Bahudhītarasutta

Saṁyutta Nikāya 7.10

Linked Discourses 7.10

1. Arahantavagga

1. The Perfected Ones

Bahudhītarasutta

Many Daughters

Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā kosalesu viharati aññatarasmiṁ vanasaṇḍe.

At one time the Buddha was staying in the land of the Kosalans in a certain forest grove.

Tena kho pana samayena aññatarassa bhāradvājagottassa brāhmaṇassa catuddasa balībaddā naṭṭhā honti.

Now at that time one of the brahmins of the Bhāradvāja clan had lost fourteen oxen.

Atha kho bhāradvājagotto brāhmaṇo te balībadde gavesanto yena so vanasaṇḍo tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā addasa bhagavantaṁ tasmiṁ vanasaṇḍe nisinnaṁ pallaṅkaṁ ābhujitvā ujuṁ kāyaṁ paṇidhāya parimukhaṁ satiṁ upaṭṭhapetvā.

While looking for them he went to that forest grove, where he saw the Buddha sitting down cross-legged, his body set straight, and mindfulness brought to the present.

Disvāna yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavato santike imā gāthāyo abhāsi:

He went up to the Buddha, and recited these verses in the Buddha’s presence:

“Na hi nūnimassa samaṇassa,

“This ascetic mustn’t have

Balībaddā catuddasa;

fourteen oxen

Ajjasaṭṭhiṁ na dissanti,

missing for the past six days:

Tenāyaṁ samaṇo sukhī.

that’s why this ascetic is happy.

Na hi nūnimassa samaṇassa,

This ascetic mustn’t have

Tilākhettasmi pāpakā;

a field of sesame ruined,

Ekapaṇṇā dupaṇṇā ca,

with just one or two leaves:

Tenāyaṁ samaṇo sukhī.

that’s why this ascetic is happy.

Na hi nūnimassa samaṇassa,

This ascetic mustn’t have

Tucchakoṭṭhasmi mūsikā;

rats in a vacant barn

Ussoḷhikāya naccanti,

dancing merrily:

Tenāyaṁ samaṇo sukhī.

that’s why this ascetic is happy.

Na hi nūnimassa samaṇassa,

This ascetic mustn’t have

Santhāro sattamāsiko;

carpets that for seven months

Uppāṭakehi sañchanno,

have been infested with fleas:

Tenāyaṁ samaṇo sukhī.

that’s why this ascetic is happy.

Na hi nūnimassa samaṇassa,

This ascetic mustn’t have

Vidhavā satta dhītaro;

seven widowed daughters

Ekaputtā duputtā ca,

with one or two children each:

Tenāyaṁ samaṇo sukhī.

that’s why this ascetic is happy.

Na hi nūnimassa samaṇassa,

This ascetic mustn’t have

Piṅgalā tilakāhatā;

a wife with sallow, blotchy skin

Sottaṁ pādena bodheti,

to wake him with a kick:

Tenāyaṁ samaṇo sukhī.

that’s why this ascetic is happy.

Na hi nūnimassa samaṇassa,

This ascetic mustn’t have

Paccūsamhi iṇāyikā;

creditors knocking at dawn,

Detha dethāti codenti,

demanding, ‘Pay up! Pay up!’:

Tenāyaṁ samaṇo sukhī”ti.

that’s why this ascetic is happy.”

“Na hi mayhaṁ brāhmaṇa,

“You’re right, brahmin, I don’t have

balībaddā catuddasa;

fourteen oxen

Ajjasaṭṭhiṁ na dissanti,

missing for the past six days:

tenāhaṁ brāhmaṇā sukhī.

that’s why I’m happy, brahmin.

Na hi mayhaṁ brāhmaṇa,

You’re right, brahmin, I don’t have

tilākhettasmi pāpakā;

a field of sesame ruined,

Ekapaṇṇā dupaṇṇā ca,

with just one or two leaves:

tenāhaṁ brāhmaṇā sukhī.

that’s why I’m happy, brahmin.

Na hi mayhaṁ brāhmaṇa,

You’re right, brahmin, I don’t have

tucchakoṭṭhasmi mūsikā;

rats in a vacant barn

Ussoḷhikāya naccanti,

dancing merrily:

tenāhaṁ brāhmaṇā sukhī.

that’s why I’m happy, brahmin.

