Pāḷi Stories

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1. Padīpāhato andho
(padīpa - a lamp) + āhata pp of āharati (to carry)

(a) Ekissaṃ andhakāra-rattiyaṃ eko andho hatthena padīpaṃ ādāya

khandhe ekaṃ cāṭiṃ āropetvā vīthiṃ paṭipajji. Aññataro puriso taṃ
disvā āha: “are, bāla, tuyhaṃ rattipi divā pi samānā, padīpena tava
kiṃ payojanan”ti.

(b) Taṃ sutvā andho hasanto evamāha “ahaṃ etaṃ padīpaṃ na

mama’tthāya harāmi, tumhe pana andhakāre āgantvā apassantā maṃ
ghaṭṭetvā mama cāṭiṃ pātetvā bhindeyyāthā”ti cintetvā tumhākaṃ
atthāya imaṃ harāmī”ti.

1.The Blind who carried a lamp

(a) One very dark night, a blind man holding a lamp in his hand and
carrying an earthen pot on his shoulder, was passing along the street.
Somebody seeing him said “you blockhead! Day and night are the
same to you; of what use can a lamp be to you?”.
(b) On hearing this the blind man laughed and replied: “I do not carry this
lamp for me, but for you, as I think that in the dark you may knock
against me, and throwing my pot on the ground may break it”.
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Analyze ‘A’:
Ekissaṃ andhakāra-rattiyaṃ eko andho hatthena padīpaṃ ādāya
khandhe ekaṃ cāṭiṃ āropetvā vīthiṃ paṭipajji.

~Ekissaṃ - one. adj

~andhakārarattiyaṃ - very dark night. f. loc. sg of —ratti
~eko andho - a blind man. m. nom.sg of andha
~hatthena - with his hand. m. ins. sg of hattha
 ~padīpaṃ - a lamp. m. acc sg of padīpa
~ādāya - after holding. gerund of ādāti
~khandhe - on the shoulder. m. loc sg of khandha
~ekaṃ cāṭiṃ - one earthen pot. f. acc sg of cāṭi
~āropetvā - having put. gerund of āropeti
~vīthiṃ - street. f. acc sg of vīthi
~paṭipajji - was passing along. past 3rd sg of paṭipajjati

Aññataro puriso taṃ disvā āha: “are, bāla, tuyhaṃ rattipi divā pi
samānā, padīpena tava kiṃ payojanan”ti.
~Aññataro - a certain. pro. adj
~puriso - man. m. nom.sg of purisa
~taṃ - him. 3per. acc sg of ta or tad
~disvā - having seen. gerund of passati
~āha - said. past 3rd.sg of brūti
~are, bāla - Oh foolish. voc
~tuyhaṃ - to you. dat sg of tumha
~ratti - night. f. nom.sg of ratti
~pi - also. ind
~divā - day. ind
~samānā - same. adj
~padīpena - with a lamp
~tava - for you
~kiṃ - what
~payojanaṃ - benefit

Analyze ‘B’
Taṃ sutvā andho hasanto evaṃ āha.
~taṃ - him
~sutvā - having listened to. gerund of suṇāti
~hasanto - while laughing. pre. p of hasati
~evaṃ - thus. ind
~āha - said
 Ahaṃ etaṃ padīpaṃ na mama atthāya harāmi.
~ahaṃ
~etaṃ
~padīpaṃ
~na
~mama
~atthāya - for the benefit
~harāmi - carry. 1st sg

Tumhe pana andhakāre āgantvā apassantā maṃ ghaṭṭetvā mama cāṭiṃ

pātetvā bhindeyyātha
~tumhe
~pana
~andhakāre
~āgantvā
~apassantā
~maṃ
~ghaṭṭetvā
~mama
~cāṭiṃ
~pātetvā
~bhindeyyātha

Tumhākaṃ atthāya imaṃ harāmi.

