Page:Sacred Books of the East - Volume 21.djvu/141

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iii.
A PARABLE.
93

117. They are ever despised amongst animals; hit by clods or weapons they yell; everywhere they are threatened with sticks, and their bodies are emaciated from hunger and thirst.

118. Sometimes they become camels or asses, carrying loads, and are beaten with whips[1] and sticks; they are constantly occupied with thoughts of eating, the fools who have scorned the Buddha-rule.

119. At other times they become ugly jackals, half blind and crippled[2]; the helpless creatures are vexed by the village boys, who throw clods and weapons at them.

120. Again shooting off from that place, those fools become animals with bodies of five hundred yoganas, whirling round, dull and lazy.

121. They have no feet, and creep on the belly[3]; to be devoured by many kotis of animals is the dreadful punishment they have to suffer for having scorned a Sûtra like this.

122. And whenever they assume a human shape, they are born crippled, maimed[4], crooked, one-eyed, blind, dull, and low, they having no faith in my Sûtra.


  1. Kasha, var. lect. sata, with a marginal correction sada (for sadâ). Burnouf's 'cent bâtons' is evidently based upon the reading sata.
  2. nakakundâska, var. lect. vâlaka°, with marginal correction kânaka°. The translation is doubtful; cf. st. 116 below. Kundaka I connect with kunt = vikalîkarane and the Greek κυλλός.
  3. Krodasamkrin, var. lect. °samgñin, with correction °samkkin, the reading I have followed, taking samkkin to be identical with sakkin, a Prâkrit form of Sanskrit sarpin.
  4. Kundakâlaṅgaka, for which I read °kalâṅgaka.