(continuation)

Wife of Pāvārika and Baka too,

(Two kings whose lust no pause or limit knew)

Yet sins with her devoted husband's slave;

With what vile wretch would she not misbehave?

Yet another story: Once upon a time the wife of Brahmadatta, Piṅgiyānī by name, opening her window looked out and saw a royal groom, and, when the king had fallen asleep, she got down through the window and misconducted herself with him, and then again climbed back to the palace and shampooed her person with perfumes and lay down with the king. Now one day the king thought, "I wonder why at midnight the person of the queen is always cool: I will examine into the matter." So one day he pretended to be asleep and got up and followed her and saw her committing folly with a groom. He returned and climbed up to his chamber, and she too after she had been guilty of adultery came and lay down on a truckle bed. Next day the king, in the presence of his ministers, summoned her and made known her misconduct, saying, "All women alike are sinners." And he forgave her offence, though it deserved death, imprisonment, mutilation, or cleaving asunder, but he deposed her from her high rank and made some one else his queen consort. At that time king Kuṇāla was Brahmadatta, and so it was that he told this story as of something he had seen with his own eyes, and by way of illustration he repeated this stanza:

Fair Piṅgiyānī was as wife adored

By Brahmadatta, earth's all conquering lord,

Yet sinned with her devoted husband's slave,

And lost by lechery both king and knave.

[445] After telling of the sins of women in old-world stories, in yet another way, still speaking of their misdeeds, he said:

Poor fickle creatures women are, ungrateful, treacherous they,

No man if not possessed would deign to credit aught they say.

Little reck they of duty's call or plea of gratitude,

Insensible to parents' love and ties of brotherhood,

Transgressing every law of right, they play a shameless part,

In all their acts obedient to the wish of their own heart.

However long they dwell with him, though kind and loving he,

Tender of heart and dear to them as life itself may be,

In times of trouble and distress, leave him they will and must,

I for my part in womenfolk can never put my trust.

How often is a woman's mind like shifty monkey's found,

Or like the shade cast by a tree on height [39] or depth around,

How changeful too the purpose lodged within a woman's breast,

Like tire of wheel revolving swift without a pause or rest.

Whene’er with due reflection they look round and see their way

To captivate some man of wealth and make of him their prey,

Such simpletons with words so soft and smooth they captive lead,

E’en as Cambodian groom with herbs will catch the fiercest steed.

But if when looking round with care they fail to see their way

To get possession of his wealth and make of him a prey,

They drive him off, as one that now has reached the furthest shore

And cuts adrift the ferry boat he needeth nevermore.

Like fierce devouring flame they hold him fast in their embrace,

Or sweep him off like stream in flood that hurries on apace;

They court the man they hate as much as one that they adore,

E’en as a ship that hugs alike the near and farther shore.

They not to one or two belong, like open stall are they,

One might as soon catch wind with net as women hold in sway.

[446] Like river, road, or drinking shed, [40] assembly hall or inn,

So free to all are womenfolk, no limits check their sin.

Fell as black serpent's head are they, as ravenous as a fire,

As kine the choicest herbage pick, they lovers rich desire.

From elephant, black serpent, and from flame that's fed on ghee,

From man besprinkled to be king, and women we should flee.

All these whoso is on his guard will treat as deadly foe,

Indeed their very nature it is very hard to know.

Women who very clever are or very fair to view,

And such as many men admire – all these one should eschew:

A neighbour's wife and one that seeks a man of wealth for mate,

Such kind of women, five in all, no man should cultivate.

[447] When he had thus spoken the people applauded the Great Being, crying, "Bravo, well said!" and after telling of the faults of women in these instances he held his peace. On hearing him Ānanda, the vulture king, said, "My friend, Kuṇāla, I too by my own powers of knowledge will tell of women's faults," and he began to speak of them. The Blessed One by way of illustration said: "Then, verily, Ānanda, the vulture king, marking the beginning, middle and end of what the bird Kuṇāla had to say, at this time uttered these stanzas:

[448]

Although a man with all this world contains of golden gear

Should her endow of womenkind his heart may count most dear,

Yet, if occasion serves, she will dishonour him withal –

Beware lest thou into the hands of such vile wretches fall.

