sutta » kn » thig » Therīgāthā 6.3

Khemātherīgāthā

Khemā Verses of the Elder Khemā

“Daharā tvaṁ rūpavatī,
“You’re so young and beautiful!
“You are young and beautiful,

ahampi daharo yuvā;
I too am young, just a youth.
I am also a young lad.

Pañcaṅgikena turiyena,
Come, Khemā, let us enjoy
Come, Khemā, let’s have a good time

ehi kheme ramāmase”.
the music of a five-piece band.”
with heavenly music.”

“Iminā pūtikāyena,
“This body is rotting,
“This putrid body,

āturena pabhaṅgunā;
ailing and frail,
diseased and brittle,

Aṭṭiyāmi harāyāmi,
I’m horrified and repelled by it,
only brings trials and tribulations.

kāmataṇhā samūhatā.
and I’ve eradicated sensual craving.
I have uprooted craving for sensual pleasures.

Sattisūlūpamā kāmā,
Sensual pleasures are like swords and spears;
Sensual pleasures are like the handle of an axe,

khandhāsaṁ adhikuṭṭanā;
the aggregates are their chopping block.
and one’s khandhas the executioner’s block.

Yaṁ ‘tvaṁ kāmaratiṁ’ brūsi,
What you call erotic delight
The sensual pleasures that you call appealing

‘aratī’ dāni sā mama.
is now no delight for me.
no longer appeal to me.

Sabbattha vihatā nandī,
Relishing is destroyed in every respect,
In this way all fixation is annihilated,

tamokhandho padālito;
and the mass of darkness is shattered.
the mass of darkness destroyed.

Evaṁ jānāhi pāpima,
So know this, Wicked One:
Thus be aware, Wicked One,

nihato tvamasi antaka.
you’re beaten, terminator!”
Death—you are destroyed!

Nakkhattāni namassantā,
“Worshiping the stars,
I used to pay homage to constellations,

aggiṁ paricaraṁ vane;
serving the sacred flame in a grove;
worshiping fire in the forest.

Yathābhuccamajānantā,
failing to grasp the true nature of things,
Ignorant of truth,

bālā suddhimamaññatha.
foolish me, I thought this was purity.
I was a fool with a misconception of purity.

Ahañca kho namassantī,
But now I worship the Awakened One,
But now I pay homage to the Buddha,

sambuddhaṁ purisuttamaṁ;
supreme among men.
the most excellent of men.

Pamuttā sabbadukkhehi,
Doing the teacher’s bidding,
Liberated from all suffering,

satthusāsanakārikā”ti.
I am released from all suffering.”
I follow the teaching of the Teacher.”

… Khemā therī ….
The Elder Khemā