Re: rajja.m

Dear all,

My English translation of the modern Burmese translation of this passage is, “Because the happiness of the luxury of kingship is useless to me, therefore I (Mogharājā) am a useless king”. This roughly agrees with Bhikkhu Bodhi’s translation. In pādas a-b, the protagonist states that, being overcome by leprosy, he did not find happiness. It therefore make sense that he would then state that the happiness of kingship was useless (i.e., unusable or inaccessible) to him.

The Apadānaṭṭhakathā provides not commentary on this particular apadāna and simply states that it is “easily understood” (suviññeyya)!

Regards,
Chris

-----Original Message-----
From: yuttadhammo@...
Sent: Fri, 11 Oct 2013 13:45:07 -0500
To: palistudy@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [palistudy] rajja.m

Dear All,

Thanks everyone, for the input, it seems a bit unclear - I wonder if the forms have been altered due to metric restrictions? I agree with Jim that it would be strange to talk of a non-existent happiness as useless, but I am suspicious of interpreting it as "asukha.m", without some hint of it...

It still seems to me to be, even if "rajjasukha.m" is the correct reading:

From which [sickness and lack of obtaining happiness, etc.], there is a barren kingship in regards to (or "as a") happiness, from that I am "one who's kingship is barren".

I think "useless king" is misleading as a translation, given the explanation... 

Best,

Yuttadhammo