sutta » kn » thig » Therīgāthā 13.5

Subhākammāradhītutherīgāthā

Subhā, the Smith’s Daughter Subhā, the Daughter of a Blacksmith

“Daharāhaṁ suddhavasanā,
“I was so young, my clothes so fresh,
“I was young and pure

yaṁ pure dhammamassuṇiṁ;
at that time I heard the teaching.
when I heard the Dhamma.

Tassā me appamattāya,
Being diligent,
I understood the truth

saccābhisamayo ahu.
I comprehended the truth;
through heedfulness,

Tatohaṁ sabbakāmesu,
and then I became profoundly dispassionate
and then all sensual pleasures

bhusaṁ aratimajjhagaṁ;
towards all sensual pleasures.
stopped being so appealing.

Sakkāyasmiṁ bhayaṁ disvā,
Seeing fear in substantial reality,
I saw the danger in self-identity

nekkhammameva pīhaye.
I longed for renunciation.
and longed for renunciation.

Hitvānahaṁ ñātigaṇaṁ,
Giving up my family circle,
I left behind relatives,

dāsakammakarāni ca;
bonded servants and workers,
workers and servants,

Gāmakhettāni phītāni,
and my flourishing village fields,
and prosperous village fields,

ramaṇīye pamodite.
so delightful and pleasant,
pleasing and delightful.

Pahāyahaṁ pabbajitā,
I went forth;
I gave up much wealth

sāpateyyamanappakaṁ;
all that is no small wealth.
for the sake of going forth,

Evaṁ saddhāya nikkhamma,
Now that I’ve gone forth in faith like this,
Now that I have left the household life

saddhamme suppavedite.
in the true teaching so well proclaimed,
out of faith in the well-spoken true Dhamma,

Netaṁ assa patirūpaṁ,
since I desire to have nothing,
it wouldn’t be proper

Ākiñcaññañhi patthaye;
it would not be appropriate
for one who aspires to nothingness,

Yo jātarūpaṁ rajataṁ,
to take back gold and currency,
to revert to gold and silver

Chaḍḍetvā punarāgame.
having already got rid of them.
after casting them away.

Rajataṁ jātarūpaṁ vā,
Currency or gold
Silver or gold

na bodhāya na santiyā;
doesn’t lead to peace and awakening.
do not bring enlightenment nor peace.

Netaṁ samaṇasāruppaṁ,
It doesn’t befit an ascetic;
They are not proper for a contemplative,

na etaṁ ariyaddhanaṁ.
it’s not the wealth of the noble ones;
this isn’t noble wealth.

Lobhanaṁ madanañcetaṁ,
it’s greed and vanity,
It’s just greed and intoxication,

mohanaṁ rajavaḍḍhanaṁ;
confusion and growing decadence,
delusion and increase of impurity.

Sāsaṅkaṁ bahuāyāsaṁ,
dubious and troublesome—
It is unreliable, troublesome,

natthi cettha dhuvaṁ ṭhiti.
there is nothing lasting there.
and short-lived.

Ettha rattā pamattā ca,
Depraved and heedless,
Human beings with defiled minds pursue it.

saṅkiliṭṭhamanā narā;
unenlightened folk, their hearts corrupt,
Heedless and lustful,

Aññamaññena byāruddhā,
fight each other,
they get into numerous quarrels,

puthu kubbanti medhagaṁ.
creating conflict.
pitting themselves against each other.

Vadho bandho parikleso,
Killing, caging, misery,
One can see those entangled in sensual pleasures

jāni sokapariddavo;
loss, grief, and lamentation;
afflicted with much misfortune:

Kāmesu adhipannānaṁ,
those sunk in sensual pleasures
ruin, imprisonment, hardship,

dissate byasanaṁ bahuṁ.
see many disastrous things.
loss, grief, and lamentation.

Taṁ maṁ ñātī amittāva,
My family, why do you urge me on
Treacherous relatives,

kiṁ vo kāmesu yuñjatha;
to pleasures, as if you were my enemies?
why do you try to trap me in sensual pleasures?

Jānātha maṁ pabbajitaṁ,
You know I’ve gone forth,
You know I have gone forth

kāmesu bhayadassiniṁ.
seeing fear in sensual pleasures.
after seeing the danger in sensual pleasures.

