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Jā 476 Javanahaṁsajātakaṁ
Deeds not Words Measure a Friend
A King of the geese is invited by the King of men to stay with him, but he declines with these words.
152. Suvijānaṁ sigālānaṁ sakuntānañ-ca vassitaṁ,
Manussavassitaṁ Rāja dubbijānataraṁ tato.
The cry of jackals and of birds
Can be easily understood,
But the cry and speech of humans
Is much harder to understand.
153. Api ce maññati poso: Ñāti mitto sakhā ti vā,
Yo pubbe sumano hutvā, pacchā sampajjate diso.
Although a person thinks: He is
My relative and my comrade,
He who made him happy before
In the future becomes his foe.
154. Yasmiṁ mano nivisati avidūre sahāpi so,
Santike pi hi so dūre yasmiṁ vivasate mano.
In whomever the mind is pleased
He is not far away, he’s near,
But in whom the mind is not pleased
Although near he is far indeed.
155. Anto pi so hoti pasannacitto,
Pāraṁ samuddassa pasannacitto;
Anto pi so hoti paduṭṭhacitto,
Pāraṁ samuddassa paduṭṭhacitto.
The one whose mind is purified,
Still has pure mind across the sea;
The one whose mind is corrupted,
Still has corrupt mind across the sea.
