A Poisoned Arrow

At Sāvatthī.

Sāvatthiyaṁ viharati.

At Sāvatthī. Sāvatthiyaṁ viharati.

“Possessions, honor, and popularity are grim …

“Dāruṇo, bhikkhave, lābhasakkārasiloko …pe… adhigamāya.

“Possessions, honor, and popularity are grim … “Dāruṇo, bhikkhave, lābhasakkārasiloko …pe… adhigamāya.

Let whom be pierced by a poisoned arrow? Let possessions, honor, and popularity come to a trainee who has not achieved their heart’s desire.*The construction parallels the previous (except the opening sentence is passive). Again, I think the Buddha is quoting a well-known curse. Compare Atharva Veda 8.3.6, where Agni is called on to smear poison on his arrow-tip and loose it at the sorcerers. Pali salla = Sanskrit śalya (“arrow”), while Pali diddha = Sanskrit dih (“smear with poison”). Thus these two adjacent Suttas reinterpret curses in adjacent sections of the Atharva Veda that invoke Indra and Agni, the two most powerful Vedic gods.

Kaṁ, bhikkhave, diddhagatena visallena sallena vijjhatu, sekhaṁ appattamānasaṁ lābhasakkārasiloko anupāpuṇātu.*diddhagatena visallena sallena → diṭṭhigatena visallena (bj); diṭṭhigatena sallena (sya-all, km); diṭṭhagatena visallena sallena (pts1ed, pts2ed); diṭṭhigatena visallena sallena (mr) | sekhaṁ → bijjhatu sekhaṁ (bj); sekkhaṁ (sya-all); taṁ sekhaṁ (pts1ed, pts2ed, mr) | anupāpuṇātu → anupāpuṇāti (pts1ed, pts2ed, mr)

Let whom be pierced by a poisoned arrow? Let possessions, honor, and popularity come to a trainee who has not achieved their heart’s desire.*The construction parallels the previous (except the opening sentence is passive). Again, I think the Buddha is quoting a well-known curse. Compare Atharva Veda 8.3.6, where Agni is called on to smear poison on his arrow-tip and loose it at the sorcerers. Pali salla = Sanskrit śalya (“arrow”), while Pali diddha = Sanskrit dih (“smear with poison”). Thus these two adjacent Suttas reinterpret curses in adjacent sections of the Atharva Veda that invoke Indra and Agni, the two most powerful Vedic gods.Kaṁ, bhikkhave, diddhagatena visallena sallena vijjhatu, sekhaṁ appattamānasaṁ lābhasakkārasiloko anupāpuṇātu.*diddhagatena visallena sallena → diṭṭhigatena visallena (bj); diṭṭhigatena sallena (sya-all, km); diṭṭhagatena visallena sallena (pts1ed, pts2ed); diṭṭhigatena visallena sallena (mr) | sekhaṁ → bijjhatu sekhaṁ (bj); sekkhaṁ (sya-all); taṁ sekhaṁ (pts1ed, pts2ed, mr) | anupāpuṇātu → anupāpuṇāti (pts1ed, pts2ed, mr)

‘Arrow’ is a term for possessions, honor, and popularity.

Sallanti kho, bhikkhave, lābhasakkārasilokassetaṁ adhivacanaṁ.

‘Arrow’ is a term for possessions, honor, and popularity. Sallanti kho, bhikkhave, lābhasakkārasilokassetaṁ adhivacanaṁ.