~tumhākaṃ
~atthāya
~imaṃ
~harāmi

The end
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 2. Mahaddhanino Daḷiddo Bhātā
Mahant + dhana = mahaddhana + in = mahaddhanin

(A) Ekadā eko atiduggata-puriso ekaṃ mahaddhaniṃ upasaṅkamitvā āha

“mahābhāgadheya, ubhopi mayaṃ ekassa ādimapurisassa apaccā, tasmā
mayaṃ bhātaro bhavāma; tvaṃ pana mahaddhano, ahaṃ atidaliddo; dehi me
tava bhātarā laddhabhāgaṃ koṭṭhāsa”nti.
(B) Taṃ sutvā dhanavā tassekaṃ rūpiyaṃ adāsi. Tadā duggato “aho!
Mahāsaya, kasmā tvaṃ ekassa bhātuno dātabbabhāgaṃ nadesī ?’ti pucchi.
Piyamitta, ettakena santuṭṭho hohi; sac’āhaṃ mama bhātarānaṃ sabbesaṃ
daliddānaṃ ekekaṃ rūpiyaṃ dadeyyaṃ, na kiñcipi mam’atthāya atirittaṃ
bhaveyyā’ti dhanavā avoca.

2. The rich man and his poor brother

(A) One day a very poor man went to a millionaire and said “Oh, fortunate
one, we both are the descendants of the first man, therefore we are brothers;
you are very rich and I am very poor; give me a brother’s share.
(B) On hearing this the rich man gave a rupee to the other. Then the poor man
exclaimed “Oh! Sir, why do you not bestow upon me a brother’s share? Be
content with this much, my good friend. If I give all my poor brothers one
rupee each, I shall not have any remaining” replied the rich man.
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Analyze (A):
Ekadā eko atiduggata-puriso ekaṃ mahaddhaniṃ upasaṅkamitvā āha.
~Ekadā - at one time
~eko - one
~atiduggata-puriso - a very poor man
~ekaṃ - one or a
~mahaddhaniṃ - a millionaire
~upasaṅkamitvā - having approached. gerund of upasaṅkamati
~āha - said
 Mahābhāgadheya, ubhopi mayaṃ ekassa ādimapurisassa apaccā
(bhavāma)
~Mahābhāgadheya -
~ubhopi
~mayaṃ
~ekassa
~ādimapurisassa - first man
~apaccā - descendants

Tasmā mayaṃ bhātaro bhavāma.

~tasmā
~mayaṃ
~bhātaro
~bhavāma

Tvaṃ pana mahaddhano, ahaṃ atidaliddo.

~tvaṃ
~pana
~mahaddhano
~ahaṃ
~atidaliddo

Dehi me tava bhātarā laddhabhāgaṃ koṭṭhāsaṃ.

~dehi - give. imper. 2nd sg
~me - me
~tava bhātarā
~laddhabhāgaṃ - obtained portion, part, share
~koṭṭhāsaṃ - share
Analyze (B):
Taṃ sutvā dhanavā tassekaṃ rūpiyaṃ adāsi.
~taṃ
~sutvā
~dhanavā
~tassa
~ekaṃ
~rūpiyaṃ
~adāsi

Tadā duggato “aho! Mahāsaya, kasmā tvaṃ ekassa bhātuno

dātabbabhāgaṃ na desī ?’ti pucchi.

~Tadā
~duggato
~pucchi
~aho! Mahāsaya,
~kasmā
~tvaṃ
~ekassa
~bhātuno
~dātabbabhāgaṃ
~na
~desī

Piyamitta, ettakena santuṭṭho hohi.

