin to one without merit ? 14. Wealth is not equal to knowledge; thieves do not take away knowledge;^ knowledge is friendship in this world, and the bearer of happiness in the next. IS- Always, dear one, acquire knowledge; do not bring trouble to your venerable teacher : a king is honoured in his own country — a man of knowledge in every place. 16. Dear one ! wherefore art thou idle ? An ignorant man is the carrier of another's burden. Acquire knowledge day by day. A man of knowledge is honoured in this world. 17- Men, wealthy and reputed, though full of youth and beauty, are without grace, being without knowledge ; they are like the Butea /rondosa,-wh.ich. emits no fragrance. 18. A father is an enemy,® a mother is an enemy, if their children are not educated when young. As cranes are unbecoming among swans, so are the children in the midst of a (learned) assembly. sankhya, yoga, nyaya, vai^eshika. Milinda suspected of Buddhist at- For smriti and nyaya were substi- tainments previous to his conversion, tuted sammuti (S. sammati, perhaps The rest of the names are chosen in the sense of 'what has univer- rather at random, and mostly dis- sally been agreed on ') and ntti ; the guised as femininea ending in -a, in regular equivalents, sati and naya, order to look less like Indian." being objectionable, because these ^ See Hitopadeia, Introduction, 4. are among the technical terms of ° Hittrpadeia, Introduction, 37- Buddhism (nayo = ariyo atthangiko 39.I (jSnakya also says " as herons maggo), and might have rendered among flamingoes." 43 Ntri LITERATURE OF BURMA. 19. One without worth should not remain in a place of prominence; a man of quality has a good destiny: how can a crow, though perching upon a steeple, become a garula ? ^° 20. A fool praising himself to his heart's content does not appear to advantage in this world : a wise man renders himself conspicuous although he conceal himself in a pit." 22. A religious book, intended for the subjugation of pride, excites the vanity of fools; the sun, though created for all eyes, is darkness to owls. 23- Food, sexual intercourse, and sleep appertain both to oxen and men ; ^ knowledge is characteristic of men : to be devoid of knowledge is being on a footing with oxen. 24. The pupU who, by a desire to possess a vast amount of knowledge, learns a great deal, that knowledge he is unable ^^ to convey t.o another, just as a dumb person, seeing a dream, is unable to give utterance to it. " A gigantic bird in Buddhist worsted in battle and had his mythology. The Garujas are repre- thunderbolt smashed. Vide Dow- sented as being ever at war with son's " Hindu Mythology." the Nagas. In Hindu mythology " See verses 10576 ff of Makd- the Garuda ( = Garula) is a bird bhdrata, book xii., from which the on which Vishnu rides. He has sentiments of stanzas 19 and 20 the head, wings, talons, and beak are adapted. of an eagle, and the body and limbs 1^ The Hitopadeia, Intr., 25, says : of a man. His face is white, his " Food, sleep, fear, and sexual inter- wings red, and his body of a, course, this is the common property golden hue. He is said to have of man with beasts. Virtue is their stolen the amrita from the gods in great distinction. Deprived of virtue, order to obtain his mother's freedom men are equal with brutes." from Kadru. Indra fought against '' Because it is not properly di- him and recovered it, but he was gested. ( 43 ) SECTION" III. WISDOM. 25. Close attention to study augments knowledge; know- ledge increases wisdom ; by wisdom, we know the signifi- cation (of a thing); the knowledge of the signification brings happiness. 26. A wise man, seeing coming danger,^* should avoid it at a distance ; on seeing it approach, he should remain fearless. 27. A wise man should spurn one who is avaricious, irri- table, proud, arrogant, idle, and covetous ; he should spurn also one who is remiss, addicted to drink, slothful, hypo- critical, and niggardly. 28. He who is full of faith and modesty, who shrinks from sin and is full of learning, who is diligent, unremiss, and full of understanding — he, being replete with these seven things, is esteemed a wise man. 29. One who is stable, by obtaining what benefit there may be in his present state of ignorance or what there may be in the future, is termed a wise man. " "Perceiving danger not yet burrow with a hundred openings." arrived, an old mouse, skilled in See story in Hitopadeia, 1. 38, 39 ; books of policy, occupied there a also iv. 17. 44 Nlri LITERATURE OF BURMA. 30. He is a wise man who knows his speech, his affections, and his anger to be in keeping with his status.^^ 31- A king and a wise man are never alike: a king is honoured in his own country, a wise man everywhere. 32. Punishment truly is awarded to a wise man receiving praise from a fool ; but a wise man praised by a wise man is well praised.^* 33- By one in power controlling himself, his underlings, too, will exercise self-control : a wise man should put an end to his anger. 34- Wide certainly is the difference between the body and the good qualities of mind ; the body perishes in a short time, the qualities last a cycle. 35- He is called wise who, obtaining much benefit, know- ledge, and prosperity, can conduct himself as one devoid of pride and stubbornness. 36. Those men who desire not what should not be desired, nor sorrow for what occasions loss, who, moreover, do not suffer confusion in failure, they indeed are wise men. 37- A wise man should not think lightly of a knotty point in a sentence : how can the sun, though shedding light i.e., the 000a- "Of what avail is the praise or sion should be considered. See the censure of one of the vulgar, who Mitopadeia, ii. 48. makes a useless noise like a senseless '^' MahAbhdrata, zii. 4217, says: crow in the forest ? " THE DHAMMANiTI. 45 on the Three Islands,^^ throw light into tlie hollow of a bamboo ? 38- There is no one without merit or demerit in something or other ; even the gentle lily has a tough stalk. 39- They who are covetous and deluded come to grief, although, knowing a large number of books, they possess a vast stock of knowledge for the dissipation of doubts. 40. Men spoken of as good, on seeing a fault in another who is good, say nothing : the world sees not an impres- sion ^ in the moon, although it be apparent. '' According to Buddhist cosmo- gony, each eaMavdla has four great islands or continents — (l) Pubbavi- deha, (2) Jambudtpa, (3) Aparago- ydna, and (4) Uttarakiiru. The allu- sion to the Three Islands will be un- derstood by considering the path in which the sun is said to move. This luminary gives light to the whole of the four continents, but not to all at the same time. When it rises in Jambudipa, it is in the zenith to the inhabitants of Fubbavideha, sunset in TTttarakuru, and midnight in Aparagoy^a. At sunset in the latter it is mid-day in (2), sunset in (l), and midnight in (4). When the sun, moon, and stars go to the other side of the Yughandhara rocks nearest to Mah^-Meru, they appear to set in (2). See " System of the Universe " in Hardy's " Manual of Buddhism." 18 Lanjanatti. Just as Occiden- tals speak of " the man in the moon," Orientals speak of " the hare in the moon." In Burmese folklore the moon is represented as having a picture of a man and his wife pound- ing rice, and a dog seated by. With regard to certain philosophical specu- lations respecting consciousness in the MUinda^%lw, the following appears in Hardy's "Manual of Buddhism" : — " The other vinndnaa, as taste and smell are produced by contact. Unless there be actual contact between the tongue and the object tasted, there is no production of jivTbd vmndna; but when any- thing is in contact with the eye, whether it be collyrium by which it is anointed, or the grain of sand by which it is annoyed, there is no consciousness of its colour or shape ; notwithstanding the eye can discern the hare in the moon, though it is at so great a distance." The idea of the hare being in the moon is a very old one, and had its origin, no doubt, in the SaaajMaka, iv. 2 (6) of the Jdtakatthavannand, Fausbiill's, vol. iii. p. 51. Rhys Davids, referring to certain legends concerning Gotama, writes : — " He takes his place also in the 'Dic- tionuaire Infemel' of M. Collin de Flancy, a quaintly illustrated dic- tionary of all matters relating to devils, fairies, magic, astrology, and so on. There he appears in a curious woodcut as 'Sakimuni, g^nie ou dieu,' in the character of Man in the Moon, or, rather, of the Hare in the Moon." The following is the Chinese ver- 46 NtTI LITERATURE OF BURMA. 41. If a wise man once contract a friendship with a wise man, he should strive after not only his own welfare, but also that of the other ; he should likewise strive after the final bliss of Nibb^n. 42. It should not be said that in a well on the bank of a river there is no water, in wood no fire, in a palm-leaf sion of the story, as given in Seal's " Buddhist Kecords of the Western World," in connection with Gotama's wanderings in the Benares district : . — " To the west of this lake (Cham- pion's Lake) there is a sJflpo of ' the three animals.' In this place, when Bddhisattva was practising his pre- paratory life, he burnt his own body. At the beginning of the kalpa in this forest wild there lived a fox, a hare, and a monkey, three creatures of different kinds but mutually affec- tionate. At this time l^akra (Sakka), king of DSvas, wishing to examine into the case of those practising the life of a Bodhisattva, descended spiritually in shape, as an old man. He addressed the three animals thus : — ' My children, two or three, are you at ease and without fear ? ' They said, 'We lie upon the rich herbage, wander through the bosky brakes, and though of different kinds we are agreed together, and are at rest and joyful' The old man said, 'Hearing that you, my chil- dren, two or three, were peaceful at heart and living in sweet accord, though I am old, yet have I come from far alone, forgetting my infir- mities, to visit you ; but now I am pressed with hunger, what have you to offer me to eat?' They said, ' Wait here awhile, and we will go ourselves in search of food.' On this, with one mind and with single purpose, they searched through the different ways for food. The fox having skirted a, river, drew out from thence a fresh carp fish. The monkey in the forest gathered fruits and flowers of different kinds. Then they came together to the appointed place and approached the old man. Only the hare came empty, after running to and fro both right and left. The old man spake to him and said 'As it seems to me, yon are not of one mind with the fox and monkey ; each of those can minister to me heartily, but the hare alone comes empty, and gives me nought to eat ; the truth of what I say can easily be known.' The hare, hear- ing these words and moved by their power, addressed the fox and monkey thus, ' Heap up a great pile of wood for burning, then I will give {do) something.' The fox and monkey did accordingly ; running here and there, they gathered grass and wood ; they piled it up, and when it was thoroughly alight the hare spake thus : ' Good sir ! I am a small and feeble thing ; it is difficult for me to obtain you food, but my poor body may perhaps provide a meal.' On this he cast himself upon the fire, and forthwith died. 'Then the old man reassumed his body as King Sakra, collected all the bones, and after dolorous sighs addressed the fox and monkey thus : ' He only could have done it. I am deeply touched; and lest his memory should perish, I will place him in the moon's disc to dwell.' Therefore through after ages all have said, ' The hare is in the moon.' After this event men built a stApa on the spot." THE DHAMMANtri. 47 fan no wind ; in like manner it should not be said that in the mouth there is no speech. 43- A wise man questioned by another is like a drum; being questioned, he is like a great shower: a fool, whether questioned or not questioned, speaks boastfully. 44. If one embellished with abundance of good qualities strives not after his own and the welfare of others, how can he, a bearer of happiness to all beings, be called a wise man? 45- One wise should strive after his own and the welfare of others ; being unable to do both, he should seek his own good ; unable to do that, he should at least restrain himself from sin. 46. A wise man hears everything with his ear and sees everything with his eye : it does not become him, how- ever, to wish for all that he sees and all that he hears. 47- Having eyes; one should be like a blind man ; like a deaf man, one who has ears; possessed of wisdom, one should be like dumb, and like a weak man one possessed of strength; and, when prosperity comes, a man should sleep the sleep of one who is dead. 48. Wise men wish for sons superior to them, or equal to them, in excellence ; if the child be one who injures the famUy, him, as being of inferior worth, they desire not to have. 49. There are three in books who call themselves wise : 48 Ntri LITERATURE OF BURMA. one who says, "I only am wise;" one who says, "I also am wise ; " and the one who says, " I am Twt wise." These are the three. SO. That assembly is not becoming in which no good men are to be found ; they are not good who do not speak what is right : they, however, are good who, abandoning lust, hatred, and folly, speak what is right. 51- The wise should not look for faults in a child, a mad- man, and a king ; nor, also, in teachers and parents, in the priesthood, and in an elder brother. 52. A wise man should not publish his anxiety of mind, misconduct in his house, his deception by others, and likewise disrespect.^* S3- He is a wise man who looks upon another's wife as he would upon a mother, upon another's property as upon a clod of earth, and upon all creatures as he does upon himself.^" 54- They, however, are not wise who seek for friendship by deceit, virtue by defilement, property by another's anguish, learning by amusement, and a wife by severity. '^ For " deception '' and " dia- ^ This is a literal rendering of respect" the ffitopadeia has "the stanza 13 in itfitroMJAo. being cheated " and " disgrace " respectively. ( 49 ) SECTION IV. KNOWLEDGE. 55- One desiring knowledge should seek knowledge, having (first of all) sought for learned men : rice cooked in the pot is (also found) cooked in the dish.^ 56. The wise from afar, not hillmen close by, take away the gem from the hill abounding in riches : like this are the foolish in reference to the learned. 57- What benefit is there to deer by mineral wealth or to the impious by a moral precept ? what benefit by law to the lawless, by knowledge to fools ? 58. The man who is of little knowledge lives like an ox ; his flesh increases, not his wisdom. 59- One of little knowledge, being presumptuous, deems that little a great deal ; a frog,^^ not seeing the water in the sea, thinks the water in a well considerable : 2' In which the rice is served at a or one of narrow experience is meal. The Sdjantti of LaM LS.la frequently likened to a frog in a says : " As whatever you put into a welL " He who does not go forth new earthen vessel, you will find its and explore all the earth, which is quality there." full of many wonderful things, is <■, ^ One of circumscribed intellect well-frog." — Pancaianira. D so Ntri LITERATURE OP BURMA. 60. Know by this : — a small stream flows into chasms and fissures, murmuring (on its course); a large river flows silently along.^ " A Teltign a^phthegm aays : coarse, but a foul stream rashes " The Ganges flows with a tranquil with a roar." ( SI ) SECTION V. COirraRSATION. 6i. Good men say that pleasant speech is excellent — (this is the first thing); we should speak in accordance with the scriptures, not what is not in keeping with it — this is the second thing; we should speak words of afiection, and not give expression to unloving speech — this is the third thing; we should speak the truth, and not give utterance to falsehood — this is the fourth. 62. The fat of lions remains in gold and not in silver ; ^* the conversation of the wise finds no place in a fool. 63- Fire, having great heat, does not soften earth ; water reduces it to softness ; the words of the good soften one who is severe. 