Udāna 8.7
Translators: sujato
Heartfelt Sayings 8.7
Dvidhāpathasutta
A Fork in the Road
Evaṁ me sutaṁ—
So I have heard.
ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā kosalesu addhānamaggappaṭipanno hoti āyasmatā nāgasamālena pacchāsamaṇena.
At one time the Buddha was traveling along a road in the Kosalan lands with Venerable Nāgasamāla as his second monk.
Addasā kho āyasmā nāgasamālo antarāmagge dvidhāpathaṁ.
Nāgasamāla saw a fork in the road
Disvāna bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:
and said to the Buddha,
“ayaṁ, bhante, bhagavā pantho;
“Sir, this is the road,
iminā gacchāmā”ti.
let us go this way.”
Evaṁ vutte, bhagavā āyasmantaṁ nāgasamālaṁ etadavoca:
But when he said this the Buddha responded,
“ayaṁ, nāgasamāla, pantho;
“Nāgasamāla, this is the road,
iminā gacchāmā”ti.
let us go this way.”
Dutiyampi kho …pe…
For a second time,
tatiyampi kho āyasmā nāgasamālo bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:
and a third time Nāgasamāla said to the Buddha,
“ayaṁ, bhante, bhagavā pantho;
“Sir, this is the road,
iminā gacchāmā”ti.
let us go this way.”
Tatiyampi kho bhagavā āyasmantaṁ nāgasamālaṁ etadavoca:
And for a third time the Buddha responded,
“ayaṁ, nāgasamāla, pantho;
“Nāgasamāla, this is the road,
iminā gacchāmā”ti.
let us go this way.”
Atha kho āyasmā nāgasamālo bhagavato pattacīvaraṁ tattheva chamāyaṁ nikkhipitvā pakkāmi:
Then Nāgasamāla put the Buddha’s bowl and robes down on the ground right there and left, saying,
“idaṁ, bhante, bhagavato pattacīvaran”ti.
“Sir, here are your bowl and robes.”
Atha kho āyasmato nāgasamālassa tena panthena gacchantassa antarāmagge corā nikkhamitvā hatthehi ca pādehi ca ākoṭesuṁ pattañca bhindiṁsu saṅghāṭiñca vipphālesuṁ.
Then as Nāgasamāla was going down that road, he was set upon by bandits who struck him with fists and feet, broke his bowl, and tore up his outer robe.
Atha kho āyasmā nāgasamālo bhinnena pattena vipphālitāya saṅghāṭiyā yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi.
Then Nāgasamāla—with his bowl broken and his outer robe torn—went to the Buddha and told him what had happened.
Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho āyasmā nāgasamālo bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:
“idha mayhaṁ, bhante, tena panthena gacchantassa antarāmagge corā nikkhamitvā hatthehi ca pādehi ca ākoṭesuṁ, pattañca bhindiṁsu, saṅghāṭiñca vipphālesun”ti.
Atha kho bhagavā etamatthaṁ viditvā tāyaṁ velāyaṁ imaṁ udānaṁ udānesi:
Then, understanding this matter, on that occasion the Buddha expressed this heartfelt sentiment:
“Saddhiṁ caramekato vasaṁ,
“Walking together, dwelling as one,
Misso aññajanena vedagū;
the knowledge master mixes with foolish folk.
Vidvā pajahāti pāpakaṁ,
Knowing this, they give up wickedness,
Koñco khīrapakova ninnagan”ti.
like a milk-drinking heron the water.”
Sattamaṁ.