sutta » sn » sn1 » Saṁyutta Nikāya 1.76

Najīratisutta

Getting Old Does Not Decay

“Kiṁ jīrati kiṁ na jīrati,
“What gets old, what doesn’t grow old?
“What decays, what does not decay?

kiṁsu uppathoti vuccati;
What’s called a deviation?
What is declared the deviant path?

Kiṁsu dhammānaṁ paripantho,
What’s a roadblock for skillful qualities?
What is the impediment to wholesome states?

kiṁsu rattindivakkhayo;
What is ending day and night?
What undergoes destruction night and day?

Kiṁ malaṁ brahmacariyassa,
What’s the stain of celibacy?
What is the stain of the holy life?

kiṁ sinānamanodakaṁ.
What’s the waterless bath?
What is the bath without water?

Kati lokasmiṁ chiddāni,
How many holes are there in the world,
“How many fissures are there in the world

yattha vittaṁ na tiṭṭhati;
where one’s wealth leaks out?
Wherein the mind does not stand firm?

Bhagavantaṁ puṭṭhumāgamma,
We’ve come to ask the Buddha;
We’ve come to ask the Blessed One this:

kathaṁ jānemu taṁ mayan”ti.
how are we to understand this?”
How are we to understand it?”

“Rūpaṁ jīrati maccānaṁ,
“The physical form of mortals gets old,
“The physical form of mortals decays,

nāmagottaṁ na jīrati;
but their name and clan don’t.
Their name and clan does not decay.

Rāgo uppathoti vuccati.
Lust is called a deviation,
Lust is declared the deviant path,

Lobho dhammānaṁ paripantho,
and greed is a roadblock for skillful qualities.
Greed the impediment to wholesome states.

Vayo rattindivakkhayo;
Youth is ending day and night.
“Life undergoes destruction night and day;

Itthī malaṁ brahmacariyassa,
Women are the stain of celibacy,
Women are the stain of the holy life:

Etthāyaṁ sajjate pajā;
to which this generation clings.
Here’s where menfolk are enmeshed.

Tapo ca brahmacariyañca,
Fervor and celibacy
Austerity and the holy life—

Taṁ sinānamanodakaṁ.
are the waterless bath.
That is the bath without water.

Cha lokasmiṁ chiddāni,
There are six holes in the world,
“There are six fissures in the world

yattha vittaṁ na tiṭṭhati;
where one’s wealth leaks out:
Wherein the mind does not stand firm:

Ālasyañca pamādo ca,
laziness and negligence,
Laziness and negligence,

anuṭṭhānaṁ asaṁyamo;
lack of initiative and lack of restraint,
Indolence, lack of self-control,

Niddā tandī ca te chidde,
sleepiness and sloth.
Drowsiness and lethargy—

sabbaso taṁ vivajjaye”ti.
You should completely get rid of these holes!”
Avoid these fissures completely. ”