Aṅguttara Nikāya
X. Dasaka-Nipāta
VIII: Ākaṅkha-Vagga

X. The Book of the Tens

VIII: On Wishes

Sutta 77

Kāka Suttaṃ

The Crow

[101]

Thus have I heard:

Once the Exalted One was dwelling near Sāvatthī.

There the Exalted One addressed the monks, saying:

"Monks."

"Yes, lord," they replied, and the Exalted One said:

"Monks, the crow is possessed of ten qualities contrary to Dhamma.

What ten?

It is truculent¹,
and pushing,
greedy,
and a gross feeder,
cruel,
and pitiless,
clumsy,²,
of harsh voice,³
muddle-headed
and a hoarder of treasure.⁴

A crow is possessed of these ten qualities contrary to Dhamma.

In like manner
a wicked monk
is possessed of ten qualities contrary to Dhamma.

What ten?

He is truculent,
and pushing,
greedy,
and a gross feeder,
cruel,
and pitiless,
clumsy,
of harsh voice,
muddle-headed
and a hoarder of treasure.

¹ Dhaṅsī; cf. Dhp. 244 kāka-sūrena, dhaṅsinā ... pagabbhena.

² Dubbala in its usual sense of 'feeble' cannot be applied to a crow.

³ Oravitā = orava-yutto, oravanto carati, Comy. The word seems to occur nowhere else, P. Dict. doubts derivation, but suggests oravitarati. But it is evidently a lengthened form of avaravati, to croak.