64. By gentleness should one overcome an enemy or one who is harsh : for the reason that a thing is not accom- plished, for that very reason it should be overcome by gentleness. 65. Pleasant is sandal-wood in this world; pleasant the light of the moon ; pleasanter, however, than sandal- wood and the moon is the conversation of the righteous. ^ The Bnrmese say that there is except a golden vessel. As soon as a fish called the Ngahtwuhna in a it is put into any other, it speedily hill-stream of the Fegu-yoma range, evaporates, "vhose fat will not remain in any 52 Ntri LITERATURE OF BURMA. 66. One of pleasant speech has many a friend, one of harsh speech few : here the metaphor ^ concerning the sun and moon should be brought to'mind. 67. A word in season, though little, is well spoken ; to a hungry man delicious is the badly-cooked rice that has to be eaten, 68. The large talk of the garrulous, though beneficial, no one should pay regard to ; is it not found that the water of a river, though serviceable, is viewed with indifference ? 69. One should not speak when the time for speaking is past, nor should he remain silent at aU times ; when the time for speaking- comes, he should not utter what is irrelevant ; — he should speak with deliberation. 70. Wisdom in speech is the foundation in reference to things that are wished for ; when there is no wisdom in speech, what is wished for is not achieved. 71- The hand, the leg, the head, the back, the stomach — these are five individuals; they serve the mouth, bfeing subject, so to speak, to its admonitions. '' Taken from the excessive heat of the sun and the great coldness of the moon. ( 53 ) SECTION VI. WEALTH. 72. Faith is wealth ; virtue, modesty, fear of sinning, know- ledge, sacrificing, too, are wealth ; wisdom, certainly, is a "seventh" wealth.. 73- The wealth of women is heauty, of men good ancestry, of snakes poison; the wealth of rulers is an army, of priests virtue, of Brahmans knowledge. 74- Beauty in the hour of misfortune is of no benefit, nor wisdom, ancestry, and relations ; wealth alone is a special boon.2* 75- Relatives, son and wife, and companions forsake one in poverty ; they cling to him in prosperity : wealth in this world is a great friend.^^ 76. As people always depend upon tanks and the like when they contain water, so also do they depend upon one who 26 Vide HUopadeia, ii. 3 : "A " He who has wealth has friends, has man of graat wealth is honoured, relatives. There is no prosperity be he even the murderer of a Brah- in existence without wealth. Like man ; although equal in race to the small streams in the hot weather, moon, if poor he is despised." the acts 'of a destitute man are cut ^ See some beautiful lines on the off ; " and so forth, subject in Mahdbhdrata, zii. 213 fi. . 54 Ntri LITERATURE OF BURMA. has wealth, on one who has fortune ; when they run low, they forsake him. 77- Prosperity is brought about iby oneself, and so is ad- versity J no one brings about the prosperity or adversity of another. ( 55 ) SECTION VII. BGSIDENCK 78. Where these five — a man of wealth, an astrologer, a king, a river, and likewise a doctor — are not to be found, there one should not remain for even a day.*^ 79- "Where there is no love, no joy, no relatives, and no man of learning, there a man should not live for even a day. 8o. Where there is no love, no respect for the virtuous, no disregard for the wicked, there one should not live for even a day. 8i. lions, good men, and elephants, leaving their habita- tion, go elsewhere; crows, bad men, and deer die even in their own abode. % We quote from the Mibraldiha neither respect for the good, nor the section of the ffitopadeia in connec- means of livelihood, nor friends, nor tion with stajizas 78 to 84 of the the advance of knowledge, any one Dhammantti : — should abandon that country." " Teeth, hair, nails, and men " A rich man, a religious teacher, removed from their place are not a king, a river, and, fifthly, a physi- beautiful ; knowing this, the wise cian — where these five are not, one should not abandon his own place." should not make one's abode. " " Lions, good men, and elephants, " Traffic, fear, modesty, honesty, having abandoned a place, go away ; and generosity — where these five crows, cowards, and deer meet death are not, there one should not make at the same spot." an abiding-place. " " The wise man moves with one " Thou, O friend, must not dwell foot, and rests still with one foot : where this quaternion is not — a without having inspected another payer of debts, a physician, a re- place, be should not abandon a ligious teacher, and a river of former station," wholesome water." For these see "In whatever country there is Fincott'B Hitopadeia, i. 104-112. 56 NlTI LITERATURE OF BURMA. 82. Where an idler, a clever man, a hero, and a coward are equally praised, there the virtuous do not remain ; what benefit is there to them by absence of distinction ? 83- A wise man moves on one foot and halts on the other ; he should not quit a previous abode without carefully thinking about another. 84. Teeth, hair, nails, and men, not being properly rooted, do not appear to advantage ; a wise man, knowing this, does not hurriedly quit his residence. ( 57 ) SECTION VIII. DEPENDENCE. 8S. One, though he be similar in goodness to the all-wise Buddha, sinks (into obscurity), being alone and not de- pendent on another ; a gem, though priceless, looks well being set in gold.^* 86. One should not serve a severe master, and yet he should serve one; one should not serve one who is niggardly; more so, he should not serve one who op- presses; and, furthermore, he should not serve one who will not give him promotion. 87. One speaks badly of another in his absence, but lovingly in his presence; no one should serve such a person, treacherous as a pot of poison.^ 88. The sun should be approached by the back towards it, fire by the stomach facing it; one should approach kings by his whole body, the next world by laying aside delusion.^^ ^ Compare " Glass by associa- " A wicked person speaks sweetly, tion with gold acquires an emerald but that is not a reason for confiding lustre." — Sitopadeia, Intr., 41. in him. He has sweetness on the '" "One should avoid that kind tip of his tongue, but in the heart of friend who behind the back virulent poison." — Mitraldbha, 80. injures one's purposes, and before ^' The Sanskrit has "the next the face speaks sweetly. He is a world by sincerity." — SuhridbJieda, dish of poison with milk on the 32. surface." — Mitraldiha, 79. S8 NtTI LITERATURE OF BURMA. 89. One should not rely upon an evil-doer, nor on one who is given to lying ; he should not depend on one who is mindful of his own interests, nor on one who acts very much in secret. 90. One, though he be of little excellence, becomes eminent by serving a man of eminence : golden-winged birds be- come so by remaining on a golden mountain?^ 91. A powerful person, what can he effect, though strong, if he be without followers ? Fire put where there is no air goes out of itself. 92. Flowers and fruits grow plentifully, the tree depending on a good soil ; by depending on a good man great merit springs into existence. '^ The reference is very likely to upon the eastern mountain an object the fabulous birds on the northern shines by the drawing near of the face of Mount Meru. Compare sun, so by the proximity of the good Introduction to JTiifojxu^eia, 46: "As even an outcast is enlightened." ( S9 ) . SECTION IX. FEIENDSHIP. 93- He who is not idle, severe, and deceitful, but is pure in mind, truthful in speech, free from covetousness, eager for his welfare — such a person is said to he excellent. 94- Staving off evil in misfortune,*^ supporting you in prosperity, not abandoning you in adversity — these, in short, are the characteristics of a friend. 95- They who stand by you in sickness and in adversity, in famine and in captivity, at a king's door ^ or in the charnel-house — they are friends indeed. 96. Just as difficult is it to find a wise man, a good friend, and a weU-wisher, as jt is to find a good doctor or a delicious medicine. 91- He who, forsaking staunch friends, forms acquaintance- ship with those who are unstable^ to him there is the loss ^ " In miBfortunes one may know si j-qj. gays an old proverb : "Even a friend, in battle a hero, in decay- tonching an elephant kills ; a Ber- ing fortunes a wife, and kinsmen in pent smelling ; a king even when afflictions." — MitralMha, 74. Also protecting ; and the wicked even compare SwAridftAerfffi, 79 : "On the smiling." — Ritopadeia, m. l^. The touchstone of misfortune a man Sanskrit version adds : " during a ascertains the strength of the intel- national tumult," — MitraldiAa, 75. lect and goodness of the relation, wile, servants, and of himself." 6o NtTI LITERATURE OF BURMA. of his faithful friends ;— what can there be said about those who are unstable ? 98. One should win over an avaricious person by a gift ; one presumptuous by salutation ; a fool by giving him his way ; a wise man by right behaviour.^^ 99. By constant intercourse, verily, and by keeping aloof, as well as by proffering requests at an unseasonable moment — by this do friends fall away. 100. One should, therefore, not go to another constantly, nor after too long a time; he should proffer a request at a seasonable moment: friends thus will not fall away. lOI. By association with whatever friend safety diminishes — a wise man should, above all things, guard against ruin from him as he would guard against fire. 102. By association with whatever friend safety increases — a wise man should, in all matters, act towards him as he would towards himself. 103. The sugar-cane is decidedly sweeter knot after knot from the tip ; a good man is like that — a bad man just the reverse.** " Vide stanzas 78 of LoJcaaitH, 22 1 " One should win a friend by good- of Dhammapada, and MdhSbkdrata, nature, a relative by courtesy, iii. 13, 235, V. 1518, The Sandhi women and servants by gifts and section oiffitopadeia, 108, 109, has : honours, other people by dexterity." " The covetous should be won over '^ The friendship of a good man by money, the haughty by joining becomes more and more devoted ; the hands, a fool by humouring his that of a bad man deteriorates little inclination, a wise man by truth." by little. THE DHAMMANtn. 6i 104. Therefore there was preached by the sage (Gotama) ■whatever Worldly Laws ^^ there are as well as the Spiritual Laws ^ that lead to heaven. lOS. All those having reference to proper companionship are for the benefit of living beings; therefore in good friendships affection ought to be shown. 106. That wise man, certainly, who is imbued with gratitude and knows how to perform a grateful act is a good friend, a devoted and a staunch one ; he does zealously what is necessary for one in distress : people in this world say that one of such a nature is a good man. 107. A stranger conferring a benefit is a relative ; a rela- tive doing what is unbeneficial is a stranger: a disease arising in the body is unbeneficial ; a medicine from the forest is a boon.*' 108. He whose face is like the lotus-hly, his speech is as pleasant as sandal-wood; honey is on the tip of his tongue, poison in his intentions : such a one we should not cling to ; such a friend we ought to avoid.^" "^ LoHyd dhammd — the eight tives who do not help in time of need, " Worldly Conditions," viz., gain, that the Sanskrit maxim says : loss, fame, dishonow, praise, hlame, " Better a forest haunted by tigers («, suffering. and elephants, trees for shelter, ripe The nine " Transcendental fruits and water for food, grass for a States" (nava lohuttard dhammd) bed, bark for clothing; but with- are referred to — the four Maggas, out wealth, not living amidst rela- the four PhaZits, and Nibbdna. tions. " 39 Sitopadeia, iii. loi. So pro- ■"• See note to Lokaniti, 88, and nounced is the feeling against rela- Dhamma/nUi, i"}. ( 62 ) SECTION X. THE BAD MAK. 109. He is a fool who, having done a good deed or a bad deed in a previous existence, does not perceive the one being a source of happiness, the other of suffering. no. One foolish deems his transient self intransient; he (thereby) perpetually diminishes the performance of vir- tuous deeds. lit. A fool, having done what is evil, does not exert himself to put it away: wherefore ? — a tiger going along does not endeavour to obliterate its footmark. 112. One in poverty seeks wealth ; one weak strives to be strong; one of little knowledge is argumentative: these are the characteristics of a fool. "3- Going uninvited, speaking much when not questioned, vaunting one's virtues — these are the characteristics of a fool. 114. Just as ripe figs are red outside but full of worms inside, so are the natures of those who are wicked. THE DHAMMANtTI. 63 115. A pot not full of water makes a noise; one full of water remains noiseless : a fool is like a half-full jar — a wise man like one quite full, 116. A foolish man does many an evil act, though receiving admonitions from the wise : charcoal, being washed, still continues black.*^ By instructing a foolish pupil, by maintaining a wicked wife, by companionship with vile friends, even a wise man deteriorates. 118. Beauty in the vile is the grief of another's wife ; wealth is the grief of the world ; the learning of the bad is for the ruin of the good; advantages in the vile are the greatest tyrannies. 119. Himself wicked, one calls a good man wicked : there is nothing whatever in the world more ridiculous than such declaration of his. 120. A wicked man, verily, remains unhappy without re- viling others ; a dog, having tasted every dainty, is dis- satisfied, being without what is unclean. 121. When iron is heated it can be welded ; it is soft ; it is malleable : the heart of a wicked man does not soften : — how then can it be compared to iron ? * The Sanskrit version i» : " Let though you wash a coal in milk, the sinner listen to holy texts, be will the blackness be removed ? " will not relinquish his vile nature ; 64 Ntri LITERATURE OF BURMA. 122. Therefore, if a man of discrimination wish for pros- perity, he should shun companionship with evil-doers as he would a venomous snake at a distance. 123. Verily neither enmity nor friendship with evil-doers is hefitting ; charcoal burns, being ignited ; when the fire is out, it regains its black condition.*^ 124. Though a bad man be embellished by knowledge, he ouofht to be shunned: how can a snake be harmless though tricked out with gems 1 ** 125. The wind is the friend of the fire burning a forest ; it even extinguishes a lamp ; in a wicked man there is no friendship whatever. 126. A snake is bad, a wicked man is bad, a wicked man being worse than a snake : a snake may be tamed by charms and herbs; how can a wicked man be reduced to subjection ? 127. A wicked man cannot be virtuous by (simply) having knowledge in his mind : how can the tragacanth become full of sweetness by honey deposited in one of its hol- lows?** ^ This stanza is thus expressed in when culd, it blackens the hand." — the Sanskrit original — " One should Mitraldbha, 83. not bring about neither friendship *' This stanza is from Cdnakya's nor even acquaintance with a wicked collection. person : charcoal when hot bums ; ** When pierced for the extraction of gum. THE DHAMMANtri. 65 128. By association with the wicked the good even become bad: unpleasant is a road, though straight, on which rubbish is deposited. 129. The man who wraps up putrid flesh with kii^sa *^ grass, finds that the grass emits a putrid odour : like this, too, is association with fools. 130. One should not look at a fool nor listen to him; he should not associate with him; he should neither hold conversation with him nor take pleasure in him. 131- One of little intelligence leads one to destruction ; he strives to lead him to what should not be striven after ; he is misleading ; he is sleepy-headed ; if kindly admon- ished, he flies out into a temper ; he knows not admoni- tion : the good, in consequence, avoid him. 132. Should a fool serve a wise man all his life long, he will not perceive his duty, just as a spoon cannot perceive the flavour of the curry gravy .