~Piyamitta
~ettakena
~santuṭṭho
~hohi
 Sac’āhaṃ mama bhātarānaṃ sabbesaṃ daliddānaṃ ekekaṃ rūpiyaṃ
dadeyyāmi, / na kiñcipi mama atthāya atirittaṃ bhaveyya
~sace
~ahaṃ
~mama
~bhātarānaṃ
~sabbesaṃ
~daliddānaṃ
~ekekaṃ
~rūpiyaṃ
~dadeyyaṃ
~na
~kiñcipi
~mama
~atthāya
~atirittaṃ
~bhaveyya

dhanavā avoca.
~dhanavā
~avoca - said. (a) √vac + a = avoca

The End
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3. Mūgapatirūpako Yācako
3. The beggar who pretended to be dumb

1.Atīte eko yācako cintesi “sac’āhaṃ attānaṃ mūgaṃ viya dasseyaṃ bahuṃ
mūlaṃ labheyya”nti. So ‘mūgo’ti vacanaṃ ekasmiṃ phalake likhāpetvā taṃ
gīvāyaṃ laggetvā maggapasse aṭṭhāsi.

1.Once there was a beggar who thought he would get more money if he
pretended to be dumb. He had the word “DUMB” painted on a board, hung it
round his neck and stood by the side of the road.
 2.Tassa paccāmitto añño yācako “imassa sāṭheyyaṃ pākaṭaṃ karissāmī”ti
cintetvā tassa avidūre nisīdi. Yad’eko anukampako puriso tassa mūgapatirūpakassa
kākaṇikaṃ dātuṃ santikaṃ upāgami, tadā so verī “mahāsaya mā etassa kiñci
mūlaṃ dehi, saṭho eso, n’eso mūgo”ti ugghosesi. Atha so saṭho kopāviṭṭho
“musāvādī, ahaṃ sabbadāva mūgo ahosiṃ, idānipi mūgo bhavāmī”ti āha. Tadā so
kāruṇiko “atthi ekacce mūgā ye sallapitumpi sakkontī”ti vadanto tato pagacchi.

2.Another beggar, who was his enemy, made up his mind to reveal his fraud
and sat near him. When a gentle man came near the pretender to offer him a cent,
the other one shouted “Sir, do not give any money to this man; he is a rogue and is
not dumb at all”. The first beggar, in a rage, cried in return “Lair, I have always
been dumb, and I am so now”.
The gentleman went away remarking that there are some dumb men who can
even talk.
4. Kathaṃ ekena Sasakena Sīho mārito
4. How a lion was killed by a hare?

Khudābhibhūto migarājā sakopaṃ etadavoca “kasmā tvam cirāyitvā

āgacchasī?”ti. “N’eso mama doso, antarāmagge aññena sīhena balakkārena
nivattāpito’mhi, yāvāhaṃ tav’antikaṃ āgantvā tassa samīpaṃ paccāgamanāya
sapathaṃ akāsiṃ, tāva so maṃ na vissajjesī”ti sasako vadi.

The lion tormented by hunger said to him angrily “why do you come so late?
‘It is not my fault’ said the hare, for on the way I was forcibly retained by another
lion, till I swore to the necessity of my coming to you and of returning to him”.

Kopāviṭṭho sīho “sīghaṃ gantvā sappagabbhaṃ taṃ duṭṭhaṃ maṃ dassehī”ti

āha. Atha saso taṃ ekassa gambhīrakūpassa mukhavaṭṭiṃ ānetvā “passa sāmī”ti
vatvā kūpabbhantare dissamānaṃ tasseva paṭibimbaṃ dassesi. Tato sīho dappito
naditvā kopena pakkhandanto kūpe patitvā mari.
 The lion passionately said: ‘go with speed and show me where that
audacious animal is’. The hare led him near a deep well and said: ‘Behold my
lord,’ and saying this he showed the lion’s own image in the well; upon which the
lion proudly roared and throwing himself down with rage perished in the well.

