sutta » sn » sn9 » Saṁyutta Nikāya 9.8

Kulagharaṇīsutta

The Mistress of the House Family Mistress

Ekaṁ samayaṁ aññataro bhikkhu kosalesu viharati aññatarasmiṁ vanasaṇḍe.
At one time one of the monks was staying in the land of the Kosalans in a certain forest grove.
On one occasion a certain bhikkhu was dwelling among the Kosalans in a certain woodland thicket.

Tena kho pana samayena so bhikkhu aññatarasmiṁ kule ativelaṁ ajjhogāḷhappatto viharati.
Now at that time that monk had become too closely involved in the affairs of a certain family.
Now on that occasion that bhikkhu had become excessively intimate with a certain family.

Atha kho yā tasmiṁ vanasaṇḍe adhivatthā devatā tassa bhikkhuno anukampikā atthakāmā taṁ bhikkhuṁ saṁvejetukāmā yā tasmiṁ kule kulagharaṇī, tassā vaṇṇaṁ abhinimminitvā yena so bhikkhu tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā taṁ bhikkhuṁ gāthāya ajjhabhāsi:
The deity haunting that forest had sympathy for that monk, wanting what’s best for him. So, wanting to stir him up, they manifested in the appearance of the mistress of that family, approached the monk, and addressed him in verse:
Then the devatā that inhabited that woodland thicket, having compassion for that bhikkhu, desiring his good, desiring to stir up a sense of urgency in him, manifested herself in the form of the mistress of that family. Having approached that bhikkhu, she addressed him in verse:

“Nadītīresu saṇṭhāne,
“On the banks of the rivers and in the guest houses,
“By the riverbanks and in the rest house,

sabhāsu rathiyāsu ca;
in hotels and on highways,
In the meeting halls and along the roads,

Janā saṅgamma mantenti,
people come together and gossip:
People meet and gossip about this:

mañca tañca kimantaran”ti.
what’s going on between you and me?”
What’s going on between you and me?”

“Bahūhi saddā paccūhā,
“There are lots of annoying sounds
“There are many disagreeable sounds

khamitabbā tapassinā;
that an austere ascetic must endure.
That an ascetic must patiently endure.

Na tena maṅku hotabbaṁ,
But they mustn’t be dismayed by that,
One should not be dismayed because of that,

na hi tena kilissati.
for that’s not what defiles you.
For it is not by this one is defiled.

Yo ca saddaparittāsī,
If you’re startled by every little sound,
“If one is frightened by random sounds

vane vātamigo yathā;
like a wind-deer in the wood,
Like an antelope dwelling in the woods,

Lahucittoti taṁ āhu,
they’ll call you ‘flighty minded’;
They call him ‘one with a fickle mind’:

nāssa sampajjate vatan”ti.
and your practice won’t succeed.”
His practice does not succeed.