*^ 133- The plantaiti fruit, verily, kills the plantain-tree ; the bamboo and the reed flower kill the bamboo and the reed : homage kills *' a bad man just as a Tara colt its mother. * Poa cynosuroidea, used in an- — Institutes of Manu, ii. Brahmanio cieut Brahmanic sacrifices. There girdles were also- made of Icasa is a reference to it in Dliammapada, grass. 70. It was supposed to have a ^ Vide note to stanza 25 i:l purifying influence. A Brahman Lokaniti. before reciting the Vedas had to sit ^' During gestation. Yide stan/:; on it and rub his hands with it also. 85 of Lokaniti. 66 Ntri LITERATURE OF BURMA. 134- A dog seeing a dog shows its teeth to bite ; on becom- ing angry, a bad man, seeing a bad man, wishes to injure Mm. 135- A frog sitting on its rumps is not a lion; a hog grunting is not a leopard ; a cat is not a tiger on account of its similarity to one ; he is not wise who is of little wisdom. 136. A frog is like a lion ; if a crow seize it, it begins to squtiak : a fool is like a learned man ; if a wise man question him, he says, " Sir ! sir ! " ^ 137. Harmful among birds is the crow, a rat in a house, a monkey in a forest ; a Brahman among men. ** Submissively and as if in ad- is like a learned man," t.e., when mission of his inferiority. " A fool be deems himself one. ■ 67 ) SECTION XL THE GOOD MAN. 138. Grass, earth,*' air, and, fourthly, pleasant speech — these should never be put an end to in a good man's house. 139- Eivers do not drink up their water, nor trees eat up their own fruit ; rain never eats up corn : the wealth of the righteous is for others.^ 140. The good qualities of a good man living at a distance do service as messengers : bees go off at pleasure, smelling the fragrance of the ketdka " flower. 141. As a fair tree, in too great proximity to the thorn apple, is not affected by it ; a good man, likewise, is not affected by the wicked though mixed up with them. 142. One seeking permanent happiness should serve a man of excellence, forsaking his evil companions ; he should, moreover, abide by his admonitions. 143- Just as ripe jacks, though thorny outside, are full of juice inside, so are the dispositions of righteous men. *• A spot of ground where a stran- See MUraldbha, 60-65, °^ ^^^ duties ger may take up his abode ; grass of hospitality, tor cattle or to serve as bedding. '" Compare Zoiantti, 64. " The Pandwmis odoratissimus. 68 Ntri LITERATURE OF BURMA. 144. He who wraps up the taggara with the pal&sa leaves finds that the leaves give forth a sweet fragrance ; similar to this is association with the wise. 145. One should look (with reverence) and attend upon a wise man ; he should associate and converse with, and, moreover, esteem him. 146. A man of wisdom leads one to prudence ; he does not strive to lead to what is unpleasant ; he leads well ; he is excellent; being admonished rightly, he does not lose his temper ; he understands reproof : on account of (all) this a good man has companionship with him. 147. If a man of intelligence serve for a short time a learned man, he speedily perceives his duty, as the tongue the taste of the curry gravy. ( 69 ) SECTION XII. THE POWEBFUL. 148. Than these four kinds of power — power of arm, power of rank, power of wealth, and the power 6f high ancestry — wisdom, undoubtedly, is a more exalted power. 149. In air lies the strength of birds, in water that of iish ; the strength of the helpless is in a king ; the strength of childen in tears.®^ 150. The moon is powerful; powerful, too, are Brdhmanas and SaTrmnas ; the power of the sea is its shore ; the power of woman is the greatest power. iSi. Among creatures having feet, the lion is powerful; more powerful is a worm ; an ant is still more powerful ; man still more ; a king more powerful than all within the limits (of his kingdom). 152. A forest is the resort of deer, the sky the resort of birds ; emancipation from passion is the aim of religious precepts ; the aim of the sanctified is Nibbln.^^ ^"^ Oomp. Sitopadeh,, 207: "The their own grouna; of kings, an chief strength of aquatic animals is army." the water ; of residents in strong- '^ Vir%o gati dhammS.nam, holds, a forest ; of beasts of prey, NibbSuam rahataih gati. ( 70 ) SECTION XIII. WOMEN. 153- A WISE man should marry a maid of good descent, even though she be ugly ; he should, likewise, marry one who is beautiful, even though she be of mean descent. 154- The woman who is lovely in looks, has eyes like those of deer, hair long, waist narrow, who has fine teeth, is worthy of admiration, and has a pretty mouth, is clever in talk, virtuous, and industrious — she, though she be of an inferior caste, should be taken to wife. ISS. The woman who attends to her husband at his meals as a mother would, who, in nourishing those in her care, acts as nurses do, who in her own avocations is enthu- siastic, and in her husband's business helpful like a nurse ; 1 56. Who in her wifely duties is well grounded, in time of sleep affords comfort, and among relatives speaks as she would to a mother — such a woman is called " excellent." 1 57. He who under all circumstances is constantly earnest and energetic, that man, as being a gratifier of every wish, a woman despiseth not. THE DHAMMANtri. 71 158. A good woman should not vex her husband by froward- ness ; a wise woman honours all those worthy of respect who have aught to do with her husband. IS9- An energetic woman is not idle ; she looks after her attendants; she does her husband's pleasure, and keeps a guard over his acquisitions. 160. The woman who acts thus, doing her husband's will, those heavens, where she is re-born, are (made) lovely indeed. i6i. Certain women have been declared most excellent of all by the Sage (Gotama) : " Of all beings, woman is most excellent; she is the chief of supporters." 162. A man of discrimination should not take counsel " in secret even with his mother, his daughter, or his sister ; (for) are not women (known to be) deceitful ? 163. Women act with the quick movement of lightning, with the cutting sharpness of weapons, with the rapidity of fire and air. 164. "Women's appetite is twice that of men, their intelli- '^ Read the stoiy of the "Two- But tell them not your plans if headed Weaver" in the Pcmaitantra. you are wise." A translation of it appears in Monier " If you have aught to do and want Williams' Indian WUdom, in which to do it, we find the following passages : — Don't ask a woman's counsel, or "Give women food, dress, gems, you'll rue it." and all that's nice, 72 Nh'I LITERATURE OF BURMA. gence four times, their assiduity six times, and their desires eight times.^* 165. If each woman had eight husbands — a heroic husband, a powerful husband, an indulgent husband, and the like — she would yet long for a ninth; being unbounded in her wishes, she is indeed not satisfied. 166. A woman who is disputatious, who desires whatever she sees, is immoderate in her wants, gluttonous, and given to sleep — one should shun such a woman, even if she have a hundred sons. 167. V\'"omen speak with another, see another having an attachment for him, think of another who is possessed of various advantages ; — who then can be called the darling of women such as these ? 168. If a man could catch. the air in a net, bail away the ocean with one of his hands, or produce sound too from his own hand, he would, then, satisfy women; such, verily, is woman's nature.^^ 169. If a man, having a thousand tongues, live a hundred years, and by him, by his having nothing else to do, expression is given to blemishes in women, how will his fault-finding come to an end ? "•^ In connection with stanzas 163, Jivhasahassiko yo hi 164, vide Zokantli, 161. Jive vassasatam naro ^^ The following is the Pali text of Tena nikkammuna vutto this and the next stanza : — Thidoso kim khayam gato." " Ganheyya viltam jdlena For passages in praise of women Saganim ekapanina and their duty to their husbands, Osinoeyya ca talena consult " Institutes of Mann," ix. ; Sakena janaye ravam MahMMrata, i. 3027 ff., xii 5497 PamadSsu visajjeyya ff., and xiii. 6781 ff. Itthiye sS. vajjadhammata. ( 73 ) SECTION XIV. SONS. 170-171. The -wise wish for a son having five things in view, — " having cherished him, he will cherish us, or he will carry- on our work ; he can keep up the lineage ; he will inherit the property ; he will give offerings to onr spirits after our death." 172. The wise wish for a son either superior to the father or equal to him ; that evil offspring they do not desire who is the destroyer of his race. 173- They who are born from the same loins are not the same; their features are different as well as their be- haviour, just as the thorns on the plum-tree. 174. Many are the faults in the absence of restraint, many the virtues by the exercise of restraint ; therefore, when it is time for restraint, one should restrain a son or a pupil. 175- One should admonish by means of admonition; he should hinder from what is unbefitting; he, indeed, who is subdued is loved; he who is not subdued is hated. 74 NtTI LITERATURE OF BURMA. 176. One should admonish a s'on or brother who is wicked ; he should not forsake them:- the hand and the foot being smeared with filth, wherefore should they be cut off? ( 75 ) SECTION XV. SERVANTS. 177. A SEEVANT born in tlie house or one obtained by money, a servant who is a servant from choice or one who is cap- tured in war — these are four Jdnds of servants. 178. Servants are of five kinds — one who is like a thief, one who is like a master, one who is like a friend, one who is like a relative, and one who is like the master himself ; in the same way ^'^ should friends, wives, and relatives be considered by the wise. " That is, as being divided into five kinds. ( 76 ) SECTION XVI. RESIDENCE. 179. Living with a vricked wife or with one who is loveless, living with one who speaks with an air of superiority, or in a house infested with snakes, is, it nannot be doubted, death itself.** 180. We avoid at a distance a man seeking name and dis- tinction ; a wise man, therefore, by not seeking them finds the road (that leads to notoriety). 181. One should always go himself to the threshing-flooi and to the stable and field; he should store the grain, having measured it; he should cook it in his house, having first weighed it out. 182. Being cognisant of the diminution of coUyrium, of the increase of ant-hiUs, of the accumulation of honey little by little, — a wise man should even thus conduct his own house.*' ^ With reference to the crow and no additions to his wealth, he has the black snake on the tree where nothing left in the end. The SUopa- the former made her nest, the Sito- deia has : " Having observed the padeda says : — wasting of collyriuta and the in- " A wicked wife, a false friend, a creasing of an ant-hill, one should servant giving saucy answers, and make time fruitful with almsgiving, residence in a house with a snake, study, and works." CoUyrium is a is death without doubt." — Suhnd- kind of imguent used by Asiatics to bheda, 120. strengthen and brighten the eyes °° If only one spends and makes (Grreek Ko\Xi!pH»>). THE DHAMMANIti. 77 183. One ought himself to know what is got and what is spent ; of himself should he know what should or should not he done ; he should punish one deserving of punish- ment, and praise one deserving of praise.*" 184. A 'ruler should sleep during one watch only, a priest during two, a householder during three, and a beggar during four. X85. He is a relative who clings to you in hia prosperity, he a father who nourishes you ; in whom there is sincerity, he is a friend; she a wife in whom there ia quiet. 186. There being love for and trust in another, one does nob consider a hundred as even an anna ; there being no love and trust, he looks upon an anna as a hundred. 187. One who asks is hated; one not giving, being asked, is also hated; a man of excellence, therefore, should obtain the wealth of knowledge. 188. One should guard his wealth under ail circumstances ; more so should he guard his wife ; a greater watch tban over wife and wealth should he always keep over himself. 189. A wife should not be held in common ; a dainty should ^ This refers to the duty of a king. Yid£ "Institutes of Manu," chapter vii. 78 NtTI LITERATURE OF BURMA. not be eaten alone ; one should not follow the Lokayatam : this is not for the advancement of wisdom.*^ 190. A man of discrimination should be virtuous and obser- vant of his duties ; he should not be neglectful ; he should be humble, not proud; he should delight in righteous- ness, and be affable and gentle. 191. A wise man gives help to his friends, sharing his property with them; priests and saints, too, he always provides with food and drink. 192. A man of learning, who wishes to know the Law, should put questions over and over again ; he should serve with reverence those who are virtuous and of extensive know- ledge. '' The LoUyata/ih, is the name of school. His system was a heretical an old work (now said to be lost), one, which rejected the previous treating of controversy of a casuisti- doctrines in connection with the cal nature. Being of a misleading sources of knowledge. He taught nature, it was treated with contempt, the existence of four eternal prin- The first half of this stanza presents ciples — earth, air, fire, and water • an example of the kind of casuistry that the soul is not a distinct prin- in which' the Cdrvaka materialists ciple from the body, and that crea- indulged. The latter are referred tion of things and phenomena was to in the Swrvadarkmasamgraha, a a spontaneous process. The belief Sanskrit work by Madhavaoarya, in heaven and a state of punishment who gives an account of the old was emphatically denied by him religious and philosophical systems and his followers. He calls the prevalent in India. Carvfika was composers of the Vedas fools and the founder of the materialistic rogues. ( 79 ) SECTIOK XVII. WHAT SHOULD BE DONE. 193- He is wise who sleeps with his head to the east; of long life he who sleeps with his head to the south; he is of tranquil mind who sleeps with his head to the west ; it is death if he sleep with his head to the north. 194. Prolonged is the life of one who eats with his face to the east; he is wealthy who eats with his face to the south ; he famous who eats with his face to the west ; one should not eat facing the north. 195. Eating while seated makes one stout ; eating standing increases strength ; walking augments life ; running wards off sickness. 196. He who, attending to his manly occupations, does not consider heat or cold of greater consequence than grass — such a one does not decline in happiness. 197. If nectar may he got from poison, it ought to be ex- tracted ; so also gold from filth : if a man of excellence can get wisdom from the vile or a woman of worth from a family that is debased, he ought to do so.®^ '^ Manu says: "Ambrosia can even from impurity." — Institutes, ii. be extracted from poison, elegant 239. We read in Mahdbh&rata, v. speech even from a child, good 11 25: "Let a man take from all conduct even from an enemy, gold quarters what is valuable even from 8o NTri LITERATURE OF BURMA. 198. The man who knows a secret that should not he known, one hears with him like a slave from fear that his plans may come to nought. 199. The threat of even a slave should be tolerated by a wise man living in obscurity, though having a temper as potent as fire. 200. As in striving after the acquisition of wealth and corn, so in the acquirement of knowledge, in sending an errand, as well as in times of business, shame should always be discarded. 201. Because, whenever a work is completed, no one indeed notices the performer, for that very reason should all works be incompletely performed. 202. One should meet a benetactor by means of a benefit, an enemy by means of enmity ; a thorn stuck in the foot is extracted by means of one held in the hand.^^ 203. Honour him who honours you, serve him who serves you, work for him who works for you, befriend him not who befriends you not, be not devoted to him who is not devoted to you.** a raving madman and a chattering This latter idea occurs also in iSiuAn<£- child, as be extracts gold from bheda, 78. stones." The S'drngadhara ■ pad- "» The idea is: "Bo unto others dhati-NUi (viiie Von Boblen's Latin as you would have them do to you." translation) has: "A wise thought Vide JUahdbhdrata, xiii 5571, 5572. should be got even from a child : " See note to stanzas 86 and 145 does not a lamp illuininate a house of the Zokantti. when the sun is hid from view ! " THE DHAMMANtn. 