5. Akāle Nikkhamantassa Vipāko

5.The bad result of an untimely setting off

1.Ekadā Bārāṇasīrājā paccantaṃ vūpasamanatthāya akāle nikkhamitvā

uyyāne khandhāvāraṃ nivesesi. Tadā eko uḷūko veḷugumbam nilīyi. Kākā taṃ
disvā āgantvā ‘nikkhamantaṃ gaṇhissāmā’ti parivāresuṃ. So yāva
sūriyatthaṅgamā aṭṭhatvā kālass’eva nikkhamitvā palāyituṃ ārabhi.

1.One (upon a time) the king of Benares set out at an unseasonable time in
order to pacify the riots in the interior and had to camp in a park. At that time an
owl flew into a bamboo-grove and hid itself. The crows on seeing the owl
surrounded the grove intending to catch it when it comes out. The owl without
waiting for the sunset tried to fly away.

2.Atha naṃ kākā parivāretvā tuṇḍehi koṭṭentā pātesuṃ. Rājā ekaṃ amaccaṃ
āmantetvā “kasmā ime kākā uḷūkaṃ paripātentī”ti pucchi. Amocco “Mahārāja,
akāle attano vasanaṭṭhānā nikkhamantā evam dukkhaṃ pappontī”ti āha.
2.Then the crows surrounded it and peeked and felled it down. (having
witnessed this) the king called one of his ministers and asked him “why do these
crows kill this owl?” “Oh king, answered the minister “those who come out of their
dwellings at unseasonable hours will have to suffer in this manner”.
 6. Vivādāpannā dve uddā
6.Two otters who disputed over a fish

1.Atīte dve uddā sahāyakā ahesuṃ. Tesu eko anutīracārī, eko gambhīracārī.
Te ekadā ekaṃ maccaṃ labhitvā eko “ahaṃ macchassa uparimabhāgaṃ khādituṃ
icchāmī”ti āha. Aparopi tameva bhāgaṃ icchi. Te attano vivādaṃ tīretuṃ
asakkontā ekassa sigālassa vasanaṭṭhānaṃ gantvā “imaṃ no aṭṭaṃ vinicchinathā”ti
āhaṃsu.
1.There were two otters who were friends; one of them used to catch fish
near the bank of a river, and the other in the deep water. One day they caught a fish
and one of the them said “ I like to eat the front part of the fish”. The other also
whished to have the same part. Being unable to settle their dispute by themselves,
they went to the a bode of a fox and asked him to have their case decided.

2.Sigālo attanā dinnavinicchaye tiṭṭhanatthāya paṭhamaṃ tesaṃ paṭiññaṃ

gahetvā macchassa sīsam ca naṅgaṭṭhañca chinditvā visuṃ katvā
“anutīracārī naṅguṭṭhaṃ,
Sīsaṃ gambhīracārino,
Athāyaṃ majjhimo khaṇḍo,
Dhammaṭṭhassa bhavissatī”ti
Vatvā ekassa sīsaṃ itarassa naṅgaṭṭhañca datvā majjhimaṃ khaṇḍaṃ sayaṃ
khādituṃ ārabhi.
Uddā visādāpannā tato paṭṭhāya macche labhitvā vivādarahitā samam
bhājetvā khādiṃsu.
2.At first having taken their promise to abide by his decision, the fox
separated the head and the tail of the fish and then remarking:
 “one who was fishing in the shallow water should get the tail (of the fish);
the head is to be given to the other who used to fish in the deep, and the
middle portion shall go the the judge”, he gave the tail and the head to the
otters and himself began to eat the middle portion.
The disappointed otters thenceforth learned to divide their game equally
between themselves and to eat without any dispute.