Na hiraññasuvaṇṇena,
It’s not due to gold, coined or uncoined,
Neither gold nor money

parikkhīyanti āsavā;
that defilements come to an end.
will eliminate the influences of mind.

Amittā vadhakā kāmā,
Sensual pleasures are enemies and murderers,
Sensual pleasures are murderous enemies,

sapattā sallabandhanā.
hostile forces that bind you to thorns.
foes, darts, fetters.

Taṁ maṁ ñātī amittāva,
My family, why do you urge me on
Treacherous relatives,

kiṁ vo kāmesu yuñjatha;
to pleasures, as if you were my enemies?
why do you try to trap me in sensual pleasures?

Jānātha maṁ pabbajitaṁ,
You know I’ve gone forth,
You know I have gone forth

muṇḍaṁ saṅghāṭipārutaṁ.
shaven, wrapped in my outer robe.
with a shaven head, wrapped in the outer robe.

Uttiṭṭhapiṇḍo uñcho ca,
Leftovers as gleanings,
Collecting lumps of leftover food,

paṁsukūlañca cīvaraṁ;
and cast-off rags as robes—
and robes made from discarded rags:

Etaṁ kho mama sāruppaṁ,
that’s what’s fitting for me,
these are the supports for the homeless life,

anagārūpanissayo.
the essentials of the homeless life.
this is what is proper for me.

Vantā mahesīhi kāmā,
Great seers expel sensual pleasures,
The great sages have spewed out sensual pleasures,

ye dibbā ye ca mānusā;
both human and heavenly.
both divine and human.

Khemaṭṭhāne vimuttā te,
Safe in their sanctuary, they are freed,
They are in a safe place, they are liberated,

pattā te acalaṁ sukhaṁ.
having found unshakable happiness.
they have reached unshakable happiness.

Māhaṁ kāmehi saṅgacchiṁ,
May I not encounter sensual pleasures,
I should not get involved with sensual pleasures,

yesu tāṇaṁ na vijjati;
for no shelter is found in them.
where safety is not found.

Amittā vadhakā kāmā,
Sensual pleasures are enemies and murderers,
Sensual pleasures are deadly enemies,

aggikkhandhūpamā dukhā.
as painful as a mass of fire.
they are like a great mass of fire, they are suffering.

Paripantho esa bhayo,
This is a roadblock, a threat,
Greed is hazardous, frightful,

savighāto sakaṇṭako;
full of distress and thorns;
pestering, troublesome.

Gedho suvisamo ceso,
it is a blind spot, uneven,
It is the opposite of peace,

mahanto mohanāmukho.
a great gateway to confusion.
and the way into much delusion.

Upasaggo bhīmarūpo,
Hazardous and terrifying,
Sensual pleasures are like the head of a snake,

kāmā sappasirūpamā;
sensual pleasures are like a snake’s head,
dangerous and dire.

Ye bālā abhinandanti,
where fools delight,
Foolish blind worldlings

andhabhūtā puthujjanā.
the blind ordinary folk.
delight in them—

Kāmapaṅkena sattā hi,
Stuck in the swamp of sensuality,
indeed there are many foolish beings in the world,

bahū loke aviddasū;
there are so many ignorant in the world.
trapped in the mud of sensual pleasures,

Pariyantaṁ na jānanti,
They know nothing of the end
who do not know the end

jātiyā maraṇassa ca.
of rebirth and death.
of birth and death.

Duggatigamanaṁ maggaṁ,
Because of sensual pleasures,
Because of sensual pleasures

manussā kāmahetukaṁ;
people jump right on to the path <j>that goes to a bad place.
humans are on the path that leads to a bad destination.

Bahuṁ ve paṭipajjanti,
So many walk the path
Many decide to follow it,

attano rogamāvahaṁ.
that brings disease onto themselves.
bringing illness to themselves,

Evaṁ amittajananā,
That’s how sensual pleasures create enemies;
by producing enmity,

tāpanā saṅkilesikā;
they are so tormenting, so corrupting,
torment, and complete defilement.

Lokāmisā bandhanīyā,
trapping beings with worldly pleasures of the flesh,
Sensual pleasures are entrapping,

kāmā maraṇabandhanā.
they are nothing less than the bonds of death.
the world’s bait that binds us to death.

