sutta » kn » thig » Therīgāthā 11.1

Uppalavaṇṇātherīgāthā

Uppalavaṇṇā Verses of the Elder Uppalavaṇṇā

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 appealing sensual pleasures that you talk about

‘āratī’ dāni sā mama.
is now no delight for me.
are no longer appealing 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 antakā”ti.
you’re beaten, terminator!”
Death—you are destroyed!”

… Uppalavaṇṇā therī ….
… The Elder Uppalavaṇṇā

Dvādasakanipāto niṭṭhito.
The Chapter of the Twelves is finished.