sutta » kn » thig » Therīgāthā 11.1

Uppalavaṇṇātherīgāthā

Verses of the Elder Uppalavaṇṇā Uppalavaṇṇā

“Ubho mātā ca dhītā ca,
“We were mother and daughter,
“The two of us were co-wives,

mayaṁ āsuṁ sapattiyo;
but we also shared the same husband.
though we were mother and daughter.

Tassā me ahu saṁvego,
This terrifying and horrible situation
I was struck with a sense of urgency,

abbhuto lomahaṁsano.
gave me a sense of urgency.
so astonishing and hair-raising!

Dhiratthu kāmā asucī,
Damn impure sensual pleasures,
Curse those filthy sensual pleasures,

duggandhā bahukaṇṭakā;
foul-smelling and painful,
so nasty and thorny,

Yattha mātā ca dhītā ca,
where mother and daughter
where we, both mother and daughter,

sabhariyā mayaṁ ahuṁ.
share the same husband.
had to be co-wives together.

Kāmesvādīnavaṁ disvā,
After seeing the drawbacks of sensual pleasures,
Seeing the danger in sensual pleasures,

nekkhammaṁ daṭṭhu khemato;
I saw the safety of renunciation.
seeing renunciation as sanctuary,

Sā pabbajjiṁ rājagahe,
I went forth in Rājagaha,
I went forth in Rājagaha

agārasmānagāriyaṁ.
from the home life into homelessness.
from the lay life to homelessness.

Pubbenivāsaṁ jānāmi,
I know my past lives,
I know my past lives;

dibbacakkhu visodhitaṁ;
I have purified my divine eye.
my clairvoyance is clarified;

Cetopariccañāṇañca,
I am able to read the minds of others,
I comprehend the minds of others;

sotadhātu visodhitā.
and I have purified the ear element.
my clairaudience is purified;

Iddhīpi me sacchikatā,
I have attained psychic powers,
I've realized the psychic powers,

patto me āsavakkhayo;
and reached the destruction of the influences.
and attained the ending of defilements.

Chaḷabhiññā sacchikatā,
I have realized the six special knowledges,
I’ve realized the six kinds of direct knowledge,

kataṁ buddhassa sāsanaṁ.
and completed the teaching of the Buddha.
and fulfilled the Buddha’s instructions.

Iddhiyā abhinimmitvā,
I created with psychic powers
I created a four-horsed chariot

caturassaṁ rathaṁ ahaṁ;
a four-horse chariot,
using my psychic powers.

Buddhassa pāde vanditvā,
and went to pay homage at the feet of the Buddha,
Then I bowed at the feet of the Buddha,

lokanāthassa tādino”.
the master of the world.”
the glorious protector of the world.”

“Supupphitaggaṁ upagamma pādapaṁ,
“You are alone,
“You’ve come to this sal tree all crowned with flowers,

Ekā tuvaṁ tiṭṭhasi sālamūle;
at the roots of a flowering Sal tree.
and stand at its root all alone.

Na cāpi te dutiyo atthi koci,
Without anyone with you,
But you have no companion with you,

Bāle na tvaṁ bhāyasi dhuttakānaṁ”.
you fool, are you not afraid of rogues?”
silly girl, aren’t you afraid of rascals?”

“Sataṁ sahassānipi dhuttakānaṁ,
“Even if one hundred thousand rogues
“Even if 100,000 rascals like this

Samāgatā edisakā bhaveyyuṁ;
were to band together like this,
were to gang up,

Lomaṁ na iñje napi sampavedhe,
not one hair would bristle from fear, nor would I waver.
I’d stir not a hair nor tremble.

Kiṁ me tuvaṁ māra karissaseko.
So what could you do to me on your own, Māra?
What could you do to me all alone, Māra?

Esā antaradhāyāmi,
I can disappear,
I’ll vanish,

kucchiṁ vā pavisāmi te;
go inside your belly,
or I’ll enter your belly;

Bhamukantare tiṭṭhāmi,
or stand in between your eyebrows,
I could stand between your eyebrows

tiṭṭhantiṁ maṁ na dakkhasi.
where you cannot see me.
and you still wouldn’t see me.

Cittamhi vasībhūtāhaṁ,
I have become the master of my own mind,
I’m the master of my own mind,

iddhipādā subhāvitā;
with the four bases of power well-cultivated;
I’ve developed the bases of psychic power well.

Chaḷabhiññā sacchikatā,
I have realized the six special knowledges,
I’ve realized the six kinds of direct knowledge,

kataṁ buddhassa sāsanaṁ.
and completed the teaching of the Buddha.
and fulfilled the Buddha’s instructions.

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

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

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

‘āratī’ dāni sā mama.
are no longer appealing to me.
is now no delight for me.

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

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

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

Nihato tvamasi antakā”ti.
Death—you are destroyed!”
you’re beaten, terminator!”

… Uppalavaṇṇā therī ….
… The Elder Uppalavaṇṇā

Dvādasakanipāto niṭṭhito.
The Chapter of the Twelves is finished.