法句經---7

A. 《法句經》卷1〈9 雙要品〉：「行見身淨，不攝諸根，飲食不節，慢墮怯弱，為邪所制，如風靡草。」(CBETA, T04, no. 210, p. 562, a22-24)

雖然巴利《法句經》為

subhānupassiṃ viharantaṃ

住於 subha 淨 anupassiṃ 觀 viharantaṃ 住於，

但是各家均譯為「樂」，應以「淨」為是。

B. 唯求住淨樂，不攝護諸根﹔飲食不知量，懈墮不精進，彼實為魔伏，如風吹弱樹。

C. 人若追求色身欲樂，不知攝護諸根﹔飲食不知節制，懈怠不知精進，必定為波旬所毀滅，如同風吹弱樹。

D. Whoever lives contemplating pleasant things, with senses unrestrained, in food immoderate, indolent, inactive, him verily Mara overthrows, as wind a weak tree.

E. 住在不清淨的世界觀為清淨，不防護諸根；飲食不節量，怠惰不精進，實為惡魔所制伏，如風吹倒弱樹。

各家翻譯主要的差異為〔住在不清淨的世界觀為清淨〕，在〔巴利文原文〕為〔住於滿足快樂〕，意為〔滿足於五欲功德〕，甚至〔追求五欲功德〕。

A. 支謙譯北傳〔法句經〕雙要品第九，7偈。

B. 了參法師譯 譯自巴利偈頌。

C. 周金言譯

D. Thera Narada 英譯，錫蘭、那羅陀長老英譯自巴利偈頌

E. 淨海法師譯自巴利偈頌

The one, who contemplate dwelling in the clean,

觀自己所住為淨

sense faculties unguarded, 不收攝諸根，

taking food and not knowing the measure, 飲食不知量

indolent, 放逸﹔of poor efforts, 不精進

indeed, Maro overcomes him, like the wind (overcomes) the weak tree.

魔羅征服他，如同風吹倒弱樹。

subhānupassiṃ viharantaṃ, indriyesu asaṃvutaṃ;

bhojanamhi ca amattaññuṃ, kusītaṃ hīnavīriyaṃ;

taṃ ve pasahati māro, vāto rukkhaṃ va dubbalaṃ.(PTS)

The person, who lives contemplating pleasant things,

who is not restrained in senses.

Who does not know moderation in food,

who is indolent and of poor effort,

Mara will overcome him, as wind a weak tree.

Subha anupassiṃ: subha anupassin-, N.m.: contemplating the pleasant [things].

A compound consisting of: 

subha-, Adj.: pleasant

anupassin-, N.m.: contemplating, viewing, observing. Derived from the verb pass-, to see with the prefix anu-, on, at, down on. Anupassanā- N.f.: observation, contemplation. The suffix -in is so called possessive suffix (thus literally "having contemplation).
Acc.Sg. of the compound = subha anupassiṃ.

viharantaṃ: viharant-, pr.p.: staying, dwelling, living. Derived from the verb har- (to carry) with the prefix vi- (denoting separation). Viharati: V.: to live, to stay, to dwell. AccSg.m. of the pr.p. = viharantaṃ.

indriyesu: indriya-, N.n.: sense faculty. Loc.Pl. = indriyesu.

asaṃvutaṃ: asaṃvuta-, Adj.; unrestrained, ungoverned, unguarded. It is p.p. of the verb var- (to obstruct) with the prefix saṃ- (together, completely), negated by the negative prefix a-. Acc.Sg.m. = asaṃvutaṃ.

bhojanamhi: bhojana-, N.n.: food. Loc.Sg.= bhojanamhi.

ca, conj.: and.

amattaññuṃ: amattaññū-, N.m.: not knowing the measure. mattaññū-, N.m.: knowing the measure. A compound of: matta-, N.n.: measure.

-ñū-, Adj. suffix: knowing (derived from the verb ñā-, to know).