8i 204. Abandon but do not make friends with him who aban- dons you; associate not with one devoid of love: as a bird, knowing that one tree has no fruit, looks for another, so should a man forsake one friend and go to another : the world indeed is, for the most part, like this. 205. Abandon one man for the good of a family ; abandon a family for the good of a village, a village for the good of a country, the earth for the good of oneself.®^ 206. Forsake wealth on account of the noble body; one keeping guard over life should sacrifice the body : a man, bearing in mind the scriptures, should forsake even all — wealth, limbs, and life. 207. Here, as days pass away diminishing the years of man, let people, therefore, not be oblivious of the teachings of Gotama. 208. He who endures the severe reproach of others, and he who knpws the true doctrine, their friends fall not away from them ; they the sooner attain to the peace of TSihUn. 209. Pire, water, a woman, a fool, a snake, royal families — these should be zealously avoided, knowing that they pro- tect life like Death himself. 210. However well cases are decided, the code has to be con- " Mitraldbha, 159. 82 Ntri LITERATURE OF BURMA. suited ; however familiar one is with a kiig, he has yet to fear him ; a young woman come into one'a hands has to be guarded well : how can there be an end to the require- ment? of laws, kings, and inaidens ? 211. Energy, which is friendship, is looked upon as an enemy ; indolence — an enemy — is considered friendship : knowledge, which is nectar, is considered a poison ; negli- gence — a poison — is looked upon as nectar. 212. So long as the hour (for revenge) has not arrived, one should carry his enemy on his shoulder ; having arrived, he should break him to pieces as a pot on a rock.** 213. One should avoid homed animals at a distance of fifty cubits, horses at a hundred, elephants at a thousand, but a bad man by quitting the place altogether. 214. One should praise teachers before their face, friends and relatives behind their back, servants while at work, and sons and wives when carried off by death. 215. Knowledge should be gained little by little ; wealth acquired by degrees ; in climbing a hill the ascent shotild be gradual ; desire and anger should come little by little : these five little by little. 216. To a chief there should be a hundred eyes and a hun- "^ Vide notes to stanza 86 of Lohmtti. THE DHAMMANtri. 83 dred ears : being thua provided, he should be like one who is deaf : this is the characteristic of a leader. 217. By the concord of many acting in concert, to be over- come is most difficult: rope is made from grass; by that very rope is an elephant secured. 218. If anger arise, consider it like a saw ; if there be longing for what is pleasant, look upon it as the flesh of your own son. 219. Generosity is the drug of friendship ; niggardliness the drug of hate J generosity brings renown; niggardliness keeps obscure. 220. One desiring wealth should trade; he should gather experience who wishes for knowledge ; one wanting a son should obtain a wife ; one wishing to be a minister should do the king's pleasure. 221. A man doing good deeds or bad should have before his eyes large expanding trees, which abound in fruit, how- ever small may have been the seed. 222. He who acts humbly in matters deserving of respect, he, putting aside his humble condition, is established in a position of advantage. 223. One should overcome one exalted by humility, a war- 84 NITI literature OF BURMA. rior by dissension, one vile by generosity, his equal by energy, 224. Others should not know on'e's fault ; he should discover the fault of another : hiding his own, like a tortoise hides its members, he should notice the disposition of others. ( 8s ) SECTION XVIII. WHAT SHOULD BE AVOIDED. 225. Sleeping late, remaining idle, behaving with severity, sleeping long, travelling alone, paying attention to an- other's wife — these, indeed, are not for one's advantage, be he even a saint. 226. A drunkard, one who goes and comes out of season, one going to a place of amusement, a gambler, one having bad associates, and an idler — these people destroy much wealth; this is the outcome of a vile nature. 227. "Now it is cold;" "Now it is hot;" "Now it is too late." The moments slip past those who neglect the per- formance of actions with thoughts such as these. 228. One injuring another is, in the first place, injured by that other : the grass itself which burns a mansion comes speedily to destruction. 229. One should not be familiar with an enemy, nor even with a friend: a friend some time or other, on being annoyed, will divulge your faults. 230. A bad place, a bad friend, a bad acquaintance, a bad kinsman, a bad wife, and a bad king — these should be avoided at a distance. 86 Ntri LITERATURE OF BURMA. 231. A crab goes along without a head, a snake without feet; a hen has its brood without suckling: one should not despise human beings. 232. A son of low parentage becomes a king's minister ; a fool's son a learned man ; the son of a pauper a millioqaiie: one should not despise human beings.*^ 233- One who desires another's friendship must not do three things, — quarrel, enter into partnership with him, and pay attentions to his wife. 234- A debt balance, a smouldering fire, and, in the same way, remaining enmity, augment continuously : therefore have nothing remaining. 235- A descendant, being bom into a good family, should guard well the family -lineage; having fallen into mis- fortune, he should not commit a debasing act. 236. He who is well off in grain is deficient in wood, water, grass, and fire : a poor man is deficient in all ; therefore he should not do what is evil.** 237- One should not take the lead among many : should the action succeed, equal is the reward ; should it fail, he re- ceives the rep imand.^* "' Compare Hitopadeia, I 187. of his can alter that worldly status. ^ The idea finderlymg this stanza Goodness in the present will be pro- is in keeping with Buddhistic belief, ductive of goodness in the future. A man's present status is the result °^ HUopadekt, L 25. of his past career ; no present effort THE DHAMMANtTI. 87 238. Basking in the rising sun, inhaling the smoke from bodies of the dead, maintaining an aged wife, and eating a curd meal at night, always destroy life. 239- Association with women and with bad men is not proper;, so also with a snake or a horned animal, with a river or disease, or with a royal family.**'' 240. Taking in hand an improper work, opposing a multi- tude,** contracting companionship with women — these, the wise say, lead to death. 241. One should not indeed pay attentions to women, nor partake in what is unbeneficial, thinking it good: we shpuld honour and revere the aged ; we should not serve a teacher with deceit. 242. A warrior should not go to the battlefield without his weapon ; a wise man should not go without his book ; a traveller, and similarly a merchant, should not travel without a companion. 243- The five spirits which remain in the body — calmness, ability, wisdom, modesty, and honour — are taken away from the portals of request.™ •sb Compare Bitop., i Vt- '" "From the portals of request." ^ It is said : " A king should not This is a free rendering of dehtliva- make war upon many opponents at canadvdrd, the literal signification once : even a fierce snake is surely of which is — " from the door of say- destroyed by a swarm of insects." — iag give." The idea is that one who Hitopadeia, iv. 96. begs loses the qualities referred to. 88 Ntri LITERATURE OF BURMA. 244. Denying a request gives pain ; making a request like- wise gives pain : whatever be the circumstance, never say, " I have not," and never say, " Give." 245. When people do not know a man, whether by means of his lineage or by means of his knowledge, there he should not make a boast of himself. 246. Bad is the speech of one who has a bad mother ; bad the conduct of one having a bad father ; but he who has a father and mother both bad, his speech is bad as well as his conduct. 247, Good is the speech of one having a good mother, and good the conduct of one having a good father ; but he .who has a mother and a father both good, his speech is good and likewise his conduct. 248. One of great height is a great fool ; one of mediocre stature a sensible man : all dwarfs, coming before V8,su- deva, are crafty.'^ 249. Behaviour shows the race, conversation one's country, companionship love, and food the body. 250. The criterion of water is the lily-stock, behaviour that 'I They imagine that they can out- In the Shagaveidgttd he calls him- wit a god. Vtoideva is a name for self the creator. Stories concem- Kpshna, the celebrated hero of In- ing him abound in the MahiHihdrata dianmythologyand the most popular and Purdnaa. His exploits mark of the Hindu deities. He is said to him out as the Hercules of the In- be the eighth incarnation of Vishnu, dians. THE DHAMMANITI. 89 of a race ; the criterion of wisdom is conversation, of soil its grass and water. 251. One should know a horse by its speed, an ox by its burden, a cow by milking, and a wise man by his speech. 252. One should know a servant by an errand, a kinsman by the approach of danger, a friend likewise in adversity, a wife when wealth disappears. 253- Even all astrologists know not the time without a book, but cocks know the hour ; more so trees ; and even more the earth and water.'^^ '^ The moral of this verse is that man should not be over-boastful of bis abilities. ( 90 ) SECTION XX. ORNAMENTATION. 254. The ornament of the earth is Mem, that of the night the moon ; the king is the ornament of the people, an elephant of an army. 255- Beauty is becoming accompanied by virtue; a race is good on account of its behaviour; a forest is befitting, having flowers, an army on account of the elephant. 256. The beauty of the cuckoo is its voice ; a woman's beauty her devotedness to her husband ; the beauty of the un- handsome is knowledge, forbearance that of priests. 257. Hermits are becoming being lean, quadrupeds if fat; men are becoming having knowledge; becoming is a woman if she have a husband. 258. The moon without the night is not befitting, the ocean without waves, a pond without geese, a man without a wife. 259. An ornament without clothes is not becoming, nor a woman without a husband ; a man without knowledge is not becoming, nor a feast without milk. THE DHAMMANtri. 91 260. The moon is the lamp of the Island World/* the husband of a woman ; the Law is the lamp of the Three Worlds ; '* a good son the lamp of the family. 261. DuU is a sonless home/* dull a country without a king ; the speech of an ignorant man is dull ; a beggar is dull entirely. 262. The ear shines on account of its hearing, not account of an earring; the hand by a gift, not by a bracelet; the person of one exalted shines by his' goodness to others, not by the application of sandal-wood.^* 73 The Fonr Great Continents (MahMipd). '* Kdmaloka, Ripaloka, and ArU^pa- loka, the worlds of Sense, Form, and Absence of Form. These axe the three subdivisions of sentient beings. ^ Old Indian writers compare such a home to a cemetery. Compare stanza 115 of LohanUi, which has raithaih instead of deswifi and asip- passa for apcmnaiia. " Referring to the custom of smearing the body with perfumed unguents, &c. The following is from Tawney's " Two Centuries of Bhartjihari : " — " No earrings deck the good man's ears, which still on scripture feed; His hands, still open to the poor, no golden bracelets need ; The perfume of his kindly acts, like flowers in leaves concealed, Exceeds the fragrant scent which nard and sandal unguents yield." " Charity best adorns the hand And reverence the head ; Truth is the virtue of the mouth, In th' ears is scripture read." " Valour lends glory to the arms, Contentment calms the heart ; Thus lofty souls, though poor, are decked With grace in every part." — Niiisatakam. { 92 ) SECTION XXI. KINGS. f 263. Almsgiving, piety, liberality, rectitude; mildness, reli- gious devotion, and good temper ; freedom from oppres- sion, patience, and unobstructiveness ; kings of these ten duties should not be in the least forgetfuL 264. Almsgiving, beneficial conduct, loving speech, and re- ciprocal behaviour '^ — these five duties were by the great sage declared " the elements of popularity." 265. From fear in a forest deer get no repose, nor a king from fear of the superior strength of others; the wise from fear of transmigration obtain no pleasure. 266. Patience, being on the alert, industry, the division of property, compassion, and inspection — these four qualities should be wished for by a leader desirous of his prosperity. 267. Gentleness causes oppression, severity creates enemies ; these two things being known, one should take a medium course. ^ Doing unto others as you would sama/rh, hers represents lamdnattatd have them do to you. The P&li atta- (" impartiality "). THE DHAMMANlTI. 93 268. Truly by gentleness, truly by severity, one is not able to make himself exalted ; one should take both courses. 269. A cultivator, a trader, a minister, a learned and virtuous monk — these abounding, a country flourishes : • 270. These being deficient, a country declines ; therefore one bearing the reins of government ^* should act so as to make his country flourish. 271. He who plucks an unripe fruit from a large tree bearing sweet fruits, he not only does not taste its sweet juice, but the seed itself is destroyed. 272. The king who does not lawfully direct a-kiiigdom which is like a great tree, he not only does not taste its sweet- ness, but the country itself is ruined. 273- He who plucks a ripe fruit from a large tree bearing sweet fruits, he experiences its sweetness ; the seed, too, is not destroyed. 274. The king who lawfully directs a kingdom which is like a large tree, tastes its sweetness, and the countiy is not ruined. 275. Whatever princely ruler governs a people lawfully, he discards the use of aU medicinal herbs.^* ™ Rafthabh&ravd. " He does not suffer ailments, and therefore needs no medicine. 94 titri LITERATURE OP BURMA. 276. The king who oppresses townspeople, traders, and re- venue collectors, that king suffers the loss of his trea- sure. 277. The king who oppresses ministers and warriors who know to choose the best battle-ground, he suffers the loss of his army. 278. A prince who acts contrary to duty, oppressing monks who practise restraint and attend to their religious duties, he suffers the.loss of heaven. 279. The straightness and crookedness of a large river is brought about by itself, not by any other ; the prosperity and adversity of a country is occasioned by a ruling prince, he having the sole supremacy in his realms. 280. A son's evil act is a, mother's doing, a pupil's that of his teacher ; the deeds of the people is the king's doing, a king's that of his spiritual adviser, 281. AH subjects doing good and bad deeds, a sixfold share is got : the king receives one share ; ^ he should, therefore, restrain the people from evil and admonish them, striving to increase their meritorious deeds. 282. The life of an ignorant man is of small value, that of a ^ " For it is declared that he obtains & share of the spiritual merit (of his subjects)." — jipastamlba, zi. 4. THE DHAMMANtTI. 95 wise one of great worth : the life of a people is the king himself, that of the king his religious duty. 283. People without a leader are ruined; ruined also are they having many leaders : those with women as leaders are ruined, and those come to destruction who allow youngsters to rule. 284. As is the cherishing of the offspring of tortoises, fish, hens, and cows, so should all creatures be cherished by a king. (96 ) SECTION XXII. MINISTRATION. 285. If one entering a king's family brings no prosperity, for that very reason one entering it should not be devoid of bravery and forgetful of his duties. 286. Whenever a king comes across one virtuous, wise, and pure, he then, entering into confidence with him, does not withhold a secret. 