4.
The Chapter on Kings
1.
Commentary on the First Discourse on Turning the Wheel
131. In the first of the fourth, "by the Teaching" means by the ten wholesome states. "Wheel" means the wheel of command. "One who knows the meaning" means he knows the purpose of kingship. "One who knows the Teaching" means he knows the traditional Teaching. "One who knows moderation" means he knows the measure in punishment or in the army. "One who knows the proper time" means he knows the time for enjoying the happiness of kingship, the time for making judgments, and the time for touring the countryside. "One who knows the assembly" means he knows this is an assembly of warriors, this is an assembly of brahmins, merchants, workers and ascetics.
In the Truth-finder section, "one who knows the meaning" means he knows the five meanings. "One who knows the Teaching" means he knows the four teachings. "One who knows moderation" means he knows the measure of acceptance and use regarding the four requisites. "One who knows the proper time" means he knows the time thus: this is the time for seclusion, this is the time for attainment, this is the time for teaching the Teaching, this is the time for touring the countryside. "One who knows the assembly" means this is an assembly of warriors, etc. this is an assembly of ascetics - thus he knows. "Unsurpassed" means unsurpassed by the nine supramundane states. "The wheel of the Teaching" (dhammacakka) means the foremost wheel.
2.
Commentary on the Second Discourse on Turning the Wheel
132. In the second, "the wheel set in motion by his father" - when the wheel-turning monarch has either gone forth or died, the jewel wheel, having remained for only about a week, disappears. How then does he keep turning it? Even one who, having stood in his father's tradition, having fulfilled the duty of a wheel-turning monarch, exercises wheel-turning sovereignty, is said to keep turning that which was set in motion by his father.
3.
Commentary on the Discourse on the King of the Dhamma
133. The third is the same as the method stated in the Book of Threes. But here the distinction is only in the last two terms regarding what should be cultivated and what should not be cultivated. Therein, right livelihood should be cultivated, wrong livelihood should not be cultivated. A suitable village and market town should be frequented, an unsuitable one should not be frequented.
4.
Commentary on the Discourse on In Whatever Direction
134. In the fourth, "on both sides" means on two sides. "On his mother's side and on his father's side" means one whose mother is of the warrior caste, whose mother's mother is of the warrior caste, whose mother too is of the warrior caste. The father is of the warrior caste, the father's father is of the warrior caste, his father too is of the warrior caste. He is well-born on both sides, on his mother's side and on his father's side. "Of pure descent" means endowed with a pure mother's womb. But in "with digestion that is even in ripening," here the kamma-born heat element is called "digestion." "Up to the seventh generation of ancestors" - here, the father's father is the grandfather; the generation of the grandfather is the generation of ancestors. "Generation" is called the measure of a lifespan. But this is merely a manner of speaking; in meaning, however, the grandfather himself is the generation of ancestors. Beyond that, all the forefathers too are included by the term "grandfather" itself. Thus, up to the seventh person, he is of pure descent; or else, it shows that he is unassailed and irreproachable with respect to birth. "Unassailed" means not assailed as "Remove this one, what is the use of him?" - thus unassailed, not cast down. "Irreproachable" means not reproached, not having previously received reviling or blame. For what reason? With respect to birth, by such a statement as "He too is of low birth" - this is the meaning.
Regarding "wealthy" and so on: whoever is wealthy through one's own property and riches. But here, not merely wealthy; "of great riches" means endowed with great wealth of immeasurable number - this is the meaning. "Of great possessions" means his possessions were great and lofty by way of the five types of sensual pleasure. "With full treasuries and storehouses" - "kosa" is called a storehouse; the treasury is full with wealth that has been deposited and stored, and the storehouse is full with grain - this is the meaning. Or alternatively, the treasury is fourfold - elephants, horses, chariots, and the realm; the storehouse is threefold - a wealth storehouse, a grain storehouse, and a cloth storehouse. All of that being full for him means "with full treasuries and storehouses." "Loyal" means for someone, even though giving much wealth, the army does not listen; that is called disloyal. For someone, even without giving, it listens indeed; this is called loyal. "Obedient to commands" means carrying out the exhortation given as "This should be done by you, this should not be done." "Wise" means possessed of erudition. "Accomplished" means endowed with lucidity of wisdom. "Intelligent" means possessed of wisdom that arises on the spot. "Competent" means capable. "To think about matters" means to think about matters of growth. For he, based on present matters alone, thinks: "In the past too they were thus, and in the future too they will be thus." "For the victorious" means of those who have won victory, or of those endowed with great victory. "For those with liberated minds" means of those whose minds are liberated by the five liberations.
5-6.
Commentary on the Two Discourses on Aspiration
135-136. In the fifth, "of the townspeople and country-folk" means of the people dwelling in market towns and those dwelling in the country. By "in elephants" and so on, the sixteen great crafts such as elephants, horses, chariots, swords, bows, writing, seals, arithmetic, and so on are shown. "Complete" means able, fully accomplished. The remainder here should be understood by the method already stated above. In the sixth, "viceroyalty" means the state of being a viceroy.
7.
Commentary on the Discourse on Little Dust
137. In the seventh, "with intention towards a man" means having an intention arisen towards a man by way of faithless qualities, having the disposition towards a man. "With intention to take" means the intention to seize, thus: "Now I shall be able to take, now I shall be able to take." "With intention for disconnection" means the disposition towards Nibbāna, thus: "Now I shall attain Nibbāna, now I shall attain Nibbāna."
8.
Commentary on the Discourse on the Food Eater
138. In the eighth, "food-eater" means one who eats food, the meaning is one who consumes much food. "Space-occupier" means one who is a space-occupier by having pervaded the space and caused confinement for others by his position. One who moves and drops dung here and there is a "dung-dropper." One who takes a voting ticket at the time of counting "this many elephants" is a "voting-ticket-taker." One who crushes beds and chairs by way of sitting and lying down is a "bed-and-chair-crusher." One who takes a voting ticket at the time of counting monks is a "voting-ticket-taker."
9.
Commentary on the Discourse on the Unenduring
139. In the ninth, "elephant corps" means an elephant troop. The same method applies in the remaining ones too. "They frequent in the battle" means those who frequent the battlefield. "Having been deprived of one ration of grass and water" means deprived by one day's giving of grass and water; the meaning is not having received grass and water for the extent of one day. From here onwards too, the same method applies. "Is not able to concentrate the mind" means he is not able to rightly place the mind on the object. The remainder here is clear in itself. But it should be understood that in this discourse, the round of rebirths and the end of the round of rebirths have been spoken of.
10.
Commentary on the Stream Discourse
140. In the tenth, "ill-spoken" means of harsh speech not well spoken, produced through the power of hate. "Ill-expressed" means having come to the ear-door in a manner that produces suffering. "Ways of speech" means of words. "Painful" means suffering. "Sharp" means dense, or of a tormenting nature. "Rough" means harsh. "Severe" means pungent. "Disagreeable" means unpleasant. "Unpleasant" means unable to satisfy and increase the mind. "Life-threatening" means taking away life. "That direction" - it should be understood that "direction" means Nibbāna, in the sense that it is seen and cited by way of the stilling of all activities and so on. But because, having come to that, all activities go to stilling, therefore "the stilling of all activities" was said. The remainder is clear everywhere. But in this discourse, morality, concentration, and wisdom have been spoken of as mixed.
The Chapter on Kings is fourth.