[2065]
"If you cannot bring yourself, O lord of the people (janinda),
to abandon these human sensual pleasures,
then establish a righteous¹ offering (bali), O king,
and let there be no unrighteous action in your² realm.
Let messengers hasten forth to the four quarters
to invite ascetics and brahmins;
attend upon them with food and drink,
with clothing, and with lodging and requisites.
With a clear and confident mind (citta),
satisfy the ascetics and brahmins with food and drink;
having given and having eaten according to your means,
blameless, may you go to the heavenly place.
And if, O king, intoxication should overpower you
as you are surrounded³ by troops of women,
keep this very verse in mind
and recite it⁴ in the midst of the assembly:
'The creature who lay in the open air,
suckled with milk by [his mother] as she went her way,
encircled by dogs⁵ —
he today is called "king."'"
The Cittasambhūtajātaka, the second.
3. The Sivirājajātaka
[Variant readings:] ¹ Sī., Yu.: dhammaṃ. ² Ma.: tava. ³ Ma.: paricārayantaṃ ("as you divert yourself with"). ⁴ Ma.: bhāsesi cenaṃ. ⁵ Sī., Yu.: supinehi ("by dreams").
(Sī. = Sinhalese, Ma. = Burmese, Yu. = European editions.)
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.