sutta » sn » sn9 » Saṁyutta Nikāya 9.9

Vajjiputtasutta

A Vajji A Vajjian prince

Ekaṁ samayaṁ aññataro vajjiputtako bhikkhu vesāliyaṁ viharati aññatarasmiṁ vanasaṇḍe.
At one time a certain Vajjian mendicant was staying near Vesālī in a certain forest grove.
On one occasion a certain bhikkhu, a Vajjian prince, was dwelling at Vesālī in a certain woodland thicket.

Tena kho pana samayena vesāliyaṁ vajjiputtako sabbaratticāro hoti.
Now at that time the Vajjis were holding an all-night event in Vesālī.
Now on that occasion an all-night festival was being held in Vesālī.

Atha kho so bhikkhu vesāliyā tūriyatāḷitavāditanigghosasaddaṁ sutvā paridevamāno tāyaṁ velāyaṁ imaṁ gāthaṁ abhāsi:
Then that mendicant, groaning at the noise of musical instruments being beaten and played, on that occasion recited this verse:
Then that bhikkhu, lamenting as he heard the clamour of instruments, gongs, and music coming from Vesālī, on that occasion recited this verse:

“Ekakā mayaṁ araññe viharāma,
“We dwell alone in the wilderness,
“We dwell in the forest all alone

Apaviddhaṁva vanasmiṁ dārukaṁ;
like a cast-off log in the forest.
Like a log rejected in the woods.

Etādisikāya rattiyā,
On a night like this,
On such a splendid night as this

Ko su nāmamhehi pāpiyo”ti.
who’s worse off than me?”
Who is there worse off than us?”

Atha kho yā tasmiṁ vanasaṇḍe adhivatthā devatā tassa bhikkhuno anukampikā atthakāmā taṁ bhikkhuṁ saṁvejetukāmā yena so bhikkhu tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā taṁ bhikkhuṁ gāthāya ajjhabhāsi:
The deity haunting that forest had sympathy for that mendicant, and wanted what’s best for them. So they approached that mendicant wanting to stir them up, and addressed them 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, approached him and addressed him in verse:

“Ekakova tvaṁ araññe viharasi,
“You dwell alone in the wilderness,
“As you dwell in the forest all alone

Apaviddhaṁva vanasmiṁ dārukaṁ;
like a cast-off log in the forest.
Like a log rejected in the woods,

Tassa te bahukā pihayanti,
Lots of people are jealous of you,
Many are those who envy you,

Nerayikā viya saggagāminan”ti.
like beings in hell of those going to heaven.”
As hell-beings envy those going to heaven.”

Atha kho so bhikkhu tāya devatāya saṁvejito saṁvegamāpādīti.
Impelled by that deity, that mendicant was struck with a sense of urgency.
Then that bhikkhu, stirred up by that devatā, acquired a sense of urgency.