287. If a wise man, by night or by day, receive a commission in matters relating to the king, he should not be neglectful of them ; such a person should reside in the palace. 288. One should not dress like a king, nor decorate himself with flowers in the same way; he should not use the same toilet perfume, nor speak nor look like him. 289. Should a king, surrounded by ministers and queens, joke with them, a minister, if he be wise, should not practise dalliance with the queens. 290. One who is calm and collected and of unwavering dis- position, who is prudent, circumspect, and full of resolu- tion, he should reside in the palace. THE DHAMMANlTI. 97 291. He who does not wanton with the queen nor take counsel with her in secret, who does not purloin money from the treasury, he should reside in the palace. 292. He who does not sleep much nor drink intoxicating liquoi^ who oppresses not thp animals in the forest, he should reside in the palace. 293- "I am esteemed!" one who, thinking thus, does not mount the king's bedstead, throne, couch, boat, or chariot, he should reside in the palace. 294. One of discrimination should not serve the king at -too great a distance nor too close at hand ; facing him,*^ he should remain calm and reserved. 295. "The king is not my friend, the king is not of the same disposition as myself." Kings soon get angry, like the eye pricked by something sharp. 296. A wise, intelligent man, thinking himself esteemed, should not harshly contradict a king who is in the midst of an assembly. 297. A doorkeeper should not enter the apartments of a " Aa regards students, the riot turn his towards him." "He Apastamha, i 2, 6, says — " If the shall sit neither too near to, nor too wind blows from the pupil towards far." " But at such a distance that the master, he shall change his the teacher may be able to reach place." him with his arm." See Lohamtti, " He shall turn his face towards stanza 137. his teacher, though the latter does 98 NtTI LITERATURE OF BURMA. king, saying to himself, " I have the door (in my charge) ; " he should station himself as if guarding fire ; such a per- son should reside in the palace. 298. If a prince extend his patronage to a son or brother by apportioning villages, tov?ns, provinces, or hamlets, one should make his observations in silence ; he shoujd not make any unfavourable reflections.*^ 299. A king, noticing the manner in which elephant-drivers, horsemen, charioteers, and foot-soldiers do their duty, in- creases their wages ; one who does not go among them ^ should reside in the palace. 300, One who has a slender stomach like a bow,^ who shakes like the bamboo,^^ and does not contradict, he should re- side in the palace. 301. He who has a stomach like a bow, whose silence is like that of a tongueless fish, who is prudent and wise, he should reside in a palace. 302. One seeing clearly the decline of power should not go frequently into the presence of a woman ; he who does, suffers from cough, asthma, anguish of mind, and loss of strength. 303- One should not speak beyond bounds ; he should not 8^ Or "clever innuendoes," — chela- posture that should be observed juipalaili iia bhane. when a minister or servant stands ''' To make it appear that his before a king, services are also deserving of recog- ^ " Who shakes like the bam- nition. boo," i.e., who bowa to the king's *■* The reference is to the elegant will. THE DHAMMANITI. 99 always be silent ; at a seasonable moment he should speak what is not irfelevant. 304. One who utters neither angry nor spiteful words, but speaks what is true and pleasant, who utters not what will give rise to hate or destroy another's prosperity — such a one dhquld serve the king in his palace. 305. One who supports his parents, who honours his seniors, who is replete with modesty — such a one should serve the king in his palace. 306. He who is restrained, learned, and polite, who has the control of his senses, is industrious, and of sweet disposi- tion, who is unforgetful of his duties, pure in heart, and experienced — such a person should reside in the king's palace. 307- He who is humble in disposition and obsequious to his betters, who is respectful, delighting in good and living in concord, he should reside in the palace of the king. ( ' 308. One should avoid ^^ at a distance a man deputed as a spy; he should look after only his master's interests, not the interests of another king. 309- One should respectfully serve Brahmans and Eahans, full of knowledge and replete with virtue; he should be satisfied with the gruel of boiled rice ; he should, approaching the king, make inquiries about his welfare. ^ In case be is suspected of abetting the spy. loo Ntri LITERATURE OF BURMA. 310. He should not relax his usual almsgiving to Brahmans and Eahans ; at the time of asking for alms, he should not restrain mendicants in anything. 311- One who is wise and full with the desire of benefiting himself and others, who is skilled in rites and ceremonies, and knows the times and seasons,^'' he should reside in the king's palace. 312. One with discrimination is assiduous in his avocations ; he is well attentive to his assigned duties — not neglectful ; such a person should reside in the king's palace. 313- He should go repeatedly to the threshing-floor, to the storehouse, to the cattle-shed, to the field ; having mea- sured the grain, he should store it ; measuring it in the house, he should have it cooked. 314- One should give instruction to a brother or son not established in the precepts ; truly they are foolish, being young ; . like as the spirits ^ of the departed, so are they : let them, therefore, have wearing apparel, food, and a resting-place. 315- One should appoint in governmental duties hirelings and servants who are industrious and wise and well established in the precepts. ^ For feasts, fasts, opportune mo- idea is, that as there seems no eiid ments for undertaking a work, &e. to the wants of the departed soul so «8 " Manes," to whom offerings on are young people full of wants. ' a large scale used to be made. The THE DHAMMANtTI. loi 316. One who is virtuous, one who is not covetous, one who is devoted to his king, being mindful of his in- terests both in his presence and in his absence — such a one should reside in the king's palace. 317- He Vho is mindful of the king's wishes, stable in mind, in his behaviour free from suspicion — such a one should reside in the king's palace. 318. While a king is being anointed, or during his ablutions, while his feet are being washed, one should remain with bended head ; even if struck, he should not display his anger ; such a one should reside in the king's palace. 319- Truly should one pay respect and salutation to a water- jar and kingfisher,*' — why not to one "* who is most excel- lent, resolute, and generous in the bestowal of desires ? 320. He who bestows bedding, apparel, conveyance, a dwell- ing-place or house, he too, like the cloud-god,"^ showers down wealth upon living beings. ^' An old custom is referred to. pared with tiie clouds in Sanskrit It is well known that the fish used literature. " The good, like clouds, as a sign of Varuna, the Neptune of receive only to give away." — Bagha- the Brahmans, was looked upon as va^a. We find in Hitapadeia, i. sacred and saluted. 2 1 7 — " Like a cloud, the king sustains *• The king. creatures ; one may live without a " Pajjurmo, used as a personified cloud, not without a king." deity. Generosity is frequently com- ( '02 ) SECTION XXIII. TWOS, THEEES, ETC. 321. He who wishes for enjoyment, having no wealth, and one having no authority, displays anger — these ^ are two thorns that prick ; they waste away the whole hody. 322. One who, without wealth, indulges in luxury; who, being without strength, fights constantly ; who, destitute of wisdom, wishes to discourse — these are three charac- teristics of baseness. 323- Three things on this earth are sweet — sugar-cane, a woman, and good speech: people are satisfied with the sweetness of a woman and sugar-cane, not with that of good speech. 324- Three things on this earth are accounted precious : the three are knowledge, grain, and friendship. 325- Those who, without wealth, wish for friendship ; without a friend to go on a difficult journey ; who wish to go to war without a weapon, or speak in an assembly without a book ^^ — these are four fools. ^ Anger and poverty, yarions meanings of sattha. Gom- " There is a play here on the pare stanza 27 of Lokaniti. THE DHAMMANtTI. 103 326. One in misery, one in sickness, a cripple, one in debt, and one serving a ruler — these, though living, are pro- nounced dead by Vy&sa.** 327- That wise man who guards the doors of his six senses,^^ he, OB account of his virtue, is put into a sixfold divi- sion ; ^ so also one on account of his neglect of virtuous conduct. 328. One given to sleep, one remiss in his duties, one fond of pleasure, one diseased, an idler, one irresolute, one work- ing in ease — these, in books, are looked upon as people to be shunned. 329- One of good family, a wise man, one resolute, a modest person, one fearful of sinning, one versed in the suttas^ one desirous of good, one watchful of himself — these, in books, are mentioned as persons whose company should be sought. 330. One of noble lineage, a wise man, and one seeking his welfare, a brave and a virtuous man, and one of great knowledge, an industrious person, one stable, and he who strives after heaven ^* — these nine are called good and ex- cellent ; one should, therefore, restrain himself from evil. *< Vydta, by the Burmese, is looked ^ The idea is that each of the upon as the author or compiler of senses is a, source of merit or de- a very ancient NUi-sdstra, and is merit. alluded to in writings as the NUi '^ 5'««arfA(wo=" one versed in the teacher. Some take him to be the suttas," or perhaps, "one who is compiler of the Vedas and other full of knowledge." Sanskrit works. On the sentiment "' Sugatigdmiko, (literally) " one compare Pancatantra, i. 298. on the happy journey," i.e., one '^ C'ahhhudvdrd, "the six doors striving for heaven. By "heaven" or apertures," viz., the eye, the ear, a deva world is implied, the nose, the tongue, the skin, and the mind. I04 NtTI LITERATURE OF BURMA. 331 Buddha,*® a Paccekabuddha,^"* an Arhat,^*^ a chief dis- ciple/"^ a mother, a father, one i"* worthy of reverence, a teacher, a benefactor, a preacher — these ten by the wise should be known as non-offenders.. ^ Buddha Gotama. joo ^ Paccekaiuddha, is one who has the knowledge and conditions necessaiy to the attainment of Kibb&n, but does not take upon him- self to instruct mankind. wi One who has attained final sanctification, and has no farther transmigrations to go through. los The reference is to the two principal disciples of a Buddha — the " right-" and " left-hand " disciples. These, in the case of Gotama Buddha, were MoggallSno and S&riputto, IKS Clwru= " one carrying weight, i.e., one deserving of respect. ( 105 ) SECTION XXIV. MISCELLANEOUS. 332. Life is the means of bliss ; one who takes life, how can he not be called a slayer ? one who saves life, how can he not be termed a preserver of life ? 333 The long life of the good is productive of benefit to all beings ; that of the wicked is, without doubt, the cause of misfortune to all. 334-335- The sugar-cane being brought under a pressing machine, does not dissipate its sweet juice ; an elephant, likewise, loses not its grace marching on battle-fields ; sandal-wood, if drifed, parts not with its sweet perfume ; a wise man under affliction does not abandon his virtuous conduct — how can he do so during his prosperity ? 336. People are their own friends or their own enemies ; one is always a friend to himself, or always an enemy.^''* 33;- Good people by self-sacrifice look after those dependent upon them ; such is not the teaching of the Niti instruc- tor.w 104 ipijig stanza is an adaptation of •"" Vydsa, or some other old com- HUopadeia, i. 73. piler of a Sanskrit anthology. Self- io6 Ntn LITERATURE OF BURMA. 338. The time of the wise passes in examining prose and poetry;^"* that of the wicked in injuring others, in sleep, and in quarrel. 339- Bees wish for flowers, flies for what is putrid; good men desire virtue ; bad men seek for blemishes in others. 340. Fruit-bearing trees and wise men bend ; dry wood and a fool do not — they have to be broken.**^ 341- If a good man quarrel, he soon makes friends again ; as earthen cups are broken, so does a fool break friend- ship : a good and a bad man are not alike. 342. The wealth of the good, though little, is serviceable, like water in a well ; that of the bad, though abundant, is like the water of the sea 343- Day by day a thousand anxieties and a hundred fears influence a fool ; they do not afl'ect a wise man.^** sn/Crifice is considered a Buddhistic "" "Prose and poetry," Sattha- virtue ; so that the author of the Jeabba, The Burmese gloss has " reli- Dhammantti very likely intends to gious writings and poetry." See be sarcastic upon one supposed to be Jlitopadeia, Introduction, 48. a teacher of moral maxims. Pos- ^"^ This is one of C'S,nakya's apo- sibly there is a reference to some thegms — artful or Machiavellian counsel of " 'fi:ees are bowed down with weight the kind found in the MahdbJidrata, of fruit, and to which attention has already Clouds big with rain hang low ; been drawn in a previous note. For So good men humbly bear success, further specimens, see Muir's " Met- Nor overweening grow." rical Translations," Supplement, pp. — Bhartphari. 363-365. "8 gee Bitopadda, i 2. THE DHAMMANtri. 107 344- The anger of a mean person having a malicious disposi- tion is like a character written on a rock ; that of a good man is like a character inscribed on water.^** 345- One given to sleep, one disconteWed, one ungrateful, and one without confidence in himself — ^these four are never able to acquire good behaviour. 346. The behaviour of bad men associating with good men is considered good; that of good men with bad men is not deemed bad : the earth holds the perfume that exists in flowers ; flowera do not retain the odour of earth. 347- In a quarrel with another, people do not say that one's goodness is like a mountain ; they show the small fault, an atom in size, to be as big as a mountain. 348. People see the fault of others though big as a sessamum seed; their own, as large as a cocoa-nut, they do not notice. 349- An angry person does not know his own good — he does not understand his duty: when anger oppresses a man, thick darkness then assails him. 350. When anger arises in one, it destroys entirely, like a fire in a basket filled with clothes and ornaments. 109 The idea is from the Mahd- their virtues we write in water. "- bhdrata. Compare Shakespeare — Hemry VIII. " Men's evil manners live in brass ; io8 NtTI LITERATURE OF BURMA. 351- Greed is the splinter of the mind, the robber of one's welfare ; ignorance is the ElLhu"" of the moon ; anger the fire that burns up the wealth of virtue. 352. A king is not satisfied with his wealth, a wise man with well-uttered discourse, the eye in seeing a lover, the ocean with its water. 353- A monk, if dissatisfied, is ruined ; a king if satisfied : a harlot is ruined if ashamed ; the daughter of a good family if not ashamed. 354- A king, the ocean, fire, a woman, an artisan, and a cove- tous man, — desires such as theirs should not be entertained by any one. 355- Freedom from sickness, is a great boon, contentment a great treasure, friendship a great relative, and N"ibb&n the highest happiness. 356. gain ! do thou go to one in poverty — a rich man is full of wealth. rain ! do thou fall on dry land — the sea is full of water. 357- Beggars ^^1 do not beg, saying, " Give ; " they offer infor- mation, saying, " Look at the circumstance of one who did not bestow alms ; let not such be the case with you." "" An Asura or demon who is be- those who are beggars now have lieved to caiise eclipses by taking been made so on account of their the sun and moon into its mouth. niggardliness in a pTevious exist- "1 Literally, " the lowest of men," ence. — pacchimdjand. The belief is that THE DHAMMANtri. 109 358. There is not a gem in every rock, a pearl in every elephant, sandal-wood in every forest, a learned man in every place. 