Re: rajja.m

 

Dear Ven. Yuttadhammo and others,

I just looked at the Romanized version of the Sinhala-script Buddha Jayanti edition of the Apadana. You should be able to find it at Metta.lk and the Journal of Buddhist Ethics. It has a slightly different reading, one that makes better sense. The online version has the last word as amaṃ, but this is clearly a typo--one of many in these BJE texts--so I've amended it to ahaṃ:

6008. Kuṭṭharogābhibhutohaṃ na ratiṃ na sukhaṃ labhe, 
Moghaṃ rajjasukhaṃ4 yasmā mogharājā tato ahaṃ.

4. Rajjaṃ sukhaṃ, machasaṃ.

With this reading we can easily translate the verse without having to transgress grammatical principles:

Overcome by leprosy [or some other skin disease?], I find neither delight nor happiness.
Since the happiness of kingship is useless, therefore I am [called] "Mogharājā" ("Useless King").

I don't have the PTS edition on hand, but if anyone does, it might be instructive to consult it. Nevertheless, I think the BJE is definitive as to the correct reading here. I notice, too, that the Apadana-atthakatha of the Chattha Sangayana edition is not properly coordinated with the canonical text. Perhaps there is a Part II that was not transcribed or included in the program.

Best wishes,
Bhikkhu Bodhi

On 10/11/2013 12:08 PM, Jim Anderson wrote:

 

Dear Ven. Yuttadhammo,

Here's my guess of the meaning of the verse:

348. “Kuṭṭharogādhibhūtohaṃ, na ratiṃ na sukhaṃ labhe;
moghaṃ rajjaṃ sukhaṃ yasmā, mogharājā tato ahaṃ. (Ap II 487)

Because I, who had acquired a skin disease, with neither delifght nor
happiness,
Easily obtain a useless kingdom, I am therefore a useless king.

Best,

Jim

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