CHAPTER OF POEMS WITH SEVEN VERSES

Verses 175-181: Uttarā

VERSE 175

[Paṭācārā:]

‘Having taken up pestles young men grind corn. Young men acquire wealth, supporting children and wives. [Likewise you have your own work to do].

Musalāni gahetvāna dhaññaṃ koṭṭenti māṇavā
Puttadārāni posentā dhanaṃ vindanti māṇavā

COMMENT

[Likewise you have your own work to do]: See comment to verse 117.

 

VERSE 176

‘Apply yourself to the Buddha’s training system. Having done so one does not [later] regret it. Wash your feet quickly and sit down somewhere quiet.

Ghaṭatha buddhasāsane yaṃ katvā nānutappati
Khippaṃ pādāni dhovitvā ekamantaṃ nisīdatha

COMMENT

Ekamantaṃ: ‘somewhere quiet.’ See IGPT sv Ekamantaṃ.

 

VERSE 177

‘Having established an undistracted and well-collected mind, consider originated phenomena as alien, as void of personal qualities.’

Cittaṃ upaṭṭhapetvāna ekaggaṃ susamāhitaṃ
Paccavekkhatha saṅkhāre parato no ca attato

COMMENT

No ca attato: ‘void of personal qualities.’ See IGPT sv Attā.

 

VERSE 178

Having heard Paṭācārā’s words and advice, having washed my feet I sat down somewhere quiet.

Tassāhaṃ vacanaṃ sutvā paṭācārānusāsaniṃ
Pāde pakkhālayitvāna ekamante upāvisiṃ

 

VERSE 179

In the first watch of the night I recalled my previous births. In the middle watch of the night I purified my divine vision.

Rattiyā purime yāme pubbajātimanussariṃ
Rattiyā majjhime yāme dibbacakkhuṃ visodhayiṃ

 

VERSE 180

In the last watch of the night I obliterated the mass of inward darkness. And then I stood up as a master of the three final knowledges. [Then I went and venerated Paṭācārā’s feet, and told her:] ‘I have done your bidding.

Rattiyā pacchime yāme tamokkhandhaṃ padālayiṃ
Tevijjā atha vuṭṭhāsiṃ katā te anusāsanī

COMMENT

Katā te anusāsanī: ‘[Then I went and venerated Paṭācārā’s feet, and told her:] ‘I have done your bidding.’ This parenthesis comes from verse 121:

• Having got up, they [went and] venerated [Paṭācārā’s] feet, [and told her:] ‘We have done your bidding.
Uṭṭhāya pāde vandiṃsu katā te anusāsanī (Thī.v.121).

 

VERSE 181

I shall abide revering you like the Tāvatiṃsā devas revering Sakka, invincible in war. I am a master of the three final knowledges. I am free of perceptually obscuring states.

Sakkaṃva devā tidasā saṅgāme aparājitaṃ
Purakkhatvā vihassāmi tevijjāmhi anāsavā ti

 

Verses 182-188: Cālā

VERSE 182

Having established mindfulness, being a bhikkhunī with the [five] spiritual faculties developed, I penetrated the state of Peace, the stilling of originated phenomena, happiness [supreme].

Satiṃ upaṭṭhapetvāna bhikkhunī bhāvitindriyā
Paṭivijjhi padaṃ santaṃ saṅkhārūpasamaṃ sukhaṃ

COMMENT

Cālā had three brothers and three sisters. All became arahants. Sāriputta was the eldest (Th.v.981-1017). The others were Upasena (Th.v.577-586), MahāCunda (Th.v.141-142), Revata (Th.v.42; Th.v.645-658), Upacālā (Thī.v.189-195), and Sisūpacālā (Thī.v.196-203).

COMMENT

Sukhaṃ: ‘happiness [supreme].’ Commentary: Sukhan ti accantasukhaṃ.

COMMENT

Bhāvitindriyā: ‘the [five] spiritual faculties developed.’ See comment on verse 7.

 

VERSE 183

[Māra:]

‘With reference to who [as a teacher], then, have you shaved your head? You seem like an ascetic yet you do not approve of religious philosophers. Why do you foolishly live this [misdirected] religious life?’

