The Triply Collapsed Deer: a past life story

“About that deer—triply collapsed with many illusions,*The deer attentively learns the ruses of deer. | I understand the first two lines as accusative of relation.eight-hooved, a midnight drinker—*Here aṭṭha chimes with aḍḍha. Perhaps the sense is that the dainty tread of the cloven hooves make little sound.he’s breathing on the ground through one nostril!Excelling with these six tricks, he deserves a chance.”*Here kalā means “trick, deceit”. | Chahi kalāhi here chimes with sattahi kālāti in the previous verse. The “six tricks” are the three ways of playing dead, the eight hooves, sneaking a drink at midnight, and breathing through one nostril. How eight hooves is a ruse is unclear, but its central role suggests it was the kernel of the two verses. | Commentary takes bhāgineyyo in its usual sense of “nephew”, but I think it is from bhāgin by analogy with dakkhiṇeyyo, “one who deserves a share”.

“Migaṁ tipallatthamanekamāyaṁ, *tipallatthamanekamāyaṁ → tipallatta … (mr)Aṭṭhakkhuraṁ aḍḍharattāpapāyiṁ; *aḍḍharattāpapāyiṁ → aḍḍharattāvapāyiṁ (bj, pts-vp-pli1)Ekena sotena chamāssasanto, Chahi kalāhitibhoti bhāgineyyo”ti. *kalāhitibhoti → kalāhatibhoti (bj, sya1ed, sya2ed, pts-vp-pli1)

“About that deer—triply collapsed with many illusions,*The deer attentively learns the ruses of deer. | I understand the first two lines as accusative of relation.“Migaṁ tipallatthamanekamāyaṁ, *tipallatthamanekamāyaṁ → tipallatta … (mr)eight-hooved, a midnight drinker—*Here aṭṭha chimes with aḍḍha. Perhaps the sense is that the dainty tread of the cloven hooves make little sound.Aṭṭhakkhuraṁ aḍḍharattāpapāyiṁ; *aḍḍharattāpapāyiṁ → aḍḍharattāvapāyiṁ (bj, pts-vp-pli1)he’s breathing on the ground through one nostril!Ekena sotena chamāssasanto, Excelling with these six tricks, he deserves a chance.”*Here kalā means “trick, deceit”. | Chahi kalāhi here chimes with sattahi kālāti in the previous verse. The “six tricks” are the three ways of playing dead, the eight hooves, sneaking a drink at midnight, and breathing through one nostril. How eight hooves is a ruse is unclear, but its central role suggests it was the kernel of the two verses. | Commentary takes bhāgineyyo in its usual sense of “nephew”, but I think it is from bhāgin by analogy with dakkhiṇeyyo, “one who deserves a share”.Chahi kalāhitibhoti bhāgineyyo”ti. *kalāhitibhoti → kalāhatibhoti (bj, sya1ed, sya2ed, pts-vp-pli1)