359- A brave man is one out of a hundred, a wise man one out of a thousand ; one eloquent is one out of a hundred thousand ; a self-sacrificing man may or may not exist. 360. One should praise a warrior on his return from victory, wealth when it is brought home ; he should praise food when it is digested ; a woman on passing her prime. 361. The knowledge that is in writings and the wealth in another's hands, the one is not wealth and the other not knowledge when desire for their use arises. ^^^ 362. A word is the weapon of a king, truth that of Eahans ; the weapon of the rich is wealth, of the needy an ox. 363- In battle they need a warrior, in a commotion a good speaker, in eating and drinking a loved one, in matters tending to one's welfare a man of wisdom. 364. One should hold up a friend in affliction, reserve grain in time of famine, carry his knowledge into an assembly — ^these upon the earth are the things that ought to be kept. ''' This is from C'^nakya's Collection of Maxims, See Job. Klatt's. " De Trecentia Cdnakyae Sententiis." no Nin LITERATURE. OF BURMA. 365- Giving of food in famine, of gold in time of plenty, protection in danger — these are by far the most excellent of all virtues. 366. Unbecoming is a swan among crows, a lion in the midst of oxen, a horse in the midst of asses, and a ^ise man among fools. 367- He is not a king who conquers one who should not be conquered; he not a friend who overcomes a friend by unfair means; she is not a wife who contradicts her husband; they not sons who do not support their aged parents. 368. Friendship is not equal to knowledge; there is no enemy like sickness ; no love is equal to self-love ; no power like moral merit. 369- Where is virtue in one who associates with a woman ? where compassion in a flesh-eater? how can there be truth in a drunkard? restraint in one who is greatly irritable ? 370. What weight is there for those with strength? what place too far for a trader ? What place is there not for the learned ? what stranger to those of loving speech ? 371- There exists no famine for a cultivator, nothing evil for the good ; for the dumb there is no contention, no fear for one who keeps awake. THE DHAMMANtri. iii 3;2. A young woman, toything touched by a fly's feeler, a hermit's water-jar, pure water, fruit, and betel — these should not be rejected. 373- A harper is ruined in five days, an archer in seven ; a wife In a month, a pupil in half a month. 374- Bad conduct is impuriiy to a woman, niggardliness to a giver ; sinful behaviour is indeed impurity in this exist- ence and in the next ; lust is a greater impurity, but the greatest of all impurities is ignorance.^^^ 375- The protector of knowledge is constant industry; be- haviour is the protector of a family name; knowledge guards a man; energy guards a king; contentment is a keeper of wealth; but women, indeed, have nothing to restrain them. 376. Old age destroys sentient beings, lust destroys every- thing ; scheming destroys all power, compassion destroys one's wealth. 377- Living in a iowly place destroys greatness, begging destroys respect ; praise destroys merit, absence of restraint destroys the mind. ^^ Compare Dhammap., 240, 241 : " There is a taint greater still — " The taint of women is bad be- ignorance is a, far-surpassing taint ; haviour, the taint of a giver niggard- having cast away that taint, O liness ; evil actions are taints indeed, priests, be ye free from taint." whether in this world or the next." 112 NtTI LITERATURE OF BURMA. 378. Food is a source of danger to the base, death a source of danger to sentient beings; to all persons of quality disrespect is the greatest source of danger. 379- The sun is hot ; it has no attendants : the moon is cold ; it is attended by stars : the simile concerniag the sun, and moon should be here borne in mind. 380. An idler is dull of intellect ; one living in enjoyment is oppressed with disease ; a sleepy-headed man increases his flesh ; a great feeder grows apathetic. 381. From pride comes negligence, from negligence loss ; loss engenders enmities : wherefore should a wise man not give up pride ? 382. As is the seed sown so is the fruit that is obtained ; he who acts virtuously obtains happiness ; an evil-doer has an evil destiny."* 383- He who believes not really in the fruit of good and bad deeds, he, in truth, should speedily bring a mirror (and see his face).^^^ 384- He who believes not in rewards in a future state, how can he not behold the happy abodes "* of those who have attained the deva world ? 114 11 What a mans sows, that he one's future existence reproduce the must reap," is the Buddhistic doc- merit or demerit of a previous exist- trine of Karma. ence. "« As the mirror gives a precise "" Mohkhdbhe h'terally signifies representation of the face, so will " haUs of freedom." THE DHAMMANtri. 113 385. Faith, shame, fear of sinning, great knowledge, industry, thoTightfulness, wisdom — a man replete with these seven things is known as a " wise man." 386. On Sunday the root,"^ on Monday the trunk, on Satur- day and Tuesday the leaf, on Wednesday the flower, Thursday the seed, on Friday even the fruit. 387- One who makes a blank-book into a field, writing materials into a plough, and letters into seed, he is a wise man."* 388. For the reason that each letter is the image ^1* of Buddha, for that very reason should a wise man write the Three Pitakas. 389. A person who writes the Three Pitakas cannot fall into hell; he becomes over and over a monarch of the four islands. 390. Or there will be to him the sovereignty of a part ruler,i^ so extensive as to be incalculable by reckoning ; or he will many times become the king of the six deva worlds.^^^ "' If on Sunday a medicine is re- ^'° This is the Burmese belief, and quired from a tree, it should be taken a Bunnan will not, therefore, step p-om the root. This stanza fur- across any writing in the vernacular nishes an example of Indian super- character, thinking by so doing he Btition with regard to lucky and will show disrespect to Buddha, unlucky days. '*' Padesardjd, a ruler of a part of "8 The metaphor is rather forced, one of the great continents. A The F^i runs as follows : — monarch of all four is termed a Cah- " Fotthak&dlni khettam va lekh&ni yuganangalam '^ The six deva worlds are : — ak hatdni btjam katv& CStummahdrdjika-devaloia, Tdv- car nto pandito bhave." atijlua-d', Tdma-iP, Tuiita-d^, Nim- H 114 Ntri LITERATURE OF BURMA. 391- A coming Buddha, by practising such good deeds as alms- giving, and having his existences complete with all bodily- members, is honoured in the three worlds, 392. A teacher of the scriptures is born in a family, noble, prosperous, opulent, and possessed of extensive property ; by his excellence he obtains a retinue. 393- A writer of the scriptures by the fruit of one letter obtains the highest happiness during eighty-four thousand revolutions. 394- A clever man, full of discrimination, by small means causes his prosperity, just as a fire of the size of an atom causes the consumption of a wick. 395- Suffering for the wicked, happiness for the good ; suffer- ing and happiness for the partly wicked and partly good : every cause has a corresponding effect ; the fruit of merit or demerit should be borne in mind. 396. Those who encourage others obtain a fourth, hired servants a third, possessors of property in proportion to their wealth, those who are happy a tenth. mdnaraU-d°, and Paranimmita-ras- in it being equal to 100 of the years avatti-d°. The first extends above of man. The other four lohas rise the four MaMdipas, from the Yug- one over the other above Meru. andhara rocks to the Cakkavillapab- For the Buddhist system of the bata, and has each of its days equal universe, see Hardy's "Manual of to fifty of the years of men : the devas Buddhism," section i. The devas there live 500 such years. The are superhuman beings, who live a T&vatirliaa heaven is situated on the life of happiness free from the ills of summit of Mount Meru, each day ordinary human beings. THE DHAMMANtTI. 1 1 S 397- Better silence than unprofitable speech, living alone than companionship with the vUe; better looking at a blind person than on a pretty wife ; better possessed of nothing than wealth acquired from a distance.^^^ 398. A man, though he be of mean ancestry, he shines like fire at night, being industrious, resolute, and replete with virtue. 399- One is not vile now nor noble, if by his deed he was vile before or by his deed he was not noble before. 4CK). Compared with a mother's love, the earth is like a bamboo-leaf, a Cakkavella like a needle's eye, Mount Meru an ant-hill, the ocean a water-bowl. 401. If, indeed, a person nourish a mother during a cycle,^^^ her milk will far exceed even the water of the ocean. '^' The version in the Hitopadeia Cakkav&la to ita complete restora- is as follows : — " Better silence than tion. Each Mah^kappa is sub- an untruthful word ; better impo- divided into four Asaiikheyya- tency than intercourse with the kappas, called Smhvatto, Samvat- wife of another ; better the aban- tatthdyt, Yivatto, and Vimttatthdyi. donment of life than delighting in In the first the destruction (by fire, the words of a slanderer; better a water, or wind) begins and is ac- subsistence on arms than the plea- complished, the CakkavSla being sure of feasting on another's weiJth." resolved into its native elements, or — Mitraldbha, 155. consumed so that nothing remains ; '^ Kappa = a cycle. " The term in the second, this state of void 01 Kappa is given to certain vast chaos continues ; in the third, the periods or cycles of time, of which process of renovation begins and is there are three, Mahdkappa, Asan- completed ; and the fourth is a kheyyahappa, and Antarakappa. All period of continuance. After the the Oakkavdlas are subject to an al- end of the fourth period the dia- ternate process of destruction and solution recommences as before, anil renovation, and a Mah^lcappa is the so this alternate process of ilustruc- period which elapses from the com- tion and renovation goes on to all menoement of the destruction of a eternity. Each Aaai'ikhi'yy;ikapi>iv Ii6 NtTI LITERATURE OF BURMA. 402. Parents are the first teachers of their ofFspring : they are spoken of as Brahmas, and are worthy of reverence. 403- Therefore should they reverence them: they should honour them by food and by drink, by apparel 'and by bedding. 404. By anointing and by bathing, by washing the feet, by attending to their wants and by waiting upon them, should a wise man cherish his parents : people will praise him in this existence ; in the next he will find delight in heaven. 405. It has been declared by the great sage ^^ that a collec- tion of bones — of one man's bones through one cycle, is equal in size to a cluster of mountains. 406. The gift *of the law surpasses all gifts, the juice of the law all juices ; the pleasure of the law surpasses all pleasures, the destruction of desire overcomes all sufier- contains twenty Antarakappas, an discourses of Buddha are," it is Antarakappa being the interval that said, " as a divine charm to cure elapses while the age of man in- the poison of evil desire ; a divine creases from ten years to an Asan- medicine to heal the disease of kheyya, and then decreases again to anger ; a lamp in the midst of ten years : this period is of immense the darkness of ignorance ; a fire duration. A Kappa is either SuR- like that which burns at the &akappo, in which there is no end of a kalpa to destroy the evils Buddha, or ^su^naiiajppo or Bud- of repeated existence ; a meridian dhahippo, in which one or more sun to dry up the mud of covetous Buddhas appear. ness ; a great rain to quench the ^^ Gotama. flame of sensuality ; a thicket to ^^ This is stanza 352 of the Sham- block up the road that leads to the mapada. Suffering may be over- Narakas (hells) ; a ship in which to come by attention to the scriptures, sail to the. opposite shore of the This is the natural inference. " The ocean of existence ; a collyrium for THE DHAMMANtri. "7 407. Delight in non-forgetfulness ; keep a guard over youf mind ; free yourself from suffering as an elephant sunk in the mud. 408. Shun the company of the bad, cultivate the companion- ship o"t the virtuous; night and day do what is good; remember the impermanence of things. J^^ 409. "Worldly affairs are indeed transient ; they are in their nature liable to pass away : this being the case, they perish ; their extinction is happiness.^^^ 410. Good and bad are not both productive of the same result : evil leads to hell, virtue conveys to heaven. taking away the eye-film of heresy ; a moon to bring out the night-blow- ing lotus of merit ; a succession of trees bearing immortal fruit, placed here and there, by which the tra- veller may be enabled to cross the desert of existence ; a ladder by which to ascend to the Devalokas ; a straight highway by which to pass to the incomparable wis- dom 'r a door of entrance to the eternal city of Nirvana ; a talis- manic tree to give whatever is re- quested ; a flavour more exquisite ihaa any other in the three world); a treasury of the best things it is pos- sible to obtain ; and a power by which may be appeased the sorrow of every sentient being." — i'osto-re Manadmm. "* The same stanza is quoted in the Bitopadeia, in connection with the following story : — " In a solitary- path on the road to TJjjeni there dwelt on a pipal-tree a gander and a. crow. A wearied traveller on one occasion, on a hot summer day, went asleep under the tree with his bow and arrows beside him. After a while the shade of the tree passed away from off his face. Seeing this, the good- hearted gander perched upon the tree, and, spreading out its wings, caused a shade to fall upon his face. Having enjoyed a sound sleep, he at length yawned. Thereupon the crow, maliciously in- clined, voided excrement into his mouth and flew away. The tra- veller, on looking up, saw the gander, and kiUed it with an arrow- shot." — Vigraha, 24. ^^ This is obtainable by the attain- ment of Nibbdm. il8 Ntri LITERATURE OF BURMA. 411. One should write the Three Pitakas ^^ keeping his head steady and his feet steady, and attending to his wants durin" the intervals. ^^* 1-8 Three Pitakas- or "The Three Baskets,'' viz. — I. Yinayapitdkaih — " The Bas- ket of Discipline," to which belong Mahdvaggo, CHlavag- go, &c. II. Suttapitaharh — "The Bas- ket of Discourses," contain- ing Dtijhanikdyo, Majjhim- anikdyo, Khuddakanikdyo, &c. III. AbJddkammapitaiwih, — "The Basket of Metaphy- sics," containing Dhamma- laiigani, Patthdnaih, &c. At Mandalay, the capital of Upper Burma, a copy of these books is inscribed " upon 729 marble slabs, containing, it is said, 131,220 lines and 15,090,300 letters." — Mason. They are held in great veneration by Buddhists, who look upon each letter as an image of Gotama. '29 That is, " in the intervals of writing." The scriptures are so venerated that it is considered a sin to stop writing during the time devoted to copying just for the pur- pose of atteuduig to one's personal wants. ( "9 ) III.—RAyANtTI.^ Here is recited the E§,jaiiiti, for the accomplishment of a king's present prosperity, and the acquirement of expe- rience for the subjugation of the kingdoms of others. 2. I shall set forth the meritorious characteristics of kings and ministers. A noble ruler should always carefully scrutinise the actions of his subjects. 3- A man is known to be wise by his speech — ^his conduct, good or bad, by the company he keeps ; by his general behaviour he is known to be pure; in time of danger, whether he is a man or not. 4- A ruler of men should avoid a servant who is indolent, harsh in his actions, severe in his mind, rough and harmful, dissatisfied and lacking strength. S- The king should not appoint him a minister who is ' This anthology, based on the Hitopadeia. Chronologically, the Indian Dharmasilstras, was compiled Burmese compilation stands after by the Brahmans Anantan^na and the Lohmtti and DJiammantti, and Gan&raissaka. It must not be con- has for its prototype the Bdjantti- founded with the Rdja/niti of Lallu iditra of u^nakya, the famous XSXsj in the Braj dialect, which is minister of Candragupla, king of comparatively modem (A.D. 1859), PStaliputra. and based chiefly on the Sanskrit I20 NtTI LITERATURE OF BURMA. rough and harmful, who takes bribes, is ignorant of books," looks after his own interests, and is ungrateful and given to falsehood. 