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KN Snp 5.16 pun: king of fools vs. king of death

 rājā = king

mogha = fool 

maccu = death

So maccu-rājā = king of death

our protaganist mogha-rājā = king of fools


No translator from English to pāḷi has captured this pun in translation.

I haven't yet either. Not sure how to do it yet in a way that doesn't become too wordy and possibly divert attention away from the main point of the sutta. 


First funny thing: Mogha-rājā's parents or his contemporary brahmin friends gave him that nick name, perhaps ironically

Just as someone who's tall, his friends may nickname him 'shorty' just to be ironic/humorous with him.

Snp 5.18 notes that 

Todeyya-kappā dubhayo,
both Todeyya and Kappa,
jatukaṇṇī ca paṇḍito;
and Jatukaṇṇī the astute,
Bhadrāvudho udayo ca,
Bhadrāvudha and Udaya,
posālo cāpi brāhmaṇo;
and the brahmin Posala,
Mogharājā ca medhāvī,
Mogharājā the intelligent,
piṅgiyo ca mahāisi.
and Piṅgiya the great hermit:

medhāvī = masc. intelligent man; wise man; who has good judgment; lit. who has wisdom [√medh + ā + vī] ✓


Buddha then puns on Mogha-rāja's name:  king of fools vs. king of death

So maccu-rājā = king of death

our protaganist mogha-rājā = king of fools

see how king of fools defeats king of death at end of sutta


KN Snp 5.16 Mogha­rāja­-māṇava-­pucchā: The Questions of Mogharājā

“Dvāhaṁ sakkaṁ apucchissaṁ,
“Twice I have asked the Sakyan,”
(iccāyasmā mogharājā)
(said Venerable Mogharājā,)
Na me byākāsi cakkhumā;
“but you haven’t answered me, O Seer.
Yāva-tatiyañca devīsi,
I have heard that the divine hermit
Byākarotī’ti me sutaṁ.
answers when questioned a third time.
Ayaṁ loko paro loko,
Regarding this world, the other world,
brahma-loko sa-devako;
and the realm of Brahmā with its gods,
Diṭṭhiṁ te n-ābhijānāti,
I’m not familiar with the view
gotamassa yasassino.
of the renowned Gotama.
Evaṁ abhikkanta-dassāviṁ,
So I’ve come in need with a question
atthi pañhena āgamaṁ;
to the one of excellent vision.
Kathaṁ lokaṁ avekkhantaṁ,
How to look upon the world
Maccu-rājā na passati”.
so the King of Death won’t see you?”

(Buddha says:)

“Suññato lokaṁ avekkhassu,
“Look upon the world as empty,
Mogha-rāja sadā sato;
Mogharājā, always Remembering-and-applying-☸Dharma .
Attānudiṭṭhiṁ ūhacca,
Having uprooted the view of self,
Evaṁ maccu-taro siyā;
you may thus cross over death.
Evaṁ lokaṁ avekkhantaṁ,
That’s how to look upon the world
Maccu-rājā na passatī”ti.
so the King of Death won’t see you.”
Mogha­rāja­-māṇava-­pucchā pannarasamā.
(end of sutta⏹️)


alternative, double pun:  king of emptiness (mogha) uses upekkha directed to emptiness (suññāta) to defeat  king of death

mogha, which usually means stupid or foolish, literally means 'empty'.

So the Buddha could have been making a double pun:

Saying that our king of emptiness (mogha), does vipassana using upekkha (of fourth jhāna) focused on emptiness (suññāta) and seeing not self to defeat king of death.


So which pun do we pick, and how best to translate and retain in the English translation?

“Suññato lokaṁ avekkhassu,
“Look upon the world as empty,
Mogha-rāja sadā sato;
Mogharājā, always Remembering-and-applying-☸Dharma .
Attānudiṭṭhiṁ ūhacca,
Having uprooted the view of self,
Evaṁ maccu-taro siyā;
you may thus cross over death.
Evaṁ lokaṁ avekkhantaṁ,
That’s how to look upon the world
Maccu-rājā na passatī”ti.
so the King of Death won’t see you [, the brahmin named King-of-fools].”
Mogha­rāja­-māṇava-­pucchā pannarasamā.
(end of sutta⏹️)

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