7. Sīhacammāvuto gadrabho
7. The Donkey in Lion’s Skin

1.Atīte eko vāṇijo gadrabha-bhārakena vohāraṃ karonto vicarati. So

gatagataṭṭhāne piṭṭhito bhaṇḍikaṃ otāretvā gadrabhaṃ sīhacammena pārupitvā
sāli-yavakhettesu vissajjeti. Ath’ekadivasaṃ so vāṇijo ekasmiṃ gāmadvāre
nivāsaṃ gahetvā pātarāsaṃ pacāpento gadrabhaṃ sīhacammaṃ pārupitvā
yavakhette vissajjesi.
1.Long ago a certain merchant was wandering about selling his goods, which
were carried on (the back of) a donkey. Wherever he went he disburdened the
donkey of its bumdle, and, having wrapped it in a lion-skin used to drive it to the
paddy or barley fields. Thus, one day having taken his lodge near the entrance of a
village he wrapped the donkey in a lion-skin, and sent it to a barley field while he
had his meals prepared.
2.Khettarakkhakā sīhoti saññāya upagantuṃ asakknotā gehaṃ gantvā
ārocesuṃ. Sakalagāmavāsino āvudhāni gahetvā saṅkhe dhamentā bheriyo vādentā
khettasamīpaṃ gantvā unnadiṃsu. Gadrabho maraṇabhayabhīto gadrabharavaṃ
ravi. Gāmavāsino tassa gadrabhabhāvaṃ ñatvā aṭṭhīni bhañjantā pothetvā
sīhacammaṃ ādāya agamaṃsu.

2.The watchers of the field taking it to be a lion, and being afraid to go near
it, went home and informed the owners. All the villagers came out with weapons,
sounding conch-shells, beating drums, and, having gone near to the field made a
big noice. The donkey feeling the terror of death began to bray. The villagers
finding it to be a donkey shattered its bones with bows and took away the lion-skin.
 8. Kākoḷūkānaṃ Virodho
8. How Crows and Owls Become Enemies

1.Atīte paṭhamakappikā sannipatitvā ekaṃ abhirūpaṃ sobhaggappattaṃ

āṇāsampannaṃ purisaṃ gahetvā rājānaṃ kariṃsu. Catuppadāpi sannipatitvā ekaṃ
sīhaṃ rājānaṃ kariṃsu. Mahāsamudde macchā Ānandaṃ nāma macchaṃ rājānaṃ
kariṃsu. Tato sakuṇagaṇā Himavantappadese sannipatitvā mantesuṃ “manussesu
rājā paññāyati, tathā catuppadesu c’eva, macchesu ca, amhākampi rājānaṃ
laddhuṃ vaṭṭati. Ekaṃ rājaṭṭhāne ṭhapetabbayuttakaṃ jānāthā”ti.
1.In the early days of civilisation the people assembled and selected a
handsome, graceful and authoritative person as their king. After this quadrupeds
also got together and made a lion their king. The fishes in the ocean elected a huge
fish called ānanda, as their king. The birds, too, met in the neighbourhood of the
Himalaya and discussed the matter saying: “there is a king a mong men as well as
among quadrupeds and fishes. It is well for us to find out such as one as should be
able to maintain the position of a king.

2.Te tādisaṃ sakuṇaṃ olokayanānā ekaṃ uḷūkaṃ ārocetvā “ayaṃ no

ruccatī”ti āhaṃsu. Ath’eko sakuṇo sabbesaṃ ajjhāsayagahaṇatthāya tikkhattuṃ
sāvesi. Tassa tatiyasāvanāya eko kāko uṭṭhāya: “tiṭṭha tāva, etassa imasmiṃ
rajjābhisekakāle īdisaṃ mukhaṃ; kuddhassa kīdisaṃ bhavissati? Iminā hi
kuddhena olokitā mayaṃ tattakapāle pakkhitta-tilā viya tattha tatth’eva
bhijjissāma. Imaṃ rājānaṃ kātuṃ mayhaṃ na ruccatī”ti āha. Tato paṭṭhāya
yāvajjatanā te paccāmittā ahesuṃ.
2.Looking out for such a bird, they selected an owl and expressed their
desire to have him as their king. Then, in order to get the consent of all (present
there), one of the birds announced it to the gathering. At the third announcement a
crow stood up and said: “stop for a while. If his face looks like this at the august
moment of his coronation, what will it look like when he is angry? We, who may
be looked at by him in his rage, shall burst to pieces, then and there, like sesamum
seeds that are put into a frying-pan. Therefore, I do not like him to make our king.
Strting from that, they became enemies up to now.

