Piously honouring the righteous and the restrained saints, listen to my true instruction which teaches the real profit of men, religion, and salvation. (1)

King Srenika, the ruler of Magadha, who possessed many precious things, once made a pleasure-excursion to the Mandikukshi park. (2)

It was a park like the garden of Paradise, with trees and creepers of many kinds, peopled by various birds, and full of various flowers. (3)

There he saw a restrained and concentrated saint sitting below a tree, who looked delicate and accustomed to comfort. (4)

When the king saw his figure, his astonishment at that ascetic's figure was very great and unequalled. (5)

'O his colour, O his figure, O the loveliness of the noble man, O his tranquillity, O his perfection, O his disregard for pleasures!' (6)

Greeting him respectfully, and keeping him on his right side, he sat down, neither too far off nor too close by, and asked him with his hands clasped: (7)

'Though a young nobleman, you have entered the order; in an age fit for pleasure you exert yourself as an ascetic, O ascetic; I want to hear you explain this.' (8)

"I am without a protector, O great king; there is nobody to protect me, I know no friend nor any one to have sympathy with me." (9)

Then king Srenika, the ruler of Magadha, laughed: 'How should there be nobody to protect one so accomplished as you?' (10)

'I am the protector of religious men; O monk, enjoy pleasures together with your friends and relations; for it is a rare chance to be born as a human being.' (11)

"You yourself are without a protector, Srenika, ruler of Magadha; and as you are without a protector, how can you protect anybody else?" (12)

When the saint had addressed this unprecedented speech to the king, who was greatly moved and astonished, and struck with astonishment, (he answered): (13)

'I have horses, elephants, and subjects, a town and a seraglio, power and command: enjoy human pleasures. (14)

'In possession of so great means, which permit the owner to enjoy all pleasures, how could he be without protection? Reverend sir, you speak untruth.' (15)

"O king, you do not know the meaning and origin of the word 'without protection', nor how one comes to be without protection or with protection, O ruler of men. (16)

"Hear, O great king, with an undistracted mind in what way a man can be said to be 'without protection', and with what purpose I have said all this. (17)

"There is a town Kausambi by name, which is foremost among towns; there lived my father, who possessed great wealth. (18)

"In my childhood, O great king, I caught a very bad eye-disease and a severe burning fever in all my limbs, O ruler of men. (19)

"My eyes ached as if a cruel enemy thrust a sharp tool in the hollow of my body. (20)

"In the back, the heart, and the head, I suffered dreadful and very keen pains equal to a stroke of lightning. (21)

"Then the best physicians came to my help, who cure by their medical art, who were versed in their science, and well knew medicines and roots. (22)

"They tried to cure me according to the fourfold science which they had been taught; but they could not rid me of my pains: hence I say that I am without protection. (23)

"My father would have spent all he possessed, for my sake; but he could not rid me of my pains, hence I say that I am without protection. (24)

"My mother, O great king, was agonized with grief about her son; but she could not rid me of my pains, hence I say that I am without protection. (25)

"O great king, my own brothers, the elder and younger ones, could not rid me of my pains, hence I say that I am without protection. (26)

"O great king, my own sisters, the elder and younger ones, could not rid me of my pains, hence I say that I am without protection. (27)

"O great king, my loving and faithful wife moistened my breast with the tears of her eyes. (28)

"The poor lady did not eat, nor drink, nor bathe, nor use perfumes, wreaths, and anointment, with my knowledge or without it. (29)

"O great king, she did not leave my side even for a moment; but she could not rid me of my pains, hence I say that I am without protection. (30)

"Then I said: It is very hard to bear pains again and again in the toils of worldly life. (31)

"If, for once, I shall get rid of these great pains, I shall become a houseless monk, calm, restrained, and ceasing to act. (32)

"While I thought so, I fell asleep, O ruler of men; and after that night my pains had vanished. (33)

"Then in the morning of the next day I took leave of my relations and became a houseless monk, calm, restrained, and ceasing to act. (34)

