⏑−⏑−¦−⏑⏑¦−⏑−⏑−¦¦⏑−⏑−¦−⏑⏑¦−⏑−⏑− Vaṁśastha
aho
n-śaṁsaṁ su-kumāra-varcasaḥ
su-dāruṇaṁ tasya manasvino manaḥ |
⏑−⏑−¦−⏑⏑¦−⏑−⏑−¦¦⏑−⏑−¦−⏑⏑¦−⏑−⏑−
kala-pralāpaṁ dviṣato
'pi harṣaṇaṁ śiśuṁ sutaṁ yas-tyajatīdśaṁ svataḥ
|| 8.68
8.68
O
how terribly hard and cruel is the mind
Of
him, so full of mind, whose light is so gentle!
An
infant son,
whose
burbling would gladden even an enemy,
He
leaves in such a manner, just as he likes.
COMMENT:
As
a general rule there is something in every verse Aśvaghoṣa wrote
that stimulates and encourages a Zen practitioner's body and mind in
sitting. That something, like a medicinal dose of tea or coffee, or
like a needle, is generally hidden below the surface so that an extra
shot of pleasure is to be derived from digging it out.
What
that something is in today's verse – possibly as a result of a certain
dullness of mind associated with over-indulgence on Christmas day –
I have been struggling in vain to fathom.
The
best candidate may be suggested by the final word of the Old Nepalese
manuscript, which is vataḥ. EHJ amended this vataḥ to the
emphatic bata, and translated “in sooth”:
...when
in sooth he abandons such an infant son with his babbling talk, who
would charm even an enemy. (EHJ)
In
EBC's text the word in question is rendered as svataḥ (sva = self +
taḥ = ablative suffix; hence svataḥ = from one's self, of
one's own accord), translated by EBC as “of his own accord”:
...who
can desert of his own accord such an infant son with his inarticulate
talk, one who would charm even an enemy. (EBC)
All
three professors took īdṛśam (such) as agreeing with śiśuṁ sutam
(such an infant son).
But if the original
reading was indeed, as per EBC's text, yas-tyajatīdṛśaṁ svataḥ,
then I would like to take īdṛśam as adverbial (in such a manner, like that) and to take yas-tyajatīdṛśaṁ svataḥ as the kind of enigmatic phrase that was
celebrated in Chinese Zen, along the lines of “here comes something
ineffable, spontaneously coming like this,” or “there goes
something ineffable, spontaneously leaving like that.”
VOCABULARY
aho:
ind. a particle (implying joyful or painful surprise) Ah! (of
enjoyment or satisfaction) Oh! (of fatigue , discontent , compassion
, sorrow , regret) Alas! Ah!
nṛ-śaṁsam
(nom. sg. n.): mfn. injuring men , mischievous , noxious , cruel ,
base
su-kumāra-varcasaḥ
(gen. sg. m.): whose splendid form is very gentle
su-kumāra:
mfn. very tender or delicate ; m. a delicate youth ; m. tenderness
varcas:
n. vital power , vigour , energy , activity , (esp.) the illuminating
power of fire or the sun i.e. brilliance , lustre , light; colour ;
splendour , glory ; form , figure , shape
su-dāruṇam
(nom. sg. n.): mfn. very cruel or dreadful or terrible (n. "
something terrible " or " a partic. mythical weapon ")
dāruṇa:
mfn. hard , harsh (opp. mṛdu); rough , sharp , severe , cruel ,
pitiless ; dreadful , frightful
tasya
(gen. sg. m.): him
manasvinaḥ
(gen. sg. m.): mfn. full of mind or sense , intelligent , clever ,
wise
manaḥ
(nom. sg.): n. mind (in its widest sense as applied to all the mental
powers) ; in high spirits , cheerful , glad ; fixing the mind
attentive
kala-pralāpam
(acc. sg. m.): mfn. speaking pleasantly, Bcar
kala:
mfn. indistinct , dumb; indistinct or inarticulate (on account of
tears) ; low , soft (as a tone) , emitting a soft tone , melodious
(as a voice or throat) ; m. a low or soft and inarticulate tone (as
humming , buzzing &c )
pralāpa:
m. talk , discourse , prattling , chattering ; lamentation ;
incoherent or delirious speech , raving [see BC8.59]
dviṣataḥ
= gen. sg. m. dviṣat: mfn. (pres. part. of √dviṣ) hating or
detesting , hostile , unfriendly , foe , enemy (with acc. or gen.)
api:
even
harṣaṇam
(acc. sg. m.): mfn. causing the hair of the body to stand erect ,
thrilling with joy or desire , gladdening , delightful , pleasant
śiśum
(acc. sg. m.): m. a child , infant , the young of any animal ; a boy
under eight years of age ; mfn. young , infantine
sutam
(acc. sg. m.): mfn. begotten , brought forth ; m. a son
yaḥ
(nom. sg. m.): who
tyajati
= 3rd pers. sg. tyaj: to leave, abandon
īdṛśam
(acc. sg. m.): mfn. such [a son]
īdṛśam
(acc. sg. n.): in such a manner
bata:
(emphatic)
svataḥ
[EBC]: ind. of one's own self , of one's own accord (applicable to
all three persons); by nature
嗚呼不吉士 貎柔而心剛
勝族盛光榮 怨憎猶宗仰
又子生未孩 而能永棄捨
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