Na hi mayhaṁ brāhmaṇa,

You’re right, brahmin, I don’t have

santhāro sattamāsiko;

carpets that for seven months

Uppāṭakehi sañchanno,

have been infested with fleas:

tenāhaṁ brāhmaṇā sukhī.

that’s why I’m happy, brahmin.

Na hi mayhaṁ brāhmaṇa,

You’re right, brahmin, I don’t have

vidhavā satta dhītaro;

seven widowed daughters

Ekaputtā duputtā ca,

with one or two children each:

tenāhaṁ brāhmaṇā sukhī.

that’s why I’m happy, brahmin.

Na hi mayhaṁ brāhmaṇa,

You’re right, brahmin, I don’t have

piṅgalā tilakāhatā;

a wife with blotchy, pockmarked skin

Sottaṁ pādena bodheti,

to wake me up with a kick:

tenāhaṁ brāhmaṇā sukhī.

that’s why I’m happy, brahmin.

Na hi mayhaṁ brāhmaṇa,

You’re right, brahmin, I don’t have

paccūsamhi iṇāyikā;

creditors knocking at dawn,

Detha dethāti codenti,

warning, ‘Pay up! Pay up!’:

tenāhaṁ brāhmaṇā sukhī”ti.

that’s why I’m happy, brahmin.”

Evaṁ vutte, bhāradvājagotto brāhmaṇo bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:

When he had spoken, the brahmin said to the Buddha,

“abhikkantaṁ, bho gotama, abhikkantaṁ, bho gotama.

“Excellent, worthy Gotama! Excellent! …

Seyyathāpi, bho gotama, nikkujjitaṁ vā ukkujjeyya, paṭicchannaṁ vā vivareyya, mūḷhassa vā maggaṁ ācikkheyya, andhakāre vā telapajjotaṁ dhāreyya: ‘cakkhumanto rūpāni dakkhantī’ti; evameva bhotā gotamena anekapariyāyena dhammo pakāsito.

As if he were righting the overturned, or revealing the hidden, or pointing out the path to the lost, or lighting a lamp in the dark so people with clear eyes can see what’s there, worthy Gotama has made the teaching clear in many ways.

Esāhaṁ bhavantaṁ gotamaṁ saraṇaṁ gacchāmi dhammañca bhikkhusaṅghañca.

I go for refuge to the worthy Gotama, to the teaching, and to the mendicant Saṅgha.

Labheyyāhaṁ bhoto gotamassa santike pabbajjaṁ, labheyyaṁ upasampadan”ti.

May I receive the going forth, the ordination in the worthy Gotama’s presence?”

Alattha kho bhāradvājagotto brāhmaṇo bhagavato santike pabbajjaṁ, alattha upasampadaṁ.

And the brahmin received the going forth, the ordination in the Buddha’s presence.

Acirūpasampanno panāyasmā bhāradvājo eko vūpakaṭṭho appamatto ātāpī pahitatto viharanto nacirasseva—yassatthāya kulaputtā sammadeva agārasmā anagāriyaṁ pabbajanti, tadanuttaraṁ—brahmacariyapariyosānaṁ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja vihāsi.

Not long after his ordination, Venerable Bhāradvāja, living alone, withdrawn, diligent, keen, and resolute, soon realized the supreme culmination of the spiritual path in this very life. He lived having achieved with his own insight the goal for which gentlemen rightly go forth from the lay life to homelessness.

“Khīṇā jāti, vusitaṁ brahmacariyaṁ, kataṁ karaṇīyaṁ, nāparaṁ itthattāyā”ti abbhaññāsi.

He understood: “Rebirth is ended; the spiritual journey has been completed; what had to be done has been done; there is nothing further for this place.”

Aññataro ca panāyasmā bhāradvājo arahataṁ ahosīti.

And Venerable Bhāradvāja became one of the perfected.

Arahantavaggo paṭhamo.

Tassuddānaṁ

Dhanañjānī ca akkosaṁ,

asurindaṁ bilaṅgikaṁ;

Ahiṁsakaṁ jaṭā ceva,

suddhikañceva aggikā;

Sundarikaṁ bahudhīta—

rena ca te dasāti.