Nīvaraṇas: wilderness simile

Q & A
1

Does anyone know why Ven T and Ven B do not translate “dubbhikkhaṃ sappaṭibhayaṃ” in the following:

seyyathāpi, mahārāja, puriso sadhano sabhogo kantāraddhānamaggaṃ paṭipajjeyya dubbhikkhaṃ sappaṭibhayaṃ.

Ven T:

Now suppose that a man, carrying money and goods, is traveling by a road through desolate country.

Ven B:

Or suppose a man with wealth and property were to enter a road across a desert

But Ven Nyanaponika translates:

Just as when a man, rich and prosperous, travels through a wilderness where there is no food and much danger

What is the likely reason behind this? All editions agree on what the Pali is as far as I know. Could it be a mistake made by Ven. Nanamoli which would have been repeated by both of them? That sounds improbable. If not, what could be the explanation, then?

2

@silence

I jsut checked and Bhikkhu Bodhi’s translation of DN2 on SC does have this, so I’m not sure what copy you are referring to (though I see that Ven T’s on Acess to Insight does not).

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3

Ah yes indeed thank you @Linda , and I think the mystery just got solved.

I referred to MLDB where the same similes occur at MN 39, assuming the texts where the same. Actually although it looks very much like the text from DN 2 recurs in MN 39, these two words are oddly missing in MN 39.

So perhaps Ven T took for granted - as I did - that those texts were identical and somehow copy/pasted an earlier translation of MN 39 into his DN 2 translation.

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4

For the record, here are both passages:

MN 39

seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, puriso sadhano sabhogo kantāraddhānamaggaṃ paṭipajjeyya . so aparena samayena tamhā kantārā nitthareyya sotthinā abbhayena, na cassa kiñci bhogānaṃ vayo.

Now suppose that a man, carrying money & goods, is traveling by a road through desolate country. At a later time he emerges from that desolate country, safe & sound, with no loss of property.

DN 2

seyyathāpi, mahārāja, puriso sadhano sabhogo kantāraddhānamaggaṃ paṭipajjeyya dubbhikkhaṃ sappaṭibhayaṃ. so aparena samayena taṃ kantāraṃ nitthareyya sotthinā, gāmantaṃ anupāpuṇeyya khemaṃ appaṭibhayaṃ.

Again, great king, suppose a man with wealth and possessions were travelling along a desert road where food was scarce and dangers were many. After some time he would cross over the desert and arrive safely at a village which is safe and free from danger.

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