--- In Pali@yahoogroups.com, "Piya Tan" <dharmafarer@...> wrote:

>
> Dear Jayarava,
>
> You are right. The older translations tend to read a bit of
> Protestantism into it...

Hi Piya,

Thanks for your reply, I read your translation, and... oh dear, you
also have introduced a foreign element into the story. If confession
is quite simply an error, then so is "forgive". The Buddha clearly
does not forgive the kings revalation, but merely *accepts it*
(pa.tigga.nhaama). Indeed when the king is gone the Buddha tells the
monks he is wounded (khattaaya.m) and done for (upahataaya.m) - your
"uprooted and tormented" is quit interpretive, but I suppose it does
convey the spirit of the text and Ajaatasattu's inability to make a
breakthrough on hearing the Buddha's words. But in what sense does the
Buddha forgive Ajaatasattu? In what sense *can* the Buddha forgive him?

> I noticed this "problem" when I was translating it some time back.
> However, I have used "confession" as a subtitle in a contemporary
> non-techical sense just to ease reading a long text that has
> repetitive passages.

Yes "confession" kind of works in that place since we would understand
what he says as a confession? The Burmese edition emphasises the King
becoming an Upasaka in its subtitle. (I have the VRI CD, and the Thai
Buddha Jayanti on the web, but no access to the PTS)