The compound is negated by the prefix a-. Acc.Sg.m. of the compound = amattaññuṃ.

kusītaṃ: kusīta-, Adj.: indolent, inactive. Acc.Sg.m. = kusītaṃ.

hīnavīriyaṃ: hīnaviriya-, Adj.: having poor strength. A compound of
hīna-, Adj.: poor, inferior. It is p.p. of the verb hā- (to reject).
viriya-, N.n.: energy, vigor, effort.
Acc.Sg.m. of the compound = hīnaviriyaṃ.

taṃ: tad-, Pron.: it. Masculine form so-, he. Acc.Sg. = taṃ (him).

ve: affirmative particle, indeed, truly.

pasahati: to use force, to subdue, to overcome. The verb sah- (to conquer) with the emphasizing prefix pa-. 3.Sg.act.in.pres. = pasahati.

māro: māra-, N.m.: Mara, personified death, the Evil One, devil. Nom.Sg. = māro.

vāto: vāta-, N.m.: wind. Nom.Sg. = vāto.

rukkhaṃ: rukkha-, N.m.: tree. Acc.Sg. = rukkhaṃ.

va: enc.: as if, like.

dubbalaṃ: dubbala-, Adj.: weak, of bad strength. The word bala- (N.n.: strength) with the prefix du- (bad, insufficient). Acc.Sg.m. = dubbalaṃ.

    The subject of this sentence is māro (Māra) in the last line. It is in nominative singular. The verb is pasahati (overcome) in 3rd person, singular, active, indicative, present tense. The main object is the word taṃ (him, accusative singular). The first three lines form attributes to the object, namely:
    1) subhānupassiṃ viharantaṃ,
    2) indriyesu asaṃvutaṃ,
    3) bhojanamhi cāmattaññuṃ,
    4) kusītaṃ,
    5) hīnavīriyaṃ.
    In the first attribute, both parts (subhānupassiṃ -- contemplating the pleasant and viharantaṃ -- living) are in accusative singular, as they must agree with the main object.

    The second attribute is asaṃvutaṃ (unrestrained) and therefore it is in accusative singular. The word indriyesu (in senses) forms an attribute to this word. It is in locative plural. Locative is the case, that expresses location. It is an answer to the question "Where?".

    The third attribute is amattaññuṃ (not knowing measure) which is in accusative singular. An attribute to this word is bhojanamhi (in food), which is in locative singular. There is also a conjunction ca (and) connecting this attribute to the other ones.

The fourth attribute kusītaṃ (indolent) is in accusative singular.

    The last attribute hīnavīriyaṃ (of poor effort) is also in accusative singular.

    The particle ve (indeed) in the last line serves just as an affirmative particle.

    The second sentence (subordinate to the main sentence) is vāto rukkhaṃ va dubbalaṃ (as wind [overcomes] a weak tree). The subject of this sentence is vāto (wind) which is in nominative singular. The verb is omitted (implying here the verb pasahati from the main sentence). The object is rukkhaṃ (tree) and it is in accusative singular. The word dubbalaṃ (weak) forms an attribute to the object and it agrees with it in case and number. The enclitic va (as, like) connects this subordinate sentence to the main one.

Commentary:

    What we have described here, is a recipe, how to become a prey of our own mind. For Mara, The Evil One, is not some outside force, some "devil" or deity of death and destruction, it is only our mind, our bad habits, laziness, evil intentions and especially ignorance, the true root of all evil. If we dwell with our minds only on the pleasant things, if we indulge in enjoying pleasurable things (subhānupassiṃ viharantaṃ), then it is easy for these tendencies in our brain ("Mara") to gain strength. The same thing happens, when we are unrestrained in six senses (eye, ear, nose, tongue, body and mind), taking in without restraint and reflection everything that comes and if we never have enough of sense pleasures (indriyesu asaṃvutaṃ). And of course, if we do not know moderation in food, we can expect the same result, because indulgence in food is actually a part of lack of restraint in senses (bhojanamhi cāmattaññuṃ). Laziness (kusītaṃ) and lack of effort to change our ways (hīnavīriyaṃ) will not help us to get rid of these bad habits and the roots of meditative life will slowly wither and die away. And without strong, often cultivated roots, the tree of our practice will not grow higher and higher, will never bring fruits in reaching the Nirvana, but our bad tendencies will subdue us, our hope for reaching the goal, just as easily, as wind uproots a weak tree.