sutta » kn » thig » Therīgāthā 13.2

Rohinītherīgāthā

Rohinī Verses of the Elder Rohinī

“‘Samaṇā’ti bhoti supi,
“You fell asleep saying ‘ascetics’;
“You fall asleep talking about ‘contemplatives’,

‘samaṇā’ti pabujjhasi;
you woke up saying ‘ascetics’;
you wake up talking about ‘contemplatives’,

Samaṇāneva kittesi,
you only praise ascetics, madam—
you only praise contemplatives,

samaṇī nūna bhavissasi.
surely you’ll become an ascetic.
surely you will become a contemplative.

Vipulaṁ annañca pānañca,
You provide ascetics
Abundant food and drink

samaṇānaṁ paveccasi;
with abundant food and drink.
you offer to contemplatives.

Rohinī dāni pucchāmi,
I ask you now, Rohiṇī:
Rohinī, now I ask:

kena te samaṇā piyā.
why do you like ascetics?
what is so dear to you about contemplatives?

Akammakāmā alasā,
They don’t like to work, they’re lazy,
They’re idle and lazy,

paradattūpajīvino;
they live on charity;
living on what is given by others,

Āsaṁsukā sādukāmā,
always on the lookout, greedy for sweets—
longing for sweet sensual pleasures,

kena te samaṇā piyā”.
so why do you like ascetics?”
what is so dear to you about contemplatives?”

“Cirassaṁ vata maṁ tāta,
“Dad, for a long time now
“For a very long time indeed, father,

samaṇānaṁ paripucchasi;
you’ve questioned me about ascetics.
you have asked me about contemplatives.

Tesaṁ te kittayissāmi,
I shall extol for you
For you, I will speak in praise of their

paññāsīlaparakkamaṁ.
their wisdom, ethics, and vigor.
wisdom, morality, and commitment.

Kammakāmā analasā,
They like to work, they’re not lazy;
Industrious, not lazy,

kammaseṭṭhassa kārakā;
by giving up greed and hate,
doers of the best deeds,

Rāgaṁ dosaṁ pajahanti,
they do the best kind of work—
they give up passion and aversion—

tena me samaṇā piyā.
that’s why I like ascetics.
because of this, contemplatives are dear to me.

Tīṇi pāpassa mūlāni,
As for the three roots of evil,
The three roots of evil

dhunanti sucikārino;
by pure deeds they shake them off.
they shake off, the ones whose actions are pure,

Sabbaṁ pāpaṁ pahīnesaṁ,
They have given up all wickedness—
who have abandoned all evil—

tena me samaṇā piyā.
that’s why I like ascetics.
because of this, contemplatives are dear to me.

Kāyakammaṁ suci nesaṁ,
Their bodily actions are pure;
They do pure bodily actions,

vacīkammañca tādisaṁ;
their actions of speech likewise;
as well as verbal actions,

Manokammaṁ suci nesaṁ,
their actions of mind are pure—
and pure mental actions—

tena me samaṇā piyā.
that’s why I like ascetics.
because of this, contemplatives are dear to me.

Vimalā saṅkhamuttāva,
Immaculate as a conch-shell,
Spotless as a pearl,

suddhā santarabāhirā;
they’re pure inside and out,
they are pure internally and externally,

Puṇṇā sukkāna dhammānaṁ,
full of bright qualities—
and full of bright qualities—

tena me samaṇā piyā.
that’s why I like ascetics.
because of this, contemplatives are dear to me.

Bahussutā dhammadharā,
They’re learned and memorize the teaching,
Very learned, knowing the Dhamma by heart,

ariyā dhammajīvino;
noble, living righteously,
Noble Ones, living a life of Dhamma,

Atthaṁ dhammañca desenti,
teaching the text and its meaning:
they expound the meaning of the Dhamma—

tena me samaṇā piyā.
that’s why I like ascetics.
because of this, contemplatives are dear to me.

