> yeva nagare aggase.t.thii abhavissaa
> [in] this very / [in] city / principal treasurer / would have
become
>
> Is actually probably:
>
> would have become the richest person in this city
>
Dear Jon,
This sentence comes from the Mahaadhanase.t.thiputtavatthu which is
translated as "The story of Mahaadhana the Treasurer's son" by Ven.
Weragoda Sarada Thero. We can read p664 "For if, [...], this man had
not squandered his wealth, [...], he would have become the principal
treasurer in this very city."
Moreover Malasekera writes in his dictionnary of proper names "In
answer to Ananda, who asked him the reason for his smile, the
Buddha said that there was a man who had had the power of becoming
chief Treasurer or attaining arahantship, if he did but use his
opportunities, but he was now reduced to beggary, like a heron in a
dried up pond."
Anyway, he would certainly have become quite rich!
With metta,
Florent