A manly vigour [41] he may show, from worldly taint be free,

Her maiden wooer may perhaps winsome and loving be,

In times of trouble and distress leave him she will and must,

I for my part in womankind can never put my trust.

Let him not trust because he thinks "she fancies me, I trow,"

Nor let him trust because her tears oft in his presence flow;

They court the man they hate as much as one that they adore,

Just as a ship that hugs alike the near and farther shore.

Trust not a litter strewn with leaves and branches long ago, [42]

Trust not thy whilom friend, perchance now grown into a foe,

Trust not a king because thou thinkst, "My comrade once was he,

Trust not a woman though she has borne children ten to thee.

Women are pleasure-seekers all and unrestrained in lust,

Transgressors of the moral law: in such put not your trust.

A wife may feign unbounded love before her husband's face;

Distrust her: women common are as any landing place.

Ready to mutilate or slay, from nothing do they shrink,

And after having cut his throat they e’en his blood would drink:

Let no man fix his love on them, creatures of passions base,

Licentious and as common as some Ganges landing place.

In speech they no distinction make betwixt the false and true,

As kine the choicest herbage pick, rich lovers they pursue.

One man they tempt with looks and smiles, another by their walk,

Some they attract by strange disguise, [43] others by honeyed talk.

Dishonest, fierce and hard of heart, as sugar sweet their words,

Nothing there is they do not know to cheat their wedded lords.

Surely all womenfolk are vile, no limit bounds their shame,

Impassioned and audacious they, devouring as a flame.

Women are not so formed, this man to love and that abhor,

They court the man they hate as much as one that they adore,

E’en as a ship that hugs alike the near and farther shore.

[449] ’Tis not a case of love or hate with womenfolk we see,

It is for gold they hug a man, as parasites a tree.

A man may corpses burn or e’en dead flowers from temples rake, [44]

Be groom of horse or elephant, or care of oxen take,

Yet women after such low castes will run for money's sake.

One nobly born they leave if poor, as ’twere a low outcast,

To such an one, like carrion vile, if rich, they hie them fast."

[450] Thus did Ānanda, the vulture king, keeping to facts within his own knowledge, tell of the bad qualities of women, and then held his peace. Nārada, too, after hearing what he had to say, keeping to what he himself knew, spoke of their bad qualities. In illustrating this the Master said: "Then verily Nārada, hearing the beginning, middle and end of what Ānanda, the vulture king, had to say, at this point repeated these stanzas:

Four things can never sated be – list well to these my words –

Ocean, kings, brahmins, womenkind, these four, O king of birds.

All streams in earth that find their home will not the ocean fill,

Though all may with its waters mix, something is lacking still.

A brahmin cons [45] his Vedas and his legendary lore,

Yet still he sacred knowledge lacks and craves for more and more.

A king by conquest holds the world, its mountains, seas and all,

The endless treasures it contains his very own may call,

Yet sighs for worlds beyond the sea, for this he counts too small.

One woman may have husbands eight, compliant to her will,

All heroes bold, well competent love's duties to fulfil,

Yet on a ninth her love she sets, for something lacks she still.

Women like flames devour their prey,

Women like floods sweep all away,

Women are pests, like thorns are they,

Women for gold oft go astray.

That man with net might catch the breeze,

Or single-handed bale out seas,

Clap with one hand, who once should dare

His thoughts let range on woman fair.

With women, clever jades, Truth aye is found a rarity,

Their ways as much perplex as those of fishes in the sea. [46]

[451] Soft-speaking, ill to satisfy, as rivers hard to fill,

Down – down they sink: who women know should flee far from them still. [47]

Seducing traitresses, they tempt the holiest to his fall,

Down – down they sink: who women know should flee afar from all.

And whomsoever they may serve for gold or for desire,

They burn him up as fuel burns cast in a blazing fire."

When Nārada had thus set forth the vices of women, the Great Being once more by special instances illustrated their bad qualities.

[452] To show this the Master said, "So verily the bird Kuṇāla, after learning the beginning, middle and conclusion of what Nārada had to say, repeated at this time these stanzas:

E’en a wise man may dare to exchange a word

With goblin foe armed with sharp whetted sword,

Fierce snake he may assail, but ne’er too bold

Alone with woman should he converse hold.

