Verse 1. Sutra Five - The Mirror King

Finding himself in darkness yet [declaring] those other [views] inferior,

Grasping in confusion with outflows exposed when will he [ever] have insight?

He is without a path himself yet speaks of much learning and knowledge,

But in confusion and laking effort when will he [ever] be liberated?

自冥言是彼不及，　　
Zì míng yán shì bǐ bùjí,
著癡日漏何時明？
 zhe chī rì lòu héshí míng?
自無道謂學悉爾，　　
 Zì wúdào wèi xué xī ěr,
但亂無行何時解
 dàn luàn wú xíng héshí jiě?

Parallel: The Pali Sutta Nipata, Atthakavagga, Chap. 5, Verse 796

Discussion: 漏 (lòu) in the second line translated as outflows is the Sanskrit equivalent of āsrava and in Pāli as āsava.

Bibliography

Title of Sutra Five from Yì Zú Jīng

Sutra Five - The Mirror King 

鏡面王經第五

Jìngmiàn wáng jīng dì wǔ

Parallel: The Pali Sutta Nipata, Atthakavagga, Paramaṭṭhakasutta - Chapter 5. The Highest

Discussion: The prose text introducing the Arthapada verse is set in Sravasti where the Buddha and his mendicants are staying. The mendicants attend a discussion meeting held by Brahmans where they witness various Brahman teachers argue and throw insults amongst themselves to who has the proper dharma and path. 

On recounting this to the Buddha, the Buddha tells a story of a past king who summons blind men to his court and gives them the task on working out what they are touching. Unknown to them it is an elephant, each gives a different account (this of course is a famous story in India). The buddha then declares that he was the king in a past life and the Brahmans the blind men. 

Bibliography

Verse 8. Sutra 4 - Makara Brahman

Possessor of nothing he acts as a [true] Brahman,

Hearing the dharma he continually acts skilfully,

Not lustful from passions he remains undefiled by lustfulness,

Nothing more of him here [needs] purifying. 

所當有悉裂去，
Suǒ dāng yǒu xī liè qù,　　
所道說無愛著，
suǒ dào shuō wú àizhe,
已不著亦可離，
yǐ bùzháo yì kě lí,　　
從行拔悉捨去。
cóng xíng bá xī shě qù.

Parallel: The Pali Sutta Nipata, Atthakavagga - Chap. 4, Verse 795

Bibliography

Verse 7. Sutra 4 - Makara Brahman

Does not hold on to his own ideas nor [says] this is the highest idea,

Unwilling to practice [what others say is] the purist,

Not grasping, liking and disliking he has given up,

With no grasping after it he has given up the world of desire.

不念身不念尊，　　
Bù niàn shēn bù niàn zūn,
亦不願行至淨，
 yì bù yuàn xíng zhì jìng,
恩怨斷無所著，　　
ēnyuàn duàn wú suǒzhe,
斷世願無所著。
duàn shì yuàn wú suǒzhe.

Parallel: The Pali Sutta Nipata, Atthakavagga - Chap. 4, Verse 794

Bibliography

Verse 6. Sutra 4 - Makara Brahman

He has no doubt regarding any dharma,

To what one sees and hears or thinks,

Practicing with complete understanding he exerts his faculties thoroughly,

Who here can act as one in the world possessing the five spiritual faculties?

一切法無有疑，

Yīqiè fǎ wú yǒu yí,　　
至見聞亦所念，

zhì jiànwén yì suǒ niàn,
諦見聞行力根，　　 

dì jiànwén xíng lì gēn,
誰作世是六衰？
shuí zuò shì shì liù shuāi?

Parallel: The Pali Sutta Nipata, Atthakavagga - Chap. 4, Verse 793

Discussion: 六衰 (liù shuāi) in the last line is the Sanskrit equivalent of ṣaḍ-indriya. Which can be translated as the five spiritual faculties. In the Pali canon these are: faith, energy, mindfulness, concentration and wisdom. 

Bibliography

Verse 5. Sutra 4 - Makara Brahman

Constantly seeking awakening by means of observing precepts,

Those suffer when in servitude to apperceptions,

The reciter of knowledge even a little enters a path, 

Not correcting their doctrines,  the wise possess understanding.

常覺意守戒行，　　
Cháng jué yì shǒu jiè xíng,
在上行想彼苦，
zài shàngxíng xiǎng bǐ kǔ,
念本念稍入行，　　
niàn běn niàn shāo rùxíng,
不矯言審有黠。
bù jiǎo yán shěn yǒu xiá.

