[2369]
"When questioned by the king, O Sucīrata,
one may counsel, 'Today — tomorrow';
but when a matter has arisen, let not King Yudhiṭṭhila
do thus and remain idle.
When questioned by the king, O Sucīrata,
one should declare only what is within (ajjhatta),
nor set him upon a wrong road,
as would a deluded man devoid of sense.
One should not overstep oneself,
nor practice unrighteousness (adhamma);
one should not set out to cross where there is no ford,
nor be engaged in what is unprofitable.
And the khattiya who knows
how to carry out these principles —
that king ever flourishes,
like the moon in the bright fortnight.
He is dear to his kinsmen,
and among his friends he shines;
and, possessed of wisdom, with the breaking up of the body,
he is reborn in heaven (sagga)."
The Sambhava Jātaka, the fifth.
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6. The Mahākapi Jātaka
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.