Man's reason is o’ercome by woman's charms,

Speech, smiles, with dance and song, their only arms:

Unstable souls they harass, as erewhile

Fell demons merchants slew in goblin isle.

Given to strong drink and meat, one tries in vain

To curb their appetite or lust restrain,

Like to some fabled monster of the deep,

Into their maw a man's whole wealth they sweep.

Lust's five-fold realm they own as their domain,

Their swelling pride uncurbed none may restrain:

As rivers all to ocean find their way,

So careless souls to women fall a prey.

The man in whom these women take delight,

Moved by their greed or carnal appetite,

Yea such an one inflamed by strong desire,

They clean consume as fuel in the fire.

If one they know is rich, on him they fall

And off they carry him, his wealth and all,

Round him thus fired with lust their arms they fling,

As creepers to some forest sāl tree cling.

Like vimba [48] fruit red-lipped, [49] so bright and gay,

’Gainst man they many a stratagem essay,

With laughter now assailing, now with smiles,

Like Saṁvara, [50] that lord of many wiles.

Women with gold and jewels rich bedecked,

By husband's kin received with due respect,

[453] Though strictly guarded ’gainst their lords will sin,

Like her the demon's maw conveyed within 4.

A man may very famous be and wise,

Revered and honoured in all people's eyes,

Yet fall’n ’neath woman's sway no more will shine

Than moon eclipsed by Rāhu's [51] power malign.

The vengeance wreaked by angry foe on foe,

Or such as tyrants to their victims show,

Yea a worse fate than this o’ershadows all

That through their lust ’neath woman's sway shall fall.

Threatened with person scratched or hair pulled out,

Scourged, cudgelled, buffeted or kicked about,

Yet woman to some low-born lover hies

Delighting in him as in carrion flies.

Shun women in highways and lordly hall,

In royal city or in township small,

A man of insight, would he happy be,

Avoids the snare thus laid by Namuci. [52]

He who relaxes good ascetic rule,

To practise what is mean and base, poor fool,

Will barter heaven for hell, like unto them

Who change a flawless for a blemished [53] gem.

Despised is he in this world and the next

And, willingly by evil women vext,

Goes stumbling recklessly, fall upon fall,

As vicious ass runs wild with car and all.

Now in silk-cotton grove of iron spears, [54]

Now in Patāpana he disappears,

Now lodged in some brute form is seen to flit

In ghostly realms that he may never quit.

In Nandana [55] love's heavenly sport and play,

On earth the monarch's universal sway,

Is lost through woman, and through her alas!

All careless souls to state of suffering pass.

[454] Not hard to attain are heavenly sport and play,

Nor upon earth the world-wide monarch's sway,

Nymphs too in golden homes by these are won

Who with concupiscence long since have done.

To pass from Realm of Sense with life renewed

To World of Form, with higher powers endued,

Is by rebirth in sphere of Arhats won

By these who with concupiscence have done.

The bliss that doth all sense of pain transcend,

Unwavering, unconditioned, without end,

Is by pure souls, now in Nirvāna, won

Who with concupiscence long since have done."

[456] Thus did the Great Being, after bringing about their attainment of the Eternal Great Nirvāna, end his lesson. And the elves and mighty serpents and the like in the Himalayas, and the angels standing in the air, all applauded, saying, "Bravo! spoken with all the charm of a Buddha." Ānanda, the vulture king, Nārada, the brahmin angel, Puṇṇamukha, the royal cuckoo, each with his own following, retired to their respective places, and the Great Being too departed to his own abode. But the others from time to time returned and received instruction at the hands of the Great Being, and abiding by his admonition became destined to Heaven.

The Master here ended his lesson and identifying the Birth repeated the final stanza:

Udāyi royal cuckoo was, Ānanda vulture king,

Good Sāriputta Nārada, Kuṇāla I that sing.

Thus are ye to understand this Birth.

Now these Brethren, when they came, came by the supernatural power of the Master, and on returning returned by their own power. And the Master revealed to them in the Great Forest the means by which ecstasy may be induced, and that very day they attained to Arhatship. There was a mighty gathering of angelic beings, so the Blessed One declared to them the Mahāsamayasutta (the discourse preached to a great company).