sutta » sn » sn2 » Saṁyutta Nikāya 2.26

Rohitassasutta

With Rohitassa Rohitassa

Sāvatthinidānaṁ.
At Sāvatthī.
At Sāvatthī.

Ekamantaṁ ṭhito kho rohitasso devaputto bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:
Standing to one side, the god Rohitassa said to the Buddha:
Standing to one side, the young deva Rohitassa said to the Blessed One:

“yattha nu kho, bhante, na jāyati na jīyati na mīyati na cavati na upapajjati, sakkā nu kho so, bhante, gamanena lokassa anto ñātuṁ vā daṭṭhuṁ vā pāpuṇituṁ vā”ti?
“Sir, is it possible to know or see or reach the end of the world by traveling to a place where there’s no being born, growing old, dying, passing away, or being reborn?”
“Is it possible, venerable sir, by travelling to know or to see or to reach the end of the world, where one is not born, does not age, does not die, does not pass away, and is not reborn?”

“Yattha kho, āvuso, na jāyati na jīyati na mīyati na cavati na upapajjati, nāhaṁ taṁ gamanena lokassa antaṁ ñāteyyaṁ daṭṭheyyaṁ patteyyanti vadāmī”ti.
“Reverend, I say it’s not possible to know or see or reach the end of the world by traveling to a place where there’s no being born, growing old, dying, passing away, or being reborn.”
“As to that end of the world, friend, where one is not born, does not age, does not die, does not pass away, and is not reborn—I say that it cannot be known, seen, or reached by travelling. ”

“Acchariyaṁ, bhante, abbhutaṁ, bhante.
“It’s incredible, sir, it’s amazing,
“It is wonderful, venerable sir! It is amazing, venerable sir!

Yāvasubhāsitamidaṁ, bhante, bhagavatā:
how well said this was by the Buddha.
How well this was stated by the Blessed One:

‘yattha kho, āvuso, na jāyati na jīyati na mīyati na cavati na upapajjati, nāhaṁ taṁ gamanena lokassa antaṁ ñāteyyaṁ daṭṭheyyaṁ patteyyanti vadāmī’ti.
‘As to that end of the world, friend, I say that it cannot be known, seen, or reached by travelling.

Bhūtapubbāhaṁ, bhante, rohitasso nāma isi ahosiṁ bhojaputto iddhimā vehāsaṅgamo.
Once upon a time, I was a seer called Rohitassa of the Bhoja people. I was a sky-walker with psychic powers.
’“Once in the past, venerable sir, I was a seer named Rohitassa, son of Bhoja, possessed of spiritual power, able to travel through the sky.

Tassa mayhaṁ, bhante, evarūpo javo ahosi; seyyathāpi nāma daḷhadhammā dhanuggaho susikkhito katahattho katayoggo katūpāsano lahukena asanena appakasireneva tiriyaṁ tālacchāyaṁ atipāteyya.
I was as fast as a light arrow easily shot across the shadow of a palm tree by a well-trained expert archer with a strong bow.
My speed was such, venerable sir, that I could move just as swiftly as a firm-bowed archer—trained, skilful, practised, experienced—could easily shoot past the shadow of a palmyra tree with a light arrow.

Tassa mayhaṁ, bhante, evarūpo padavītihāro ahosi; seyyathāpi nāma puratthimā samuddā pacchimo samuddo.
My stride was such that it could span from the eastern ocean to the western ocean.
My stride was such, venerable sir, that it seemed to reach from the eastern ocean to the western ocean.

Tassa mayhaṁ, bhante, evarūpaṁ icchāgataṁ uppajji:
This wish came to me:
Then, venerable sir, the wish arose in me:

‘ahaṁ gamanena lokassa antaṁ pāpuṇissāmī’ti.
‘I will reach the end of the world by traveling.’
‘I will reach the end of the world by travelling.

So khvāhaṁ, bhante, evarūpena javena samannāgato evarūpena ca padavītihārena, aññatreva asitapītakhāyitasāyitā aññatra uccārapassāvakammā aññatra niddākilamathapaṭivinodanā vassasatāyuko vassasatajīvī vassasataṁ gantvā appatvāva lokassa antaṁ antarāva kālaṅkato.
Having such speed and stride, I traveled for my whole lifespan of a hundred years—pausing only to eat and drink, go to the toilet, and sleep to dispel weariness—and I passed away along the way, never reaching the end of the world.
’Possessing such speed and such a stride, and having a life span of a hundred years, living for a hundred years, I travelled for a hundred years, without pausing except to eat, drink, take meals and snacks, to defecate and urinate, to sleep and dispel fatigue; yet I died along the way without having reached the end of the world.

Acchariyaṁ, bhante, abbhutaṁ, bhante.
It’s incredible, sir, it’s amazing,
“It is wonderful, venerable sir! It is amazing, venerable sir!

Yāvasubhāsitamidaṁ, bhante, bhagavatā:
how well said this was by the Buddha.
How well this was stated by the Blessed One:

‘yattha kho, āvuso, na jāyati na jīyati na mīyati na cavati na upapajjati, nāhaṁ taṁ gamanena lokassa antaṁ ñāteyyaṁ daṭṭheyyaṁ patteyyanti vadāmī’”ti.
‘Reverend, I say it’s not possible to know or see or reach the end of the world by traveling to a place where there’s no being born, growing old, dying, passing away, or being reborn.’”
‘As to that end of the world, friend, where one is not born, does not age, does not die, does not pass away, and is not reborn—I say that it cannot be known, seen, or reached by travelling. ’”

“Na kho panāhaṁ, āvuso, appatvā lokassa antaṁ dukkhassa antakiriyaṁ vadāmi.
“But Reverend, I also say there’s no making an end of suffering without reaching the end of the world.
“However, friend, I say that without having reached the end of the world there is no making an end to suffering.

Api ca khvāhaṁ, āvuso, imasmiṁyeva byāmamatte kaḷevare sasaññimhi samanake lokañca paññapemi lokasamudayañca lokanirodhañca lokanirodhagāminiñca paṭipadanti.
For it is in this fathom-long carcass with its perception and mind that I describe the world, its origin, its cessation, and the practice that leads to its cessation.
It is, friend, in just this fathom-high carcass endowed with perception and mind that I make known the world, the origin of the world, the cessation of the world, and the way leading to the cessation of the world.

Gamanena na pattabbo,
The end of the world can never
“By means of travelling it cannot be reached,

lokassanto kudācanaṁ;
be reached by traveling.
The world’s end at any time.

Na ca appatvā lokantaṁ,
But without reaching the end of the world,
Yet without reaching the world’s end

dukkhā atthi pamocanaṁ.
there’s no release from suffering.
There is no release from suffering.

Tasmā have lokavidū sumedho,
So an intelligent person, understanding the world,
“Therefore, truly, the world-knower, the wise one,

Lokantagū vusitabrahmacariyo;
has completed the spiritual journey <j>and gone to the end of the world.
Gone to the world’s end, fulfiller of the holy life,

Lokassa antaṁ samitāvi ñatvā,
A calm one, knowing the end of the world,
Having known the world’s end, at peace,

Nāsīsati lokamimaṁ parañcā”ti.
does not hope for this world or the next.”
Longs not for this world or another. ”