Kaṃ nu uddissa muṇḍāsi samaṇī viya dissasi
Na ca rocesi pāsaṇḍe kimidaṃ carasi momūhā

COMMENT

The conversation here between Māra and Cālā corresponds to the Sīsūpacālā Sutta (S.1.133), which begins with the following dialogue (with Sīsūpacālā):

Māra: Whose religious doctrine do you approve of, bhikkhunī?’
Kassa nu tvaṃ bhikkhunī pāsaṇḍaṃ rocesī ti?

Sīsūpacālā: ‘I do not approve of anyone’s religious doctrine.’
Na khvāhaṃ āvuso kassaci pāsaṇḍaṃ rocemī ti (S.1.133).

We thus render pāsaṇḍa as either religious doctrine or religious philosopher. PED similarly calls it ‘heresy, sect.’

COMMENT

Idaṃ: ‘this [misdirected].’ Commentary: Kimidaṃ carasi momuhāti kiṃ nāmidaṃ, yaṃ pāsaṇḍavihitaṃ ujuṃ nibbānamaggaṃ pahāya ajja kālikaṃ kumaggaṃ paṭipajjantī ativiya mūḷhā carasi paribbhamasīti.

COMMENT

Carasi: ‘live the religious life.’ See IGPT sv Eko care khaggavisāṇakappo.

 

VERSE 184

[Cālā:]

‘The religious philosophers outside this [training system] are attached to dogmatic views. They do not know the Buddha’s teaching. They are ignorant of the Buddha’s teaching.

Ito bahiddhā pāsaṇḍā diṭṭhiyo upanissitā
Na te dhammaṃ vijānanti na te dhammassa kovidā

COMMENT

Ito bahiddhā: ‘outside this [training system].’ Commentary: ito sammāsambuddhassa sāsanato bahiddhā. See IGPT sv Sāsana.

 

VERSE 185

‘The Buddha, without rival, was born into the Sakyan clan. He explained the teaching to me, [the method] of transcending dogmatic views.

Atthi sakyakule jāto buddho appaṭipuggalo
So me dhammamadesesi diṭṭhīnaṃ samatikkamaṃ

COMMENT

Diṭṭhīnaṃ samatikkamaṃ: ‘[the method] of transcending dogmatic views.’ Commentary: sabbāsaṃ diṭṭhīnaṃ samatikkamanupāyaṃ.

COMMENT

The Sīsūpacālā Sutta starts diverging here. Its final verses are these:

Atthi sakyakule jāto buddho appaṭipuggalo
Sabbābhibhū māranudo sabbatthamaparājito
Sabbattha mutto asito sabbaṃ passati cakkhumā.

Sabbakammakkhayappatto vimutto upadisaṅkhaye
So mayhaṃ bhagavā satthā tassa rocemi sāsananti

 

VERSE 186

‘[Namely:] suffering, the origin of suffering, the transcendence of suffering, and the noble eightfold path leading to the subsiding of suffering.

Dukkhaṃ dukkhasamuppādaṃ dukkhassa ca atikkamaṃ
Ariyaṃ c’aṭṭhaṅgikaṃ maggaṃ dukkhūpasamagāminaṃ

 

VERSE 187

‘Having heard his explanation, I dwelt taking delight in his teaching. The three final knowledges are attained. I have fulfilled the Buddha’s training system.

Tassāhaṃ vacanaṃ sutvā vihariṃ sāsane ratā
Tisso vijjā anuppattā kataṃ buddhassa sāsanaṃ

COMMENT

This verse occurs three times in the Therīgāthā. It is likely interpolative because it is contradicted by corresponding suttas. It always precedes the Sabbattha vihatā nandi verse which is also probably interpolative:

1) Verse 187 (Bhikkhunī Cālā): contradicted by Sīsūpacālā Sutta (S.1.133).

2) Verse 194 (Bhikkhunī Upacālā): contradicted by Cālā Sutta (S.1.132).

3) Verse 202 (Bhikkhunī Sīsūpacālā): contradicted by Upacālā Sutta (S.1.133).

 

VERSE 188

‘Spiritually fettering delight has been utterly dispelled. The mass of inward darkness is obliterated. Thus know, Maleficent One, you are defeated, Destroyer.’

Sabbattha vihatā nandi tamokkhandho padālito
Evaṃ jānāhi pāpima nihato tvamasi antakā ti

COMMENT

Nandi: ‘spiritually fettering delight.’ See IGPT sv Nandi.

