sutta » kn » thig » Therīgāthā 13.5

Subhākammāradhītutherīgāthā

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

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

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

Tassā me appamattāya,
I understood the truth
Being diligent,

saccābhisamayo ahu.
through heedfulness,
I comprehended the truth;

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rajataṁ jātarūpaṁ vā,
Silver or gold
Money or gold

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Paripantho esa bhayo,
Greed is hazardous, frightful,
Greed is an obstacle, a threat,

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

Gedho suvisamo ceso,
It is the opposite of peace,
it is out of balance,

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

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

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

Ye bālā abhinandanti,
Foolish blind worldlings
where fools delight,

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ummādanā ullapanā,
Maddening, enticing,
Maddening, enticing,

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Raṇaṁ karitvā kāmānaṁ,
When I was battling with sensual pleasures,
Fighting against sensual pleasures,

sītibhāvābhikaṅkhinī;
I longed for a state of coolness—
longing for that cool state,

Appamattā vihassāmi,
now I dwell heedful
I shall meditate diligently

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Vinītuppalavaṇṇāya,
Trained by Uppalavaṇṇā,
Guided by Uppalavaṇṇā,

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Vīsatinipāto niṭṭhito.
The Chapter of the Twenties is finished.