sutta » kn » thig » Therīgāthā 12.1

Puṇṇātherīgāthā

Verses of the Elder Puṇṇā Puṇṇikā

“Udahārī ahaṁ sīte,
“I am one who bathes in cold water,
“I used to be a water-carrier. Even when it was cold,

sadā udakamotariṁ;
always plunging into the water,
I would always plunge into the water,

Ayyānaṁ daṇḍabhayabhītā,
afraid of punishment by the masters,
afraid of my masters’ beatings,

vācādosabhayaṭṭitā.
terrified of angry words.”
harassed by fear of abuse and anger.

Kassa brāhmaṇa tvaṁ bhīto,
“Why are you doing that, brahmin,
Brahmin, what are you afraid of,

sadā udakamotari;
always plunging into the water frightened,
that you always plunge into the water,

Vedhamānehi gattehi,
shivering,
your limbs trembling

sītaṁ vedayase bhusaṁ”.
and feeling very cold?”
in the freezing cold?”

“Jānantī vata maṁ bhoti,
“Dear Puṇṇa, surely you know already,
“Oh, but you already know,

puṇṇike paripucchasi;
why do you ask?
Madam Puṇṇikā, when you ask me:

Karontaṁ kusalaṁ kammaṁ,
I am making good karma
I am doing good deeds,

rundhantaṁ katapāpakaṁ.
to block past bad karma.
to ward off the wickedness I have done.

Yo ca vuḍḍho daharo vā,
Whether one is young or old,
Whosoever young or old

pāpakammaṁ pakubbati;
whomever does a bad deed
performs a wicked deed,

Dakābhisecanā sopi,
is liberated from their bad deed
by ablution in water they are

pāpakammā pamuccati”.
through ritual bathing.”
released from their wicked deed.”

“Ko nu te idamakkhāsi,
“Who told you this,
“Who on earth told you this,

ajānantassa ajānako;
one ignorant person to another:
one ignoramus to another:

Dakābhisecanā nāma,
‘through ritual bathing
‘Actually, by ablution in water one is

pāpakammā pamuccati.
one is liberated from bad deeds’?
released from a wicked deed.’

Saggaṁ nūna gamissanti,
Does this mean that
Would not they all go to heaven, then:

sabbe maṇḍūkakacchapā;
all frogs, turtles,
all the frogs and the turtles,

Nāgā ca susumārā ca,
sea-serpents, crocodiles,
serpents, crocodiles,

ye caññe udake carā.
and all the other marine beings will go to heaven?
and other water-dwellers too?

Orabbhikā sūkarikā,
Those who slaughter sheep and pigs,
Butchers of sheep and pigs,

macchikā migabandhakā;
fishermen, deer-hunters,
fishermen, animal trappers,

Corā ca vajjhaghātā ca,
thieves, executioners,
bandits, executioners,

ye caññe pāpakammino;
and others doing bad deeds:
and others of evil deeds:

Dakābhisecanā tepi,
through ritual bathing,
by ablution in water they too would be

pāpakammā pamuccare.
they would be liberated from their bad deeds.
released from their wicked deeds.

Sace imā nadiyo te,
If these rivers could carry away
If these rivers washed away

pāpaṁ pubbe kataṁ vahuṁ;
the bad deeds you made in the past,
the bad deeds of the past,

Puññampimā vaheyyuṁ te,
they would also carry away your merit,
then they’d also wash off goodness,

tena tvaṁ paribāhiro.
because it would be outside of yourself.
and thereby you would be excluded.

Yassa brāhmaṇa tvaṁ bhīto,
Whatever you are frightened about, brahmin,
Brahmin, the thing that you are afraid of,

sadā udakamotari;
because of which you are always going into the water,
when you always plunge into the water,

Tameva brahme mā kāsi,
brahmin, just don’t do that;
do not do that very thing,

mā te sītaṁ chaviṁ hane”.
you do not need to let the cold hurt your skin.”
don’t let the cold harm your skin.”

“Kummaggapaṭipannaṁ maṁ,
“I was practicing the wrong path,
“I have been on the wrong path,

ariyamaggaṁ samānayi;
and you have led me to the Noble Path.
and you’ve guided me to the noble path.

Dakābhisecanā bhoti,
Dear Madam, I give you
Madam, I give to you

imaṁ sāṭaṁ dadāmi te”.
this ritual bathing-cloth.”
this ablution cloth.”

“Tuyheva sāṭako hotu,
“Let this cloth be yours,
“Keep the cloth for yourself,

nāhamicchāmi sāṭakaṁ;
I do not wish to have it.
I do not want it.

Sace bhāyasi dukkhassa,
If you are afraid of suffering,
If you fear suffering,

sace te dukkhamappiyaṁ.
if you dislike suffering,
if you don’t like suffering,

Mākāsi pāpakaṁ kammaṁ,
do not do any bad deeds,
then don’t do bad deeds

āvi vā yadi vā raho;
either publicly or privately.
either openly or in secret.

Sace ca pāpakaṁ kammaṁ,
If you do a bad deed,
If you should do a bad deed,

karissasi karosi vā.
or will do so in the future,
or you’re doing one now,

Na te dukkhā pamutyatthi,
you will not be liberated from your suffering,
you won’t be freed from suffering,

upeccāpi palāyato;
it reaches you even if you try to run away from it.
though you fly away and flee.

Sace bhāyasi dukkhassa,
If you are afraid of suffering,
If you fear suffering,

sace te dukkhamappiyaṁ.
if you dislike suffering,
if you don’t like suffering,

Upehi saraṇaṁ buddhaṁ,
go for refuge to the Buddha,
go for refuge to the Buddha, the poised,

dhammaṁ saṅghañca tādinaṁ;
Dhamma, and Sangha.
to his teaching and to the Sangha.

Samādiyāhi sīlāni,
Take up the moral practices,
Undertake the precepts,

taṁ te atthāya hehiti”.
for your own sake.”
that will be good for you.”

“Upemi saraṇaṁ buddhaṁ,
“I go for refuge to the Buddha,
“I go for refuge to the Buddha, the poised,

dhammaṁ saṅghañca tādinaṁ;
Dhamma, and Sangha.
to his teaching and to the Sangha.

Samādiyāmi sīlāni,
I take up the moral practices,
I undertake the precepts,

taṁ me atthāya hehiti.
for my own sake.
that will be good for me.

Brahmabandhu pure āsiṁ,
Before I was a kinsman of Brahmā,
In the past I was related to Brahmā,

ajjamhi saccabrāhmaṇo;
today I am a real brahmin.
today I truly am a brahmin!

Tevijjo vedasampanno,
Possessing the three knowledges and higher insight,
I am master of the three knowledges, <j>accomplished in wisdom,

sottiyo camhi nhātako”ti.
I am one who has bathed, and has attained the highest knowledge.”
I’m a scholar and a bathed initiate.”

… Puṇṇā therī ….
The Elder Puṇṇā

Soḷasakanipāto niṭṭhito.
The Chapter of the Sixteens is finished.