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Nāgasutta

A Bull Elephant

Evaṁ me sutaṁ—
So I have heard.

ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā kosambiyaṁ viharati ghositārāme.
At one time the Buddha was staying near Kosambi, in Ghosita’s Monastery.

Tena kho pana samayena bhagavā ākiṇṇo viharati bhikkhūhi bhikkhunīhi upāsakehi upāsikāhi rājūhi rājamahāmattehi titthiyehi titthiyasāvakehi.
Now at that time Buddha lived crowded by monks, nuns, laymen, and laywomen; by rulers and their ministers, and monastics of other religions and their disciples.

Ākiṇṇo dukkhaṁ na phāsu viharati.
Crowded, he lived in suffering and discomfort.

Atha kho bhagavato etadahosi:
Then he thought,

“ahaṁ kho etarahi ākiṇṇo viharāmi bhikkhūhi bhikkhunīhi upāsakehi upāsikāhi rājūhi rājamahāmattehi titthiyehi titthiyasāvakehi.
“These days I live crowded by monks, nuns, laymen, and laywomen; by rulers and their ministers, and monastics of other religions and their disciples.

Ākiṇṇo dukkhaṁ na phāsu viharāmi.
Crowded, I live in suffering and discomfort.

Yannūnāhaṁ eko gaṇasmā vūpakaṭṭho vihareyyan”ti.
Why don’t I live alone, withdrawn from the group?”

Atha kho bhagavā pubbaṇhasamayaṁ nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya kosambiṁ piṇḍāya pāvisi.
Then the Buddha robed up in the morning and, taking his bowl and robe, entered Kosambī for alms.

Kosambiyaṁ piṇḍāya caritvā pacchābhattaṁ piṇḍapātapaṭikkanto sāmaṁ senāsanaṁ saṁsāmetvā pattacīvaramādāya anāmantetvā upaṭṭhākaṁ anapaloketvā bhikkhusaṅghaṁ eko adutiyo yena pālileyyakaṁ tena cārikaṁ pakkāmi.
After the meal, on his return from almsround, he set his lodgings in order himself. Taking his bowl and robe, without informing his attendants or taking leave of the mendicant Saṅgha, he set out to go wandering alone towards Pārileyya, with no companion.

Anupubbena cārikaṁ caramāno yena pālileyyakaṁ tadavasari.
When he eventually arrived,

Tatra sudaṁ bhagavā pālileyyake viharati rakkhitavanasaṇḍe bhaddasālamūle.
he stayed in a protected forest grove, at the foot of a sacred sal tree.

Aññataropi kho hatthināgo ākiṇṇo viharati hatthīhi hatthinīhi hatthikalabhehi hatthicchāpehi. Chinnaggāni ceva tiṇāni khādati, obhaggobhaggañcassa sākhābhaṅgaṁ khādanti, āvilāni ca pānīyāni pivati, ogāhā cassa uttiṇṇassa hatthiniyo kāyaṁ upanighaṁsantiyo gacchanti.
A certain bull elephant was also living crowded by other males, females, younglings, and cubs. He ate the grass they’d trampled, and they ate the broken branches he dragged down. He drank muddy water, and after his bath the female elephants bumped into him.

Ākiṇṇo dukkhaṁ na phāsu viharati.
Crowded, he lived in suffering and discomfort.

Atha kho tassa hatthināgassa etadahosi:
Then he thought,

“ahaṁ kho etarahi ākiṇṇo viharāmi hatthīhi hatthinīhi hatthikalabhehi hatthicchāpehi, chinnaggāni ceva tiṇāni khādāmi, obhaggobhaggañca me sākhābhaṅgaṁ khādanti, āvilāni ca pānīyāni pivāmi, ogāhā ca me uttiṇṇassa hatthiniyo kāyaṁ upanighaṁsantiyo gacchanti, ākiṇṇo dukkhaṁ na phāsu viharāmi.
“These days I live crowded by other males, females, younglings, and cubs. I eat the grass they’ve trampled, and they eat the broken branches I’ve dragged down. I drink muddy water, and after my bath the female elephants bump into me. Crowded, I live in suffering and discomfort.

Yannūnāhaṁ eko gaṇasmā vūpakaṭṭho vihareyyan”ti.
Why don’t I live alone, withdrawn from the herd?”