6. If foolish persons be appointed ministers, a king suffers three disadvantages : these three without doubt are — loss of fame, loss of prosperity, and falling into heU. 7- If good and wise ministers be appointed, a king derives three benefits — fame, heaven, and the most exalted pros- perity. 8. Whatever good or bad deed a subject does, that good or bad deed is connected with the king.* 9- Therefore, should a king appoint a minister who is re- plete with good qualities, and will bring about his present welfare ; he should avoid one lacking in excellence.* lo. He should be appointed a judge who is full of family piety and virtue, who maintains the true law, who is full of wisdom, amiable, and shrewd. II. He should be appointed treasurer who is of an upricrht family, who hoards up the treasure, who can appraise all valuables, is virtuous,^ is a permanent resident and of good character. » Such as the Lokantti, MjanUi, ' See Hitopadda, iii. i8. &« gJ?^^ ^^^ purify both jatakas" hands by rubbing them with it. ^"Evil communications corrupt See "Institutes of Manu," Bk. ii. good manners."— I Corinthians xv. ^^« l^lxmtti, 40. THE SUTTA VA DDHA NA NItI. 145 hypocritical, a subservient friend, a friend who brings destruction, — one should shun these four. II. A friend who supports you, who is alike in adversity or prosperity, who speaks about your welfare, and one who is conipassionate,-^ne should associate with these four. 12. A wise man does not utter any and everything that rises to his lips, as if the mouth were for the purpose alone of eating and of talking. 13- A wise man should give utterance to speech of four kinds, — good speech, right speech, loving speech, and truthful speech. 14. One should speak refined language ; for civilised people make use of suitable speech, saying " Brother " to him who is like a brother, and " Father " to one who is like a father. 15. One should give expression to what is pleasant, not, indeed, to what is bad: giving expression to what is pleasant is good; a person grieves giving utterance to what is bad. 16. One ought to speak what is pleasant ; never should he speak what is unpleasant : unpleasant utterances are harsh even to brutes. K 146 NtTI LITERATURE OF BURMA. 17- Indeed, in former times, the ox Nandivis&la overcame by a thousand the Brahman who spoke in a displeasing way.* 18. Ignorance is displeasing ; a man, verily, of little know- ledge does not really know what should or should not be spoken. ig-20. In former times, a Brahman, on one of his two oxen dying, having leamt repeatedly during one year the way of making a request, on his having to ask the king, " Give me one ox,'' spoke differently, saying, " Take one." ' 21. It is said, besides, that a fool, from ignorance, is afraid of what does not occasion fear : a worm and also a jay, a heron and Dhammika Brahman ^* — these, who comprise ^ Gotama in a previous existence was a bull known as Nandivis^a. He came into the possession of a Brahman, and, in order to do his master a kindness, he one day asked him to make a bet of a thou- sand that his bull would move a hundred carts well laden. The bet was made with a squire. A hun- dred carts were laden with sand, stones, &c. When Nandivis&la was yoked to the foremost cart, he was ruged on by the Brahman with shouts of " brute " and " wretch." This made him stubborn, and he would not move an inch. The Brahman lost his bet, but when he came to know that it was on account of the harsh language he employed, be commenced to speak to the animal in sweeter tones. At the instance of the bull, he then laid a wager of two thousand. A hundred carts were laden as before, and NandivisSJa was yoked to the fore- most. When he was urged on this time, his master used the expressions, "Go on, my beauty," "Drag them, my beauty ; " and so giving a vigo- rous pull, he won the wager. See Jdtaha, Bk. i. 28. ^ The reference here is to the stoiy of L&ludayi, the simpleton, to be found in the iSomadatta Jdtaim. The moral of the legend is that no amount of training will make up for a want of brains. L&ludayi was for one year taught by his father how to ask for an ox from the king, yet, when he went to make the request, he lost his presence of mind, and spoke in a contrary way. See Jdtaka, Bk. ii. 7. '" Dhammika Brahman was a heretical teacher, to whom reference is often made in Buddhist writings. THE SUTTAVADHHANANTTI. 147 the four foolish beings, fear what they should not be afraid of. 22. The fourteenth day of the dark half of a month, a dense forest, an overclouded sky, and midnight — ^these are the four kinds of darkness : darkness, however great each'of these is, an ignorant man is darker still. ^^ 2 3- An ignorant man does not free himself from suffering, being like a log in (the ocean of) transmigration ; there- fore two kinds of worldlings have been spoken of by Gotama, the kinsman of the sun, — one a worldling who is hlivd, and the other a worldling who is intelligent. 24. By the eye of " mental clearness " 12 one sees an object to be plain and unconcealed — he sees nothing else ; by the eye of knowledge he sees everything without doubt. 25. It is true that an ofi&cer, going in search of gain, saved from suffering a Brahman who was returning (home), having known, by his wisdom, that a snake, from the smell of flour-cake, had entered into the (alms), bag (of the Brahman). '' Such a person is very often com- stance, Vishnu severed his head and pared to an eclipse caused by B4hu. throat from the rest of his body. The latter, in ancient mythology, is He is supposed to wreak vengeance represented as a demon who drank upon them by periodically swallow- part of the nectar obtained by ing them up. See Diiammmdii, churning the ocean. The sun and stanza 351. moon having revealed the circum- '' P^dacakkhunS. 148 Ntri LITERATURE OP BURMA. 26. Of the four lights — the lights of wisdom, the sun, the moon, and fire — the light of wisdom is, in point of power, the greatest, as declared by the most exalted Buddha. 27. • There are four kinds of " Buddhas," namely, the omniscient "Buddha," the secondary^* "Buddha," the "Buddha" acquainted with the four truths,^* and the " Buddha " who is full of learning : a man who is full of knowledge is also a " Buddha." 28. Knowledge is an excellent thing, and so is wisdom ; the virtues are seven (in number) — faith, religious prac- tice, knowledge, liberality, wisdom, modesty, and fear of sin. 29. The seven good things also are faith, modesty, fear of sinning, great knowledge, energy, caution, and wisdom. 30. These are said to be the seven gems — gold, silver, pearl, sapphire, cat's-eye, diamond, and coral. 31- They say that the ten precious things are silver, gold, ruby, &c., cat's-eye, pearl, oyster-shell, coral, crystal, and '* Or Paccekabuddha. end to by the destruction of passion ; '' The Cattdri ariyaaaccdni, or and (4) a life of holiness leads to the "Four Truths," which form the destruction of passion. Each of these basis of the Buddhist religion, are : is capable of comprehensive appli- ( I ) Existence is suffering ; (2) human cations, and is made the foundation passion is the cause of human suf- of a great deal of doctrinal discus- fering ; (3) existence may be put an sion. THE SUTTAVADDHANANlTI. 149 the variegated rubies (i.e., the spotted ruby and the red ruby). 32. The learned declare that as the moon is. more excellent than all the heavenly bodies, even so is wisdom (than all other acquirements); virtuous practice, glory, and goodness follow ^' in the wake of those who are wise. 33- Even if, during his whole lifetime, a foolish man attends upon one who is learned, he knows not his duty, just as a Cwooden) spoon perceives not the flavour of the curry gravy. 34- But if a wise man attend upon a wise man only for a moment, he soon knows his duty, as the tongue the flavour of the curry gravy. 35- Eight things have been declared by Buddha, the relative of the sun, to be inconsistent with the hearing of the True Law, namely, a foreign country, existence in the formless state^'' existence in the wnconscious state, defective members (of the body), false doctrine, being a brute, being a spirit, and existence in heU. 36-37- General knowledge, the knowledge of the Dhammathats, arithmetic, architecture, knowledge of the Nlti, knowledge of the VySikarana, music and poetry, calculation by the fingers, the use of bows and arrows, the Purdnas, medical " Just like the stars accompany of the Buddhistic Eubdivisions of the the moon. world of sentient beings. " That is, in the ArUpaloJca, one ISO NtTI LITERATURE OF BURMA. knowledge, the knowledge of the Itih&sas, astrology, the art of circumventing, versification, diplomacy, knowledge of spells, and grammar — these are the eighteen arts and sciences.^* 38. A wise man should not despise as trifling these four — a nobleman, a snake, fire, and a priest. • 39- Besides the three kinds of sons, viz., those who are superior to, those who are inferior to, and those who are on an equality with (their fathers), there are besides four others — adopted sons, sons begotten of slaves, legi- timate sons, and pupils. 40. A son should act towards his parents in five things — supporting them, doing their work, maintaining the family, hearing (parental) admonitions, and making offerings to his parents when they die. 41. They — the parents — should attend to their sons in these five matters, viz., preventing them from doing what is bad, encouragement in doing what is good, giving in- struction, contracting of a proper marriage, and bestowing the inheritance (when the time arrives). u See notes on corregponding macy." The Burmese rendering of verses in Lohmiti and Dhammaniti. these two stanzas in the SvUavad- Metu, which Trenckner, in his Ma- dhanantti is slightly different, al- lindaparlJui, renders doubtfully as though a little more explicit, than "logic," is, in the Burmese gloss, what is found in the other Nttit. explained by " knowledge regarding Afuddd vacwnena of Trenckner is embassies," an idea somewhat akin given as Buddhmracomena in the to what is expressed by " diplo- Burmese edition of Milindapafilio. THE SUTTAVADDHANANtTI. iji 42. A pupil should act towards teachers in these five things — attending upon them, looking after them, hearing their discourses, feeding them, and receiving instruction properly from them. 43- They — ^the teachers — should pay attention to the pupil in these five points — complimenting him, allowing him instruction, admonishing him, training him, and giving him protection. 44. A husband should act in five matters towards his wife — speaking sweetly to her, not despising her, not taking another wife, allowing her control (in cooking, &c.), and supplying her wants. 45- The duty of a wife towards a husband should be observed in five matters — punctuality, entertaining (rela- tives, &a), not taking another husband, protecting the property, and being skilful and assiduous. 46. In five things should a person pay regard to friends — loving speech, liberality, looking after their interests, seeking their prosperity, considering them like himself. 47- A friend should pay regard to individuals in five things — seeing that they are not remiss, looking after their property, affording protection in danger, not aban- doning them, and offering them presents, &c. 152 Ntri LITERATURE OF BURMA. 48. A master should pay attention to his servant in five things — allowing him to work up to his abilities, sup- porting him, looking after him, giving gifts, and giving leave. 49- < A servant should do his duty towards his master in five things — working well, showing gratitude, sleeping after his master, rising before him, and taking what is given him. SO. An individual should act in five things towards priests, viz., liberality, almsgiving, regard for his person, regard for his speech, and regard for his inward feelings. 51- Priests should have regard to individuals in six things — preventing evil, encouraging good, wishing for the wel- fare of others, giving instruction, making them cautious in accepting a belief, and telling them of the sixfbld heavenly path." 52. rriendship with women and with wicked men is not befitting ; association with poison, a horned animal, a river, disease, and a royal family is not good.^" " That is, the path leading to the ^ MUraMbha, iS, has: "Oonfi- eix Devalokas or angel worlds. For dence should never be placed in the various duties contained in stanzas rivers, in those holding weapons, 40-51, see Sig^Uovdda Sutta (Gi-im- in those with claws and horns, in blot's ' ' Sept Suttas F&lis "), sum- women, and in kings' families." marised in Rhys David's "Bud- dhism," p. 143. THE SUTTA VADDHANANtTI. 153 53- All good and bad men are distinguished even by their attributes ; in the eyes of those wanting in discrimination no difference is seen. 54- S6ven times is the destruction by fire for one by water ; on the sixty-fourth occasion the time for destruc- tion by air arrives.^^ 55- Destruction by fire is below the Abhassara heaven, by water below the Subhakinha; destruction by air below '' The Buddhistic doctrine of the world's destruction and reproduction is peculiar. The moral causes which destroy the world are lust, anger, and ignorance, and the physical forces they give rise to in bringing about the result are fire, w'ater, and wind. Intimation is given of the approaching dissolution a hundred thousand years before the event by angels from one or other of the De- valokas. At the same time they urge upon mankind to practise virtue and do such deeds as will ensure their safety in the Rupa and Arupa worlds, which will not be involved in the destruction of the earth. When destruction by fire is to take place, all plants and vegetables will perish from drought, the sun and moon will cease to shine, other suns will make their appearance and dry up everything. When the sixth sun appears, some millions of islands will open and send forth smoke and flames. Eventually Mount Meru, with all the deva worlds, will be consumed. The fire will cease only when all matter is completely de- voured by the flames. Periodically, heavy and continuous showers of rain will fall and destroy the world, and the destruction may also be brought about by wind according to a certain routine. After the destruction of the world takes place sixty-four times, the series will begin again. The following is the general plan : — i. II. III. IV. V. VI. VII. VIII. Destruction by fire, 7-H7H-7H-7 + 7-f7-(-7-H7 = S6 1 Destruction by water, i-H-hi + H-H-I-l-l = 7^ = 64 times. Destruction by wind 1=1 For every seven times the world is destroyed by fire, destruction by water takes place once until the eighth occasion of the destruction by fire occurs. It is then destroyed by wind. For details regarding the periodic destruction and renovation of the world, see Hardy's " Manual of Buddhism," i. 12 ; Bigandet's "The Legend of the Burmese Bud- dha," vol. i. p. 22 ; and Sangermano's "Burmese Empire," v. IS4 NiTI LITERATURE OP BURMA. the Vehapphala heaven : ^ thus is the destruction of the world. 56. One part should be used in enjoyment, two parts in business, a fourth should be put by ; it will answer for emergencies. 57- Benefits slip by from those idlers who abandon their work, saying, " Now it is hot," " Now it is cold," " Now it is very dark." 58. He who, attending to his avocations, looks upon heat and cold as of no greater consequence than grass, he does not diminish his prosperity. 59- Patience, watchfulness, industry, distributing money, compassion, precaution — these are the qualities of a leader; they should be desired by one wishing for his own welfare. 6o. Noticing the diminution of collyrium, the increase of ant-hills, and the accumulation of honey, a wise man should accordingly look after his house.^ 6i. Charity, good behaviour, amiable speech, imselfishness — these by the chief sage have been declared the " elements of popularity." ^ ^ The cosmical limita of the de- Destruction by water reaches the struction by fire, water, and air are highest. here given. The three heavens '^ Compare BUopadeia, ii. 8, 9. named belong to the Brahmaloka. ^ See DhammantH, 267. THE SUTTAVADDHANANtTI. 