9. Sāmaggiyā Balaṃ
9. The Power of Unity

Satthā ñātake āmantetvā āha “Mahārājā, tumhe ñātakā, ñātakehi nāma

samaggehi sammodamānehi bhavituṃ vaṭṭati. Ñātakānañhi sāmaggiyā sati
paccāmittā otāraṃ na labhati. Tiṭṭhantu tāva manussabhūtā, acetanānampi
rukkhānaṃ sāmaggiṃ laddhuṃ vaṭṭati. Atītasmiṃ hi Himavantapadese mahāvāto
sālavanaṃ pahari. Tassa pana sālavanassa aññataraṃ rukkhagacchagumbalatāhi
sambandhattā ekarukkhampi pātetuṃ asakkonto matthaka-matthaken’eva agamāsi.
Ekaṃ pana aṅgaṇe ṭhitaṃ sākhāviṭapasampannaṃ mahārukkhaṃ aññehi
asambandhattā ummuletvā bhūmiyaṃ pātesi. Iminā kāraṇena tumhehipi samaggehi
sammodamānehi vasituṃ vaṭṭatī”ti.
The Buddha addressed his relatives and said “Oh great kings, you are
relatives; relatives must be united and congenial. When there is unity among
relatives their enemies do not find any occasion (to harm them). Not to be spoken
of humann beings, even inanimate trees benefit by being in unity. In the oden days,
a fierce storm swept through a sal-forest in the Himalayas. As the forest stood with
all its trees, plants, bushes and creepers connected (or twisted) together, it merely
blew away past the tree-tops, and was unable to uproot a single tree. But the storm
uprooted a huge tree full of branches and twigs, because it stood in an open space
apart from the other trees. Considering this event you also should live in unity and
congeniality.

10. Upāyadakkho Andho

 10. Cleverness of a blind man

Ekaṃ ghaṭaṃ kambalañca vinā aññassa dhanassa assāmiko eko andho

[aññataro andho, yass’ekaṃ ghataṃ kambalañca vinā aññaṃ dhanaṃ nāhosi]
ekadā ekaṃ devāyatanaṃ gantvā accantasaṃviggo devāyācanaṃ karontova
upavāsena [anasanena] attano dukkhajīvitassa antaṃ kattuṃ adhiṭṭhāsi. Devatā
tasmiṃ pasannā tassa purato pātubhavitvā ‘varaṃ te dassāmī”ti avoca. Atha
ṭhānocitapañño so andho “ko’si Bhavaṃ?”ti pucchitvā “Mahādevo”ti vutte āha
“kathaṃ ahaṃ attano akkhīhi apassanto taṃ saddahissāmī?”ti. taṅkhaṇaññ’eva
tassa akkhīni pākatikāni akāsi. Tadā so jaṇṇūhi nipatitvā “ahaṃ mama nattāraṃ
rajjitasiriṃ anubhavantaṃ passituṃ labheyyan”ti yāci. Evam so eken’eva varena
akkhidiṭṭhiṃ [dassanaṃ] dīghāyukaṃ sampattiñca paṭilabhi.
Once a certain blind man, who had no property but an earthern pot and a
blanket, went to a temple and in sheer despair resolved to end his weary life by
abstaining from food altogether, and devoting himself to paryers all the while.
There, the deity being pleased, showed himself before him and offered to grant him
a boon. The blind man shrewdly enquired who he was, and, on being told that he
was the Great God, continued “but how can I belive it unless I see you with my
own eyes?” the deity in a moment restored his sight. He then knelt down and
prayed that he should live to see his grandson in the enjoyment of kingly powers.
Thus he wisely secured by his one wish sight, long life and property.