"Thus I became the protector of myself and of others besides, of all living beings, whether they move or not. (35)

"My own soul is the river Vaitarani, my own soul the Salmali tree; my own soul is the cow of plenty, my own soul the garden of Paradise. (36)

"My own soul is the doer and undoer of misery and happiness; my own soul, friend and foe, according as I act well or badly. (37)

"But there is still another want of protection, O king; hear, therefore, O king, attentively with concentrated thoughts, how some easily discouraged men go astray after having adopted the Law of the Nirgranthas. (38)

"If an ordained monk, through carelessness, does not strictly keep the great vows, if he does not restrain himself, but desires pleasure, then his fetters will not be completely cut off. (39)

"One who does not pay constant attention to his walking, his speaking, his begging, his receiving and keeping of things necessary for a monk, and his easing nature, does not follow the road trodden by the righteous. (40)

"One who for a long time wears a shaven crown and mortifies himself, but who is careless with regard to the vows, and neglects penance and self-control, will not be a winner in the battle of life. (41)

"He is empty like a clenched fist, of no value like an uncoined false coin or like a piece of glass resembling turquoise, he is held lightly by men of discernment. (42)

"He who has the character of a sinner, though he lays great stress on the outward signs of his calling as a means of living; he who does not control himself, though he pretends to do so; will come to grief for a long time. (43)

"As the poison Kalakuta kills him who drinks it; as a weapon cuts him who awkwardly handles it; so the Law harms him who mixes it up with sensuality. (44)

"He who practises divination from bodily marks and dreams, who is well versed in augury and superstitious rites, who gains a sinful living by practising magic tricks, will have no refuge at the time of retribution. (45)

"The sinner, always wretched, goes from darkness to darkness, to utter misery; the unholy man who breaks the rules of monks rushes, as it were, to hell, and sinks into the lowest degradation. (46)

"He who accepts forbidden alms, namely such food as he himself asks for, as has been bought for his sake, or as he gets regularly as by right and custom, who like fire devours everything, will go to hell from here, after having sinned. (47)

"A cut-throat enemy will not do him such harm as his own perversity will do him; the man without pity will feel repentance in the hour of death. (48)

"In vain he adopts nakedness, who errs about matters of paramount interest; neither this world nor the next will be his; he is a loser in both respects. (49)

"Thus the self-willed sinner who leaves the road of the best of the righteous, who with the appetite of an osprey is desirous of pleasure, will grieve in useless sorrow. (50)

"A wise man who hears this discourse, an instruction full of precious wisdom, and who deserts every path of the wicked, should walk the road of the great Nirgranthas. (51)

"He who possesses virtuous conduct and life, who has practised the best self-control, who keeps from sinful influences, and who has recompensed his deeds, will reach in the end the greatest, best, and permanent place, namely salvation." (52)

Thus the austere and calm, great ascetic and great sage who kept great vows and possessed great fame, preached at great length this great sermon: the great duty of the Nirgranthas. (53)

And king Srenika, pleased, spoke thus: 'You have truly shown what it is to be without protection. (54)

'You have made the best use of human birth, you have made a true gain, O great sage, you are a protector of mankind at large and of your relations, for you have entered the path of the best of the righteous. (55)

'You are the protector of all unprotected beings, O ascetic; I ask you to forgive me: I desire you to put me right. (56)

'That by asking you I have disturbed your meditation, and that I invited you to enjoy pleasures, all this you must forgive me.' (57)

When the lion of kings had thus, with the greatest devotion, praised the lion of houseless monks, he, together with his wives, servants, and relations, became a staunch believer in the Law, with a pure mind. (58)

The ruler of men, with the hair on his body joyfully erected, greeted the monk with respect, keeping him on his right side, and departed. (59)

And the other, rich in virtues, protected by the three restraints, and abstaining from injuring living beings in the three ways, namely by thought, words, and acts, travelled about on the earth, free like a bird, and exempt from delusion. (60)

Thus I say.