SAUNDARANANDA 4.27: The Buddha Makes a Mistake

tasmin gRhe bhartur atash carantyaH
kriiD"-aanuruupaM lalitaM niyogaM
kaash cin na buddhaM dadRshur yuvatyo
buddhasya v" aiShaa niyataM maniiShaa

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4.27
The young women in that house were thus so busy

Doing work related to their master's romantic play

That none of them had seen the Buddha

-- Or so the Buddha inevitably concluded.

COMMENT:
Buddhas just like all other human beings, from time to time, inevitably come to a wrong conclusion.

How come?

I think because there are times, as described here, when even the best of listeners inevitably suffers from lack of sufficient information.

Accounting sounds like the stereotypical stuffed-shirt boring subject that nobody would want to study except for the purposes of making money. But when I studied it at Sheffield University from 1978, mainly under the auspices of Prof. E. A. Lowe, the emphasis was that accountants provide information for decision-makers, and so the study touched on information and systems theory.

Around that time, in the late 1970s, the Sunday Times had a long-running advertizing campaign featuring the slogan "Have you ever wished you were better informed?"

Speaking for myself, too many times to remember. But the internet, for all its dangers, is a magnificent tool for garnering -- and, I hope, sharing -- useful information.

EH Johnston:
Therefore none of the young women in that house saw the Buddha, as they were busily employed in providing for their master's amusements, or so the Buddha certainly thought.

Linda Covill:
The Buddha came to the unavoidable conclusion that the housemaids were so busy carrying out frivolous tasks related to their master's dalliance that none of them noticed him.

VOCABULARY:
tasmin (loc. sg.): that
gRhe (loc. sg.): house
bhartur = gen. sg. bhartR: m. a preserver , protector , maintainer , chief , lord , master
ataH: ind. from this, hence
carantyaH = nom. pl. f. pres. part car: to move oneself ; (with a part. or adj. or ind.p. or adv.) to continue performing or being (e.g. arcantash cerur , " they continued worshipping "); to undertake , set about , under go , observe , practise , do or act in general

kriiD"-aanuruupam (acc. sg. m.): adapted to his amorous sport
kriiDaa: f. sport , play , pastime , amusement , amorous sport (often in comp. e.g. kriiDaa-mudaH f. pl. the pleasures of playing or of amorous sport)
anuruupa: mfn. following the form , conformable , corresponding , like , fit , suitable ; adapted to
lalitam (acc. sg. m.): mfn. sported , played , playing , wanton , amorous , voluptuous ; artless , innocent , soft , gentle , charming , lovely (lalitam ind.) ; wished for , desired
niyogam (acc. sg.): m. tying or fastening to ; employment ; command, commission , charge , appointed task or duty , business

kaash cin na (nom. pl. f.): none [of the women]
buddham (acc. sg. m.): the Buddha, the awakened one
dadRshur = 3rd pers. pl. dRsh: to see
yuvatyaH = nom. pl. f. yuvati: f. a girl , young woman

buddhasya (gen. sg.): of the Buddha
vaa: or
eShaa (nom. sg. f.): this
niyatam (ind.) always , constantly , decidedly , inevitably , surely
maniiShaa (nom. sg.): f. thought , reflection , consideration , wisdom , intelligence , conception , idea