1A man stores his savings
in a deep pit close to water thinking:
"When a duty or need has arisen
it will be there to help me,

2to free me from a king if slandered, or from molestation
from a thief, or from a debt, or famine, or accident."
For this kind of help, savings are stored up in the world.

3Although it is well stored
in a deep pit, close to water,
still, it cannot help him in all things on every occasion,

4for perhaps those savings are removed from that place,
or he forgets the signs telling where they lie,
or nāgas take them away,
or yakkhas carry them off,

5or the heirs he dislikes
extract them unseen,
and when his merit comes to an end
all of it will be destroyed.

6But that woman or man who through giving, virtue,
restraint, and self-control has well stored up his savings,
placing them in a shrine, or in the Saṅgha,
or in an individual, or a guest,

7or in his mother or father,
also in an elder brother,
those savings are well stored up,
they follow one, they do not decay.

8Riches he gives up when he has to leave this life
but this goes along with him.
It is not shared with others,
no thief carries those savings away,

9the wise man should make merit,
for those savings follow one along.
These savings satisfy every desire of gods and men,
whatever they wish for,
through this merit they receive all.

10A good appearance, a good voice,
a good shape, a good form,
sovereignty, and a retinue,
through this merit they receive all.

11A local kingship, an empire,
and whatever happiness a Wheel-Rolling King has,
also godly kingship in the heavens,
through this merit they receive all.

12Human good fortune,
delight in the world of the gods,
even the attainment of Emancipation,
through this merit they receive all.

13With the attainment of good friends,
devotion to systematic thought,
there is the power of understanding and freedom,
through this merit they receive all.

14The discriminations, and the liberations,
and whatever perfections the disciples have,
Independent Awakening, the Buddhas’ ground,
through this merit they receive all.

15So this is of great benefit,
that is to say, the attainment of merit,
therefore the wise and intelligent always praise the making of merit.

1. Nidhiṁ nidheti puriso
gambhīre odakantike:
"Atthe kicce samuppanne
atthāya me bhavissati,

2. rājato vā duruttassa,
corato pīḷitassa vā,
iṇassa vā pamokkhāya,
dubbhikkhe āpadāsu vā".
Etad-atthāya lokasmiṁ
nidhi nāma nidhīyati.

3. Tāva sunihito santo
gambhīre odakantike,
na sabbo sabbadā eva
tassa taṁ upakappati,

4. nidhi vā ṭhānā cavati,
saññā vā 'ssa vimuyhati,
nāgā vā apanāmenti,
yakkhā vā pi haranti naṁ,

5. appiyā vā pi dāyādā
uddharanti apassato,
yadā puññakkhayo hoti
sabbam-etaṁ vinassati.

6. Yassa dānena sīlena,
saṁyamena damena ca,
nidhī sunihito hoti,
itthiyā purisassa vā,

7. cetiyamhi va Saṅghe vā,
puggale atithīsu vā,
mātari pitari vā pi,
atho jeṭṭhamhi bhātari,

8. eso nidhi sunihito,
ajeyyo anugāmiko.
Pahāya gamanīyesu,
etaṁ ādāya gacchati.

9. Asādhāraṇa-m-aññesaṁ,
acorāharaṇo nidhi,
kayirātha dhīro puññāni,
yo nidhi anugāmiko.

10. Esa devamanussānaṁ
sabbakāmadado nidhi,
yaṁ yad-evābhipatthenti
sabbam-etena labbhati.

11. Suvaṇṇatā, sussaratā,
susaṇṭhānasurūpatā,
ādhipaccaparivāro,
sabbam-etena labbhati.

12. Padesarajjaṁ, issariyaṁ,
cakkavattisukham-pi yaṁ,
devarajjam-pi dibbesu,
sabbam-etena labbhati.

13. Mānusikā ca sampatti,
devaloke ca yā rati,
yā ca Nibbānasampatti,
sabbam-etena labbhati.

14. Mittasampadam-āgamma,
yoniso ca payuñjato,
vijjā vimutti vasībhāvo
sabbam-etena labbhati.

15. Paṭisambhidā, vimokkhā ca,
yā ca sāvakapāramī,
Paccekabodhi, Buddhabhūmi,
sabbam-etena labbhati.

16. Evaṁ mahatthikā esā,
yadidaṁ puññasampadā,
tasmā dhīrā pasaṁsanti
paṇḍitā katapuññataṁ.