155 62. Charity, virtue, liberality, rectitude, gentleness, devo- tion, good temper, humanity, patience, unobstructiveness — these, the ten duties of a king, should be observed without neglect^ 63. A wise man, full of discrimination, brings about his benefit by a small means, just as a small fire by blowing (causes a great conflagration). 64. A wife who does not commit violence, one who is like a thief, one who makes herself like the master, one like a mother one like a sister, one like a slave, and the wife like a ^.iend — these are said to be the seven kinds of wives.^ 65. A female at eight is termed " Gorl " or " DS,rik4; " one at the age of twelve, or one yet a virgin, is called " Kafinyl" 66. A female at twelve is called " KumAri " or " Kum&rikfl.;" one older than that " Yuvatt " or " Tarunt." 67. A woman who is old is called " Therl " or " MahallikS, : " this method of naming should be duly observed. '° See stanza 266 of DhammmiUi. "Manual of Buddhism," z. l7,or Jar- ^ SuMa^takwih, (Sig^ov&da Sut- dine's " Kotes on Buddhist Law," iii. ta). For explanation of the various 18. terms used in this stanza, see Hardy's 156 Ntri LITERATURE OP BURMA. 68. A woman like a murderer, one like a thief, one Uke a master — these are said to be bad wives: one like a mother, one like a sister, one like a slave, and one like a friend — these four are said to be good wives. 6g. < One guarded by a mother, one guarded by a father, one guarded by both father and mother, one guarded by a brother, one guarded by a sister, one guarded by rela- tives, one guarded by one of the same clan, one guarded by the scriptures, one guarded by one betrothed, and one who is punished for her falling away — ^these are ten kinds of women with whom no liberty should be taken. 70. One who marries of her own wish, one obtained by the bestowal of property, and one got by giving apparel, a wife who undergoes the water ordeal,*^ who is procured while carrying a load,^^ a slave, a wife who works as a servant, a captive woman, a temporary wife, and one bought by money — no liberty should be taken with these ten also. 71- He who through love, hate, fear, or ignorance trans- gresses what is right, his prosperity declines just like the moon at the time of its waning. "^ OdapaUaM. The symbolic prae- ^ Oropacumpatd. Cumpatatti (or tice of placing the hands in a bowl of rather cumbata/ih) is the circular roll water is referred to. As thepartides of cloth used as a stand for a vessel of water adhere to each other, so or heavy weight carried on the head, should the union between husband Vide Jardine's " Notes on Buddhist and wife be permanent. Law," iii. 16. THE SUTTAVADDHANANiTI. 157 72. He who does not transgress what is right, whether through love or hate, or fear or ignorance, his prosperity increases like the moon at the time of its waning. 73- * Parents are spoken of as the east, teachers south, wives as the west, and friends as the north as the slaves and servants are like the nadir; Eahans and Brahmans like the zenith.^* '^ The author of this anthology closes with three stanzas having re- ference to himself. They are : — (a.) " By this my merit (in writing this NUi) may I attain Nibb^n ; until then, may I always, in all my existences, be replete with the four sampattu, four cakkas, and seven siidhammas. " Note — (1.) The four sampattis are, "KdZa, gati, upddhi, payoga." (2.) The four caJekas are, " Living in a suitable place, association with good men, right sell-regulation, and the performance of good works in a former existence." (3.) The seven sudhammas are, "jaith, modesty, fear of sinning, learning, energy, intelligence, and wisdom." (6.) "May I be born in a family altogether pure and honoured, es- teemed and exalted, of a good faith and replete with wealth." (c.) " May I obtain food, clothing, and wealth, not by manual labour, but my supernatural power, accord- ing to my desires. " APPENDIX. ^11 APPENDIX. A.^-OLD INDIAN SAYINGS. [The following collection, as bearing upon parallel pas- sages found in Burmese literature, was made a few years ago, and comprises only those maxims or sentiments which, by their pointedness or by their happiness of ex- pression, seemed deserving of being put together as pearls upon a single thread.] I. Better one accomplished son than a hundred fools : one moon can dispel darkness ; not so a myriad stars. 2. As from a lump of clay a workman produces whatever he wishes, so a man obtains the destiny prepared by himself. 3- Deeds are accomplished by effort, not wishes : deer, verily, do not enter into the mouth of a sleeping lion. 4- So long as a fool is well-dressed and speaks nothing, even so long does he shine in an assembly. L 1 62 APPENDIX. 5- Glass hj association with gold acquires an emerald lustre ; by association with the good a fool becomes wise. 6. Labour bestowed on the worthless is vain : eyen by a hundred efforts a crow cannot be made to talk W^e a parrot. 7- As a river takes a brook to the sea, so does knowledge take a man to a king. 8. As the heavens acquire light from the moon, so does a family from a wise son. 9- Whosoever^s name is not written with the pen in the enumeration of those who are learned, his mother is called barren ; and those who have not obtained praise in charity and penance, in valour, science, and the acquisition of property, their mothers have no pleasure in them — they have only obtained the pain of giving them birth. lO. Better silence far than speaking ; Worse are kinsmen oft than fire ; There's no balm like friendly counsel. There's no enemy like ire. Eogues have keener teeth than vipers ; Brains outweigh the miser's hoard ; Better modesty than jewels, Tuneful lyre than kingly sword.^ ^ Tawney's Bbartphari's Nitiiataimli. APPENDIX. 163 II. Wide is the difference between the body and the virtues of heart ; the one lasts for a season, the other endures for etemitj. 12. Where a wise man is not to be found, there even one of UttlS sense is commended : in a country devoid of larg^ trees the castor-oil plant is accounted one. 13. In misfortunes we know a friend, in battle a hero, an honest man in debt a wife when fortunes disappear. 14. The time of the wise passes away in the enjoyment of poetry and the sciences ; that of fools, in vice, sleep, and quarreL IS- Avoid him who injures you in your absence and speaks sweetly in your presence : he is a bowl of poison with millr on the surface. 16. Better be dashed to pieces on a rock, better insert the hand between the fangs of a poisonous snake, better fall into a fiery furnace, than ruin one's character by stains of infamy. ir- When night comes, fear is at the threshold ; at break of day it flies to the hills. 18. The poison-nut and bitter margosa are useful as medi- cines ; the unfeeling wretch is utterly unprofitable. i64 APPENDIX. 19. . Long are the arms of a learned man. 20. Cowards sink from toil and peril, Vulgar souls attempt and fail ; Men of metal, nothing daunted, Persevere till they prevail. 21. As the sun in the east dispels the gloom of night, so can books dispel ignorance. 22. Companionship with the base leads to vice : rivers of sweet water become undrinkable when they join the sea. 23. Impossible is it for those consumed by desire to gain repose, as it is for two pieces of green wood to burn when rubbed in water. 24. Eeason is carried away under the influence of passion, just as a ship in a stormy sea. 25. A bear's skin washed becomes not white : a wooden image, if beaten, does not acquire excellence. 26. Treating an evil-doer kindly is like painting a picture on water ; no one ploughs the air nor bathes the wind. 27. A dog's tail cannot be made straight; a stubborn woman cannot be reformed. APPENDIX. 165 • 28. Will white ashes remove the smell of the wine-pot ? Will a cord put on the neck make one twice-born ? 29. The eyeball is large ; the pupil, througii which we see, is small. • 30- Trees are bowed down with weight of fruit, Clouds big with rain hang low ; So good men humbly bear success, Nor overweening grow. 3t- A small deed honestly performed is a work of great merit: a small seed may grow into an extensive banyan tree. 32. A scorpion's poison is in its tail, a fly's in its head ; the poison of a snake is in its fangs ; a bad man is poisonous altogether. 33- The philosopher's stone in a fool's hand would vanish as fast as hailstones that come with the rain. 34- What use of an eloquent man where there are no hearers ? What use of a washerman in a country of naked beggars ? 35- Act in time : wait not to repair the tank after the water has escaped. 36. As gems on a string, so on God is the whole universe woven. i66 APPENDIX. 37. Science is a couch for the wise ; reclining on it they feel no fatigue. 38- A man of feeble character is like a reed shaken by the wind. 39. Wealth without liberality is like riches still buried in the earth. 40. Here, in this world, love's only fruit is won When two true hearts are blended into one ; But when by disagreement love is blighted, 'Twere better that two corpses were united.^ 41- The washerman beats the cloth to remove the stains : a teacher chastises to make his pupil good. 42. A crocodile in water can destroy an elephant ; out of the stream it is overcome by a dog. 43- Bust makes iron soft; the soul is softened by grief. 44- The friendship of the bad is like the shadow of a preci- pitous bank, ready to crush him who sits beneath. 45- Where frogs are the croakers, their silence is becoming. * Monier Williams' translation of a passage of Bhartfibari. APPENDIX. 167 46. Good people are like the cocoanut; the bad, like the jujube, charming only in the exterior. 47- Unpleasant speech is often salutary: drops of bitter medicrae produce a beneficial effect. 48. Friendship with the good is permanent: even when broken, the fibres of the lotus-stalks are connected. 49. As the spokes of a wheel are attached to the nave, so are all things attached to life. 50. The good man, like a bounding ball, Springs ever upward from his fall ; The wicked falls like lumps of clay. And crumbles into dust away. Si- Let a man act so by day that he may live happily by night. 52. He by whom swans are made white, and parrots green, and peacocks variegated in hue, he will provide thy sus- tenance. 53. When men are ripe for slaughter, even straws turn into thunderbolts. 54- The tempest does not uproot tender grasses : great men expend their valour on the great. 1 68 APPENDIX. 55- The streams of rivers flow on and return not; so day and night take with them the. life of mortals. 56, As a man extracts gold from stones, let him also receive what is valuable from all quarters — from a raving mad- man or a chattering fooL , 57- For a man of energ7 Mem is not too high to be ascended, nor the ocean too extensive to be crossed. 58. Show compassion to all: the moon withholds not its light from the house of a Ch^ndS,la. 59- There should be no companionship with a wicked inan : charcoal, when hot, burns ; when cold, it blackens the hand. 6o. Treachery is of crimes the blackest, Avarice is a world of vice ; Truth is nobler far than penance, Purity than sacrifice. 6i. Companionship with the bad is easily severed ; the good, like vessels of gold, are hard to break and easily united. 62. Better a forest haunted by tigers and elephants, trees for shelter, ripe fruits and water for food, grass for a bed, bark for clothing, but not deprived of wealth living among relatives. APPENDIX. 169 63. Affliction is the touchstone of friendship. 64. An elephant may be stopped by a kick ; for the head- strong there is no remedy. 65. As a showman displays his puppets while he himself remains concealed, so God governs mankind unseen by them. 66. The weak should ally themselves with the strong: a rivulet reaches the sea by the river's aid. 67. The sky seems as if limited and a firefly looks like fire, but the one has no bounds and the other no fire. , 68. Let a sinner listen to the Scriptures, he will not relin- quish his vile nature : though a coal be washed in milk, its blackness does not disappear. 69. Fire bums without speaking ; the sun shines silently ; silently the earth supports all creatures, moving and sta- tionary. 70. To a man of weak intellect the death of a friend is a thorn in his heart ; to the wise man it is as extracted, for death is the gateway of happiness. no APPENDIX. 71- A man is only half until he finds a wife : a childless house is like a cemeterjt 72. A house without a wife is like a desert; she is the best physician for many a suffering. 73- A tranquil lake conceals an alligator: anger is often hidden under an appearance of joy 74- No honey without a sting ; no rose without a thorn. 75- The man of means is eloquent, Brave, handsome, noble, wise ; All qualities with gold are sent, And vanish when it flies. 76. The desires of the heart are insatiable; those of the stomach may be soon gratified. 77- What use is knowledge to a senseless man ? of what use a mirror to one without eyes ? 78. A shepherd guards his flock with a staff: God, by correction, protects mankind. APPENDIX, 171 79- One dry tree by friction destroys a whole forest ; one vile man ruins the whole family. 8a Anoint an ass and he feels not your kindness ; he turns uppn you and kicks you. 81. Mortals possess no goods of their own, but we hold as stewards things which belong to the gods: when they require them, they take them away again. 82. The learning of men is from books; women obtain theirs from nature. 83. Amass that wealth which has nothing to fear from kings or thieves, and which will desert thee not at the hour of death. 84. Better a woman blind than one too beautiful. 85. Give women food, dress, gems, and all that's nice, But tell them not your plans, if you are wise : If you have aught to do, and want to do it, Don't ask a woman's counsel, or you'll rue it. 86. A mean person, though rich, may be utterly despised : can a dog with a golden collar attain the dignity of a lion ? 172 APPENDIX. 87. Books are endless, time is short : let a man, therefore, extract the substance, just as a swan extracts the milk which is mixed with water. 88. Kectar becomes poison if kept too long. 89. To obtain merit is like rolling a stone up a hill ; to fall into evil, like rolling it down a mountain-side. 90. The repetition of idle words becomes an ox : it is like chewing the cud. 91. A Brahman can make what is not divine divine, and what is divine not divine. 92. A hungry snake devours its own eggs : a woman pinched by hunger may desert her own child. 93- The winkings of men's eyes are numbered all by him : ^ he wields the universe as gamesters handle dice. 94- Time, like a brilliant steed with seven rays. And with a thousand eyes, imperishable, Full of fecundity, bears all things onward.* * Varuna. " Monier Williams' rendering of a passage from the Atharvaveda. APPENDIX. f73 95- I'd sooner live in mountain caves With lions, bears, and apes, Than dwell in Indra's heavenly halls With brainless human shapes.^ 96. Tb argue with a fool is as if to bring the dead to life. 97. A moth is caught by glare, a fish by a bait ; a man is ensnared by desire. 98. Truth is weightier than sacrifice. 99. Wealth is a great perverter. 100. The society of the good is a medicine. lOI. Be generous : the tree does not refuse its shadow to the man who cuts it with his axe. 102. Have not too many enemies : a fierce serpent may be killed by a swarm of insects. 103. Poisonous trees, though watered with nectar, do not pro- duce wholesome fruits. ' Tawney's Two Uenturies of Bhartfihwri. 174 APPENDIX. 104. As wood is consumed bj the fire to which it gives rise, so a foolish man is mined by his own greed. 105. Thou canst not gather what thou dost not sow ; As thou dost plant the tree, so will it grow. APPENDIX. 175 B.— CORRESPONDING STANZAS IN THE NITIS. Dhammantti. Lolcantti. Dhammapada. S^anttu Suttavad- 4lumanili. Stanza Stanza Stanza Stanza Stanza 7 8 ... 8 50 ... 9 148 ... 10 147 ... II 10 36 12 II 37 13 3 .. 14 4 • • 16 17 .. 17 36 .. t8 18 • ■ 23 22 .. 25 21 .• 26 143 ft •* • ... 30 29 •• 32 77 ... •■ 43 12 •• 52 28 ... S8 ... 152 ** •«• 65 48 ... 66 93 • ■ 72 28 73 95 ... 78 114 ... 79 "5.159 ... 83 160 85 138 ... 86 89 •• 1 176 APPENDIX. DhammarOti. LohmUL Dha'mmap