Atha kho so hatthināgo yūthā apakkamma yena pālileyyakaṁ rakkhitavanasaṇḍo bhaddasālamūlaṁ yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami.
So he left the herd and went to Pārileyya, where he approached the Buddha in the protected forest grove at the foot of a sacred sal tree.

Tatra sudaṁ so hatthināgo yasmiṁ padese bhagavā viharati taṁ padesaṁ appaharitaṁ karoti, soṇḍāya ca bhagavato pānīyaṁ paribhojanīyaṁ upaṭṭhāpeti.
There he attended on the Buddha, clearing the vegetation from the place where the Buddha stayed, and using his trunk to set out water for drinking and washing.

Atha kho bhagavato rahogatassa paṭisallīnassa evaṁ cetaso parivitakko udapādi:
Then as the Buddha was in private retreat this thought came to his mind,

“ahaṁ kho pubbe ākiṇṇo vihāsiṁ bhikkhūhi bhikkhunīhi upāsakehi upāsikāhi rājūhi rājamahāmattehi titthiyehi titthiyasāvakehi, ākiṇṇo dukkhaṁ na phāsu vihāsiṁ.
“Formerly I lived crowded by monks, nuns, laymen, and laywomen; by rulers and their ministers, and monastics of other religions and their disciples. Crowded, I live in suffering and discomfort.

Somhi etarahi anākiṇṇo viharāmi bhikkhūhi bhikkhunīhi upāsakehi upāsikāhi rājūhi rājamahāmattehi titthiyehi titthiyasāvakehi, anākiṇṇo sukhaṁ phāsu viharāmī”ti.
But now I live uncrowded by monks, nuns, laymen, and laywomen; by rulers and their ministers, and monastics of other religions and their disciples. Being uncrowded, I live in happiness and comfort.”

Tassapi kho hatthināgassa evaṁ cetaso parivitakko udapādi:
And to the bull elephant also this thought came to mind,

“ahaṁ kho pubbe ākiṇṇo vihāsiṁ hatthīhi hatthinīhi hatthikalabhehi hatthicchāpehi, chinnaggāni ceva tiṇāni khādiṁ, obhaggobhaggañca me sākhābhaṅgaṁ khādiṁsu, āvilāni ca pānīyāni apāyiṁ, ogāhā ca me uttiṇṇassa hatthiniyo kāyaṁ upanighaṁsantiyo agamaṁsu, ākiṇṇo dukkhaṁ na phāsu vihāsiṁ.
“Formerly I lived crowded by other males, females, younglings, and cubs. I ate the grass they’d trampled, and they ate the broken branches I’d dragged down. I drank muddy water, and after my bath the female elephants bumped into me. Crowded, I lived in suffering and discomfort.

Somhi etarahi anākiṇṇo viharāmi hatthīhi hatthinīhi hatthikalabhehi hatthicchāpehi, acchinnaggāni ceva tiṇāni khādāmi, obhaggobhaggañca me sākhābhaṅgaṁ na khādanti, anāvilāni ca pānīyāni pivāmi, ogāhā ca me uttiṇṇassa hatthiniyo na kāyaṁ upanighaṁsantiyo gacchanti, anākiṇṇo sukhaṁ phāsu viharāmī”ti.
But now I live uncrowded by other males, females, younglings, and cubs. I eat untrampled grass, and other elephants don’t eat the broken branches I have dragged down. I don’t drink muddy water, and the female elephants don’t bump into me after my bath. Being uncrowded, I live in happiness and comfort.”

Atha kho bhagavā attano ca pavivekaṁ viditvā tassa ca hatthināgassa cetasā cetoparivitakkamaññāya tāyaṁ velāyaṁ imaṁ udānaṁ udānesi:
Then, understanding his own seclusion and knowing that elephant’s train of thought, on that occasion the Buddha expressed this heartfelt sentiment:

“Etaṁ nāgassa nāgena,
“The giant elephant,

īsādantassa hatthino;
with tusks like chariot-poles,

Sameti cittaṁ cittena,
agrees heart to heart with the spiritual giant,

yadeko ramatī mano”ti.
since each finds joy in the woods alone.”

Pañcamaṁ.