⏑⏑−⏑⏑¦−⏑−⏑−−¦¦⏑⏑−−⏑⏑¦−⏑−⏑−− Aupacchandasaka
sa
tathā viṣayair-vilobhyamānaḥ paramarhair-api śākya-rāja-sūnuḥ
|
⏑⏑−⏑⏑¦−⏑−⏑−−¦¦⏑⏑−−⏑⏑¦−⏑−⏑−−
na
jagāma ratiṁ
na śarma lebhe hdaye siṁha ivātidigdha-viddhaḥ || 5.1
5.1
Though
enticed in this way by most costly sensual enjoyments
[or by
most worthy objects]
The son of
the Śākya king
Neither
partook of pleasure nor obtained relief –
Like a
lion pierced in its heart by a poisoned arrow.
COMMENT:
In the first pāda,
tathā, “in this way,” means as described in the previous Canto –
which is to say, as I read Canto 4, in a relentlessly ambiguous and
ironic manner.
Much of this irony
centres on the ambiguity of viṣaya, whose plural meanings include
1. objects, broadly understood; and 2. sensual enjoyments.
Hence, in today's verse viṣayair-vilobhyamānaḥ paramarhaiḥ “being tempted by the most costly sensual enjoyments” on the face of it describes the prince as being tempted by the sex that the women in the park were offering him, which could have been costly on a number of levels – not least financially, since the training of those courtesans in the fine arts in which they were skilled, along with their upkeep, presumably cost the Śākya king Śuddhodana a pretty penny. Yielding to sex with the courtesans might have cost the prince in other ways too – emotionally, energetically and karmically, not to mention the potential cost to his health of picking up a sexually transmitted disease.
The hidden meaning of
viṣayair-vilobhyamānaḥ paramarhaiḥ “being enticed by most
worthy objects,” however, might point as a most worthy object to the shedding
of diffidence described in BC4.26. Again,
“Let the secret be revealed!” in BC4.31, and “Perform the act
of devotion here!” in BC4.32 might be enticements to realize the
worthiest of objects. The containers described in BC4.35 as
resembling golden jars of the lifeblood might be understood as
objects of supreme worth. Who is to say definitively that the girl
who taunted the prince from above, as if to say, “Catch up with me,
mister!” in BC4.39 was not dangling the carrot of that most worthy
object which is a Zen master's enlightenment?
And the list of
candidates to be seen as most worthy objects need not end there. The
cuckoo calling from within a golden cage (BC4.44); the sorrowless
state (BC4.45); the man who continues to wear a white robe (BC4.46);
the action of bowing down, having yielded up every drop of one's red
sap (BC4.47), or of just modestly standing there (BC4.48), or of
stretching out like still water (BC4.49), or of submitting to one's
partner like a slave (BC4.50), or of losing all one's inhibitions in
echoing another's call (BC4.51) – all these can be read as
descriptions of most worthy objects which the girls in the park
presented to the truth-seeking prince, as if they were leading a thirsty horse to
water.
In that case, if we understand the viṣayaiḥ in the 1st pāda as worthy objects, then who is
the Śākya king mentioned in the 2nd pāda?
And who might be śākya-rāja-sūnuḥ, an offspring of the Śākya king, before whom
most valuable objects have been presented in abundance, but who, in
his or her immaturity and blindness fails to understand the Śākya
king's ultimate teaching of small desire and contentment, and so
instead of partaking at once of enjoyment of nirvāṇa, paces around
suffering like a wounded lion in search of relief?
Read as above, today's
verse brings to mind something Marjory Barlow said about going
through hell in Alexander teacher training. Marjory was never the
kind of person who would cause a pupil or student to suffer any more
than could be helped. On the contrary, her rule number one was that
Alexander work should be fun. And yet she acknowledged, as a fact
born out of her considerable experience, that Alexander teacher
training often seemed to involve the trainee going through hell.
The hidden meaning that
I see in today's verse, then – the meaning that is not readily
apparent but which has to be dug for – is that pleasure and relief
were readily available to the prince, like delicious water is
available to a thirsty horse who has been led to water. But instead
of being like a thirsty horse who sees water as water and drinks it,
the prince behaved like a thirsty horse spooked by reflections on the
surface of the water, and therefore like a wounded lion who cannot obtain
relief.
VOCABULARY
sa
(nom. sg. m.): he
tathā:
ind. thus, in this manner
viṣayaiḥ
(inst. pl.): m. object, object of sense ; anything perceptible by the
senses , any object of affection or concern or attention , any
special worldly object or aim or matter or business , (pl.) sensual
enjoyments , sensuality
vilobhyamānaḥ
= nom. sg. m. pres. part. passive vi- √ lubh: to lead astray ,
perplex , confuse ; to allure , entice , tempt ; to divert , amuse ,
delight
paramarhaiḥ
(inst. pl. m.): most precious, of the highest worth
parama:
mfn. chief , highest , primary , most prominent or conspicuous
arha:
mfn. worthy ; worth (in money) , costing
para-mohaiḥ
(inst. pl. m.): 'which infatuate others' [EBC]
paramparaiḥ
(inst. pl. m.): mfn. one following the other , proceeding from one
to another (as from father to son) , successive , repeated
api:
even
śākya-rāja-sūnuḥ
(nom. sg. m.): the son of the Śākya king
sūnu:
m. a son , child , offspring
na:
not
jagāma
= 3rd pers. sg. perf. gam: to go to [any state] ; to go to
or towards , approach ; to go to any state or condition , undergo ,
partake of , participate in , receive , obtain
ratim
(acc. sg.): f. rest , repose; pleasure , enjoyment ; the pleasure of
love , sexual passion or union , amorous enjoyment
dhṛtim
(acc. sg.): f. holding ; firmness , constancy ; satisfaction ,
content , joy ; dhṛtiṁ- √kṛ , to keep ground or stand still
; to find pleasure or satisfaction
na:
not
śarma
(acc. sg.): n. shelter , protection , refuge , safety ; Joy , bliss
, comfort , delight , happiness
lebhe
= 3rd pers. sg. perf. labh: to take , seize , catch ; to
gain possession of , obtain , receive , conceive , get
hṛdaye
(loc. sg.): n. heart
siṁhaḥ
(nom. sg.): m. lion
iva:
like
atidigdha-viddhaḥ
(nom. sg. m.): pierced by a poisoned arrow
ati:
is often prefixed to nouns and adjectives , and rarely to verbs , in
the sense excessive , extraordinary, Intens.
atidigdha:
m. a poisoned arrow
digdha:
mfn. ( √ dih) smeared , anointed ; poisoned ; m. a poisoned arrow
viddha:
mfn. (p.p. of √ vyadh) pierced , perforated , penetrated , stabbed
, struck , wounded , beaten , torn , hurt , injured
王復増種種 勝妙五欲具
晝夜以娯樂 冀悦太子心
太子深厭離 了無愛樂情
但思生死苦 如被箭師子
晝夜以娯樂 冀悦太子心
太子深厭離 了無愛樂情
但思生死苦 如被箭師子
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