Bahussutā dhammadharā,
They’re learned and memorize the teaching,
Very learned, knowing the Dhamma by heart,

ariyā dhammajīvino;
noble, living righteously,
Noble Ones, living a life of Dhamma,

Ekaggacittā satimanto,
unified in mind, and mindful—
mindful, with one-pointed minds—

tena me samaṇā piyā.
that’s why I like ascetics.
because of this, contemplatives are dear to me.

Dūraṅgamā satimanto,
Traveling afar, and mindful,
Going afar, mindful,

mantabhāṇī anuddhatā;
thoughtful in counsel, not restless,
giving counsel without conceit,

Dukkhassantaṁ pajānanti,
they understand the end of suffering—
they clearly know the end of suffering—

tena me samaṇā piyā.
that’s why I like ascetics.
because of this, contemplatives are dear to me.

Yasmā gāmā pakkamanti,
When they leave a village,
From whichever village they set out,

na vilokenti kiñcanaṁ;
they don’t look back with longing,
they never look back,

Anapekkhāva gacchanti,
but proceed without concern—
they wander without longing—

tena me samaṇā piyā.
that’s why I like ascetics.
because of this, contemplatives are dear to me.

Na te saṁ koṭṭhe openti,
They hoard no goods in storerooms,
They do not deposit things in storerooms,

na kumbhiṁ na khaḷopiyaṁ;
nor in pots or baskets.
nor do they have pots and pans,

Pariniṭṭhitamesānā,
They seek food prepared by others—
seeking complete perfection—

tena me samaṇā piyā.
that’s why I like ascetics.
because of this, contemplatives are dear to me.

Na te hiraññaṁ gaṇhanti,
They don’t receive gold coins,
They do not take up gold,

na suvaṇṇaṁ na rūpiyaṁ;
or gold or silver;
silver or money,

Paccuppannena yāpenti,
feeding on whatever comes that day,
they are nourished by the present moment—

tena me samaṇā piyā.
that’s why I like ascetics.
because of this, contemplatives are dear to me.

Nānākulā pabbajitā,
They have gone forth from different families,
Monastics from different clans,

nānājanapadehi ca;
even different countries,
and from different provinces,

Aññamaññaṁ piyāyanti,
and yet they all love one another—
they hold each other dear—

tena me samaṇā piyā”.
that’s why I like ascetics.”
because of this, contemplatives are dear to me.”

“Atthāya vata no bhoti,
“Dear Rohinī, it was truly for our benefit
“It surely was for our benefit

kule jātāsi rohinī;
that you were born in our family!
that you were born in this clan, Rohinī.

Saddhā buddhe ca dhamme ca,
You have faith and such keen respect
Very devout, and with faith in the Buddha, the Dhamma,

saṅghe ca tibbagāravā.
for the Buddha, his teaching, and the Sangha.
and the Sangha.

Tuvaṁ hetaṁ pajānāsi,
For you understand this
You clearly know this

puññakkhettaṁ anuttaraṁ;
supreme field of merit.
incomparable field of merit.

Amhampi ete samaṇā,
These ascetics will henceforth
These contemplatives

paṭigaṇhanti dakkhiṇaṁ.
receive our religious donation, too.
will receive donations from us as well.

Patiṭṭhito hettha yañño,
For there we will place our sacrifice,
Charity will be established here by us,

vipulo no bhavissati”;
and it shall be abundant.”
and it will be abundant.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Samādiyāmi sīlāni,
I undertake the precepts,
Having taken up the moral practices,

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

Brahmabandhu pure āsiṁ,
I used to be brahmin by kin,
“Before I was a kinsman of Brahmā,

so idānimhi brāhmaṇo;
now I genuinely am a brahmin.
now I am a brahmin.

Tevijjo sottiyo camhi,
Master of the three knowledges, I’m a scholar,
Possessing the three knowledges, I am one who has attained the highest knowledge,

vedagū camhi nhātako”.
a knowledge master, a bathed initiate.”
I am one who has bathed.”

… Rohinī therī ….
The Elder Rohinī