Ummādanā ullapanā,
Maddening, enticing,
Maddening, enticing,

kāmā cittappamaddino;
sensual pleasures derange the mind.
sensual pleasures crush the mind.

Sattānaṁ saṅkilesāya,
They’re a snare laid by Māra
They are a trap set by Māra

khippaṁ mārena oḍḍitaṁ.
for the corruption of beings.
for the defilement of sentient beings.

Anantādīnavā kāmā,
Sensual pleasures are infinitely dangerous,
Sensual pleasures have endless drawbacks,

bahudukkhā mahāvisā;
they’re full of suffering, a terrible poison;
cause much suffering, and are highly poisonous.

Appassādā raṇakarā,
offering little gratification, they’re makers of strife,
They bring little enjoyment, they produce conflict,

sukkapakkhavisosanā.
withering bright qualities away.
causing one’s bright wholesome traits to wither away.

Sāhaṁ etādisaṁ katvā,
Since I’ve created so much ruination
I will not go back

byasanaṁ kāmahetukaṁ;
because of sensual pleasures,
to sensual pleasures,

Na taṁ paccāgamissāmi,
I will not relapse to them again,
which have caused me so much misery—

nibbānābhiratā sadā.
but will always delight in extinguishment.
now I always enjoy Nirvana.

Raṇaṁ karitvā kāmānaṁ,
Having once made strife <j>for the sake of sensual pleasures,
When I was battling with sensual pleasures,

sītibhāvābhikaṅkhinī;
now I am longing for that cool state.
I longed for a state of coolness—

Appamattā vihassāmi,
I shall meditate diligently
now I dwell heedful

sabbasaṁyojanakkhaye.
for the ending of all fetters.
in the destruction of all fetters.

Asokaṁ virajaṁ khemaṁ,
Sorrowless, stainless, secure:
Free from sorrow, stainless, safe:

ariyaṭṭhaṅgikaṁ ujuṁ;
I follow that path,
I follow the upright

Taṁ maggaṁ anugacchāmi,
the straight noble eightfold way
Noble Eightfold Path,

yena tiṇṇā mahesino”.
by which the seers have crossed over.”
the one because of which the Great Sage crossed over.”

“Imaṁ passatha dhammaṭṭhaṁ,
“Look at this: Subhā the smith’s daughter,
“You see this person established in Dhamma,

subhaṁ kammāradhītaraṁ;
standing firm in the teaching.
Subhā, the daughter of a blacksmith.

Anejaṁ upasampajja,
She has entered the imperturbable state,
Having become free from passion,

rukkhamūlamhi jhāyati.
meditating at the root of a tree.
she meditates at the root of a tree.

Ajjaṭṭhamī pabbajitā,
It’s just eight days since she went forth,
Today is the eighth day since her going forth,

saddhā saddhammasobhanā;
full of faith in the beautiful teaching.
faith shining in the true Dhamma.

Vinītuppalavaṇṇāya,
Guided by Uppalavaṇṇā,
Trained by Uppalavaṇṇā,

tevijjā maccuhāyinī.
she is master of the three knowledges, <j>conqueror of death.
possessing the three knowledges, leaving behind death.

Sāyaṁ bhujissā anaṇā,
This one is freed from slavery and debt,
A free person with no debt,

bhikkhunī bhāvitindriyā;
a nun with faculties developed.
a bhikkhunī with well-developed spiritual powers,

Sabbayogavisaṁyuttā,
Unyoked from all yokes,
with all bonds unbound,

katakiccā anāsavā”.
she has completed the task <j>and is free of defilements.”
she is one who has done what was to be done, and is free from influences.”

Taṁ sakko devasaṅghena,
Thus did Sakka, lord of all creatures,
Then Sakka, using psychic powers,

upasaṅkamma iddhiyā;
along with a host of gods,
approached her with an assembly of Devas,

Namassati bhūtapati,
having come by their psychic powers,
and the lord of beings paid homage to

subhaṁ kammāradhītaranti.
honor Subhā, the smith’s daughter.
Subhā, the daughter of a blacksmith.

… Subhā kammāradhītā therī ….
… The Elder Subhā, daughter of a blacksmith.

Vīsatinipāto niṭṭhito.
The Chapter of the Twenties is finished.