Parallel: The Pali Sutta Nipata, Atthakavagga - Chap. 4, Verse 792

Discussion: The Pali parallel verse could be read as indicating Brahmanic knowledge in the 3rd line.

Bibliography

Verse 4. Sutra 4 - Makara Brahman

For knowledge he goes forward to [another] teacher, unmindful he abandons [the former],

Those existing [in this way] are [unable] to cross the four seas,

Giving up in going forward they remember not their [past] suffering,

After only some consideration they are easy bond too ideas.

悉棄上莫念後，

Xī qì shàng mò niàn hòu,　　
有是行度四海，

yǒu shì xíng dù sìhǎi,
直行去莫念苦，　　 

zhíxíng qù mò niàn kǔ,
有所念意便縛
yǒu suǒ niàn yì biàn fù.

Parallel: The Pali Sutta Nipata, Atthakavagga - Chap. 4, Verse 791

Discussion: 四海 (sìhǎi) translated as the four seas in the second line, refers to the flood of cravings, existences, dogmas and ignorance, as described in other buddhist texts. The second line in the Pali parallel is given in the negative, I've followed this lead which gives a better fit in the context of the whole verse.

Bibliography

Verse 3. Sutra 4 - Makara Brahman

One following different doctrines there is no attainment [of purity], they have departed,

From what one sees and hears, the clinging to precepts and conduct [the true brahman] goes beyond,

Neither himself tainted by fault or merit,

With expounding [of self-view] brought to an end and given up, no self praise [remains].

從異道無得脫，
Cóng yì dào wú dé tuō,　　
見聞持戒行度 
jiànwén chí jiè xíng dù,
身不污罪亦福，　 
shēn bù wū zuì yì fú,　
悉已斷不自譽. 
xī yǐ duàn bù zì yù.

Parallel: The Pali Sutta Nipata, Atthakavagga - Chap. 4, Verse 790

Discussion: In the Pali parallel of this verse the Brahman is stated.

Bibliography

Verse 2. Sutra 4 - Makara Brahman

 By understanding an upright person thinks he is pure,

Possessing wisdom acts, in a way that abandons suffering,

He skilfully removes harmful views and so takes the path to purity,

In cutting off all such views he realises the highest purity.

見好人以為淨，
Jiàn hǎorén yǐwéi jìng,
有慧行及離苦，
yǒu huì xíng jí lí kǔ,
黠除凶見淨徑，　 
xiá chú xiōng jiàn jìng jìng,
斷所見證至淨.
duàn suǒ jiànzhèng zhì jìng.

Parallel: The Pali Sutta Nipata, Atthakavagga - Chap. 4, Verse 789

Bibliography

Verse 1. Sutra 4 - Makara Brahman

Cleansed from self-view there is no sickness [remaining],

Trusting this one sees clearly and comprehends the purity of oneself,

Understanding this to be so he knows it to be the [highest] perfection, 

Cutting off suffering by practice he comes to realisation by [means of] under takings.

我見淨無有病，　
Wǒ jiàn jìng wú yǒu bìng,　

信見諦及自淨，
xìn jiàn dì jí zìjìng,
有知是悉可度， 
yǒu zhī shì xī kě dù, 
苦斷習證前服。
kǔ duàn xí zhèng qián fú.

Parallel: The Pali Sutta Nipata, Atthakavagga - Chap. 4, Verse 788

Discussion: 我見 (wǒ jiàn) in the first line translated as self-view is the Sanskrit equivalent of ātmadṛṣṭi. Can mean: belief in a permanent, independent existing self etc.

Bibliography

Title of Sutra Four from Yì Zú Jīng

Sutra Four - Makara Brahman

摩竭梵志經第四
Mó jié fàn zhì jīng dì sì

Parallel: The Pali Sutta Nipata, Atthakavagga, Suddhithara - Chapter 4. The Purified

Discussion: The title of the sutra refers to the prose story where a Brahman named Makara who appears to have died whilst in the Teaching Hall in Sravasti. His followers proclaim that those that simply hear his name or see even his dead body will gain deliverance. This is reported to the Buddha who then gives the following verses of the Arthapada to make his mendicants wiser. 

The Chinese characters 摩竭 that make the up the Brahman's name Makara are, 摩 (mó) to rub, to press in etc. and 竭 (jié) to exhaust, put great effort into etc.

Bibliography