Theragāthā 6.4
Translators: sujato
Verses of the Senior Monks 6.4
Chakkanipāta
The Book of the Sixes
Paṭhamavagga
Chapter One
Kullattheragāthā
Kulla
“Kullo sivathikaṁ gantvā,
I, Kulla, went to a charnel ground
addasa itthimujjhitaṁ;
and saw a woman’s body abandoned there,
Apaviddhaṁ susānasmiṁ,
discarded in a cemetery,
khajjantiṁ kimihī phuṭaṁ.
full of worms that devoured.
Āturaṁ asuciṁ pūtiṁ,
“See this bag of bones, Kulla—
passa kulla samussayaṁ;
diseased, filthy, rotten,
Uggharantaṁ paggharantaṁ,
oozing and trickling,
bālānaṁ abhinanditaṁ.
a fool’s delight.”
Dhammādāsaṁ gahetvāna,
Taking the teaching as a mirror
ñāṇadassanapattiyā;
for realizing knowledge and vision,
Paccavekkhiṁ imaṁ kāyaṁ,
I examined this body,
tucchaṁ santarabāhiraṁ.
hollow, inside and out.
Yathā idaṁ tathā etaṁ,
As this is, so is that;
yathā etaṁ tathā idaṁ;
as that is, so is this.
Yathā adho tathā uddhaṁ,
As below, so above;
yathā uddhaṁ tathā adho.
as above, so below.
Yathā divā tathā rattiṁ,
As by day, so by night;
yathā rattiṁ tathā divā;
as by night, so by day.
Yathā pure tathā pacchā,
As before, so behind;
yathā pacchā tathā pure.
as behind, so before.
Pañcaṅgikena turiyena,
Even the music of a five-piece band
Na ratī hoti tādisī;
can never give such pleasure
Yathā ekaggacittassa,
as when, with unified mind,
Sammā dhammaṁ vipassato”ti.
you rightly discern the Dhamma.
… Kullo thero ….