COMMENT

This verse is likely interpolative. See comment on verse 142.

 

Verses 189-195: Upacālā

VERSE 189

Possessed of mindfulness, possessed of the eye [of penetrative discernment], being a bhikkhunī with the [five] spiritual faculties developed I penetrated the state of Peace, which is not realised by the common man.

Satimatī cakkhumatī bhikkhunī bhāvitindriyā
Paṭivijjhi padaṃ santaṃ akāpurisasevitaṃ

COMMENT

Cakkhumatī: ‘possessed of the eye [of penetrative discernment].’ Commentary: Cakkhumatī ti paññācakkhunā samannāgatā. Compare:

• One discerns a knowable phenomenon with the eye of penetrative discernment.
Neyyaṃ kho āvuso dhammaṃ paññācakkhunā pajānātī ti (M.1.293).

COMMENT

Bhāvitindriyā. See comment on verse 7.

 

VERSE 190

[Māra:]

‘Why do you not approve of birth? One who is born enjoys sensuous pleasures. Enjoy sensuous delights lest you regret it later.’

Kinnu jātiṃ na rocesi jāto kāmāni bhuñjati
Bhuñjāhi kāmaratiyo māhu pacchānutāpinī

COMMENT

The conversation between Upacālā and Māra corresponds to the Cālā Sutta (S.1.132), but with substantial differences. It begins with the following exchange (with Cālā):

Māra: ‘What do you not approve of, bhikkhunī?’
Kinnu tvaṃ bhikkhunī na rocesī ti.

Cālā: ‘I do not approve of birth, friend.’
Jātiṃ khvāhaṃ āvuso na rocemī ti.

 

VERSE 191

[Upacālā:]

‘For one who is born there is death, the amputation of hands and feet, execution, imprisonment, and hardship. One who is born meets with suffering.

Jātassa maraṇaṃ hoti hatthapādānaṃ chedanaṃ
Vadhabandhapariklesaṃ jāto dukkhaṃ nigacchati

COMMENT

Vadhabandhapariklesaṃ: ‘execution, imprisonment, and hardship.’ See comment on verse 345.

COMMENT

The Cālā Sutta starts diverging here. Its final verses are:

Jātassa maraṇaṃ hoti jāto dukkhāni phussati
Bandhaṃ vadhaṃ pariklesaṃ tasmā jātiṃ na rocaye.

Buddho dhammamadesesi jātiyā samatikkamaṃ
Sabbadukkhappahāṇāya yo maṃ sacce nivesayi.

Ye ca rūpūpagā sattā ye ca āruppaṭhāyino
Nirodhaṃ appajānantā āgantāro punabbhavanti
(S.1.132-3).

 

VERSE 192

‘The Enlightened One, the Invincible One, was born into the Sakyan clan. He explained the teaching to me, [the method] of transcending birth.

Atthi sakyakule jāto sambuddho aparājito
So me dhammamadesesi jātiyā samatikkamaṃ

COMMENT

Aparājito: ‘the Invincible One.’ See IGPT sv Parājita.

 

VERSE 193

‘[Namely:] suffering, the origin of suffering, the transcendence of suffering, and the noble eightfold path leading to the subsiding of suffering.

Dukkhaṃ dukkhasamuppādaṃ dukkhassa ca atikkamaṃ
Ariyaṃ c’aṭṭhaṅgikaṃ maggaṃ dukkhūpasamagāminaṃ

 

VERSE 194

‘Having heard his explanation, I dwelt taking delight in his teaching. The three final knowledges are attained. I have fulfilled the Buddha’s training system.

Tassāhaṃ vacanaṃ sutvā vihariṃ sāsane ratā
Tisso vijjā anuppattā kataṃ buddhassa sāsanaṃ

COMMENT

This verse is likely interpolative. See comment on verse 187.

 

VERSE 195

‘Spiritually fettering delight has been utterly dispelled. The mass of inward darkness is obliterated. Thus know, Maleficent One, you are defeated, Destroyer.’

Sabbattha vihatā nandi tamokkhandho padālito
Evaṃ jānāhi pāpima nihato tvamasi antakā ti

COMMENT

This verse is likely interpolative. See comment on verse 142.

COMMENT

Nandi: ‘spiritually fettering delight.’ See IGPT sv Nandi.