Venerable Bhante Yuttadhammo,
I just compare with Peter Masefield's translation of the Co, to the Udaana,
Meghiya chapter (II, p. 570, 571) not drawing any conclusion. This is partly
what you had already.
op 27-03-2005 03:01 schreef Ven. Yuttadhammo op buffer@...:

> Sa~n~naa isn't the main problem for me... it the two words "byaapaada"
> and "vihi.msaa" that still don't sit right as "ill-will" and "cruelty"
> respectively. In the Itivuttaka commentary to verse 87 (if I
> understand it correctly), byaapaada seems clearly described as
> "anger", not "ill-will" because it can be in regards to a satta or a
> sankhara. Vihi.msaa seems clearly to relate to ill-will, as it can
> only take a satta as an object, and not cruelty, because it says
> "ha~n~nantu", may they be killed, etc., not "may I kill them", etc.
> It seems to be simply will for ill to come to a being.
>
> Maa ha~n~natha, maa bajjhatha, maa ucchijjatha, sotthi hotha sukhii
> sadaa,

N: I quote: <Of these, a "thought connected with sense-desires" is one
opposed to renunciation that occurs by way of rejoicing in sense-desires, a
"thought connected with ill will" is one opposed to loving kindness that
occurs by utter depravity where (other) beings are concerned, viz. "May
these beings be killed or persih or not exist", a "thought connected with
cruelty" one opposed to compassion, that occurs by way of the desire to
antagonise beings with one's hands, clods of earth and sticks and so on.>
In a previous passage (p. 570): <Others, however, also say that on that
occasion there arose to him thought connected with sense-desires by way of
greed centered upon the flowers, fruits and sprouts and so on, thought
connected with ill will through hearing the sound of winged creatures and so
forth with grating voices, thought connected with cruelty through the idea
of antagonising them with clods of earth and so on...>
It shows us different degrees of each of these three. It seems that cruelty
motivates violent action.
With respect,
Nina.