Uragasutta

Sutta Nipāta 1.1

Anthology of Discourses 1.1

Uragasutta

The Serpent

Yo uppatitaṁ vineti kodhaṁ,

When anger surges, they drive it out,

Visaṭaṁ sappavisaṁva osadhehi;

as with medicine a cobra’s spreading venom.

So bhikkhu jahāti orapāraṁ,

Such a mendicant sheds the near shore and the far,

Urago jiṇṇamivattacaṁ purāṇaṁ.

as a serpent its old worn-out skin.

Yo rāgamudacchidā asesaṁ,

They’ve cut off greed entirely,

Bhisapupphaṁva saroruhaṁ vigayha;

like a lotus plucked flower and stalk.

So bhikkhu jahāti orapāraṁ,

Such a mendicant sheds the near shore and the far,

Urago jiṇṇamivattacaṁ purāṇaṁ.

as a serpent its old worn-out skin.

Yo taṇhamudacchidā asesaṁ,

They’ve cut off craving entirely,

Saritaṁ sīghasaraṁ visosayitvā;

drying up that swift-flowing stream.

So bhikkhu jahāti orapāraṁ,

Such a mendicant sheds the near shore and the far,

Urago jiṇṇamivattacaṁ purāṇaṁ.

as a serpent its old worn-out skin.

Yo mānamudabbadhī asesaṁ,

They’ve swept away conceit entirely,

Naḷasetuṁva sudubbalaṁ mahogho;

as a fragile bridge of reeds by a great flood.

So bhikkhu jahāti orapāraṁ,

Such a mendicant sheds the near shore and the far,

Urago jiṇṇamivattacaṁ purāṇaṁ.

as a serpent its old worn-out skin.

Yo nājjhagamā bhavesu sāraṁ,

In future lives they find no worth,

Vicinaṁ pupphamivā udumbaresu;

as an inspector of fig trees finds no flower.

So bhikkhu jahāti orapāraṁ,

Such a mendicant sheds the near shore and the far,

Urago jiṇṇamivattacaṁ purāṇaṁ.

as a serpent its old worn-out skin.

Yassantarato na santi kopā,

They hide no anger within,

Itibhavābhavatañca vītivatto;

passed beyond any kind of existence.

So bhikkhu jahāti orapāraṁ,

Such a mendicant sheds the near shore and the far,

Urago jiṇṇamivattacaṁ purāṇaṁ.

as a serpent its old worn-out skin.

Yassa vitakkā vidhūpitā,

Their mental vibrations are cleared away,

Ajjhattaṁ suvikappitā asesā;

internally clipped off entirely.

So bhikkhu jahāti orapāraṁ,

Such a mendicant sheds the near shore and the far,

Urago jiṇṇamivattacaṁ purāṇaṁ.

as a serpent its old worn-out skin.

Yo nāccasārī na paccasārī,

They have not run too far nor run back,

Sabbaṁ accagamā imaṁ papañcaṁ;

but have gone beyond all this proliferation.

So bhikkhu jahāti orapāraṁ,

Such a mendicant sheds the near shore and the far,

Urago jiṇṇamivattacaṁ purāṇaṁ.

as a serpent its old worn-out skin.

Yo nāccasārī na paccasārī,

They have not run too far nor run back,

Sabbaṁ vitathamidanti ñatva loke;

for they know that nothing in the world
is what it seems.

So bhikkhu jahāti orapāraṁ,

Such a mendicant sheds the near shore and the far,

Urago jiṇṇamivattacaṁ purāṇaṁ.

as a serpent its old worn-out skin.

Yo nāccasārī na paccasārī,

They have not run too far nor run back,

Sabbaṁ vitathamidanti vītalobho;

knowing nothing is what it seems, free of greed.

So bhikkhu jahāti orapāraṁ,

Such a mendicant sheds the near shore and the far,

Urago jiṇṇamivattacaṁ purāṇaṁ.

as a serpent its old worn-out skin.

Yo nāccasārī na paccasārī,

They have not run too far nor run back,

Sabbaṁ vitathamidanti vītarāgo;

knowing nothing is what it seems, free of lust.

So bhikkhu jahāti orapāraṁ,

Such a mendicant sheds the near shore and the far,

Urago jiṇṇamivattacaṁ purāṇaṁ.

as a serpent its old worn-out skin.

Yo nāccasārī na paccasārī,

They have not run too far nor run back,

Sabbaṁ vitathamidanti vītadoso;

knowing nothing is what it seems, free of hate.

So bhikkhu jahāti orapāraṁ,

Such a mendicant sheds the near shore and the far,

Urago jiṇṇamivattacaṁ purāṇaṁ.

as a serpent its old worn-out skin.

Yo nāccasārī na paccasārī,

They have not run too far nor run back,

Sabbaṁ vitathamidanti vītamoho;

knowing nothing is what it seems, free of delusion.

So bhikkhu jahāti orapāraṁ,

Such a mendicant sheds the near shore and the far,

Urago jiṇṇamivattacaṁ purāṇaṁ.

as a serpent its old worn-out skin.

Yassānusayā na santi keci,

They have no underlying tendencies at all,

Mūlā ca akusalā samūhatāse;

and are rid of unskillful roots,

So bhikkhu jahāti orapāraṁ,

Such a mendicant sheds the near shore and the far,

Urago jiṇṇamivattacaṁ purāṇaṁ.

as a serpent its old worn-out skin.

Yassa darathajā na santi keci,

They have nothing born of distress at all

Oraṁ āgamanāya paccayāse;

to make them to return to the near shore.

So bhikkhu jahāti orapāraṁ,

Such a mendicant sheds the near shore and the far,

Urago jiṇṇamivattacaṁ purāṇaṁ.

as a serpent its old worn-out skin.

Yassa vanathajā na santi keci,

No snarl grows in them at all,

Vinibandhāya bhavāya hetukappā;

that would shackle them to a new life.

So bhikkhu jahāti orapāraṁ,

Such a mendicant sheds the near shore and the far,

Urago jiṇṇamivattacaṁ purāṇaṁ.

as a serpent its old worn-out skin.

Yo nīvaraṇe pahāya pañca,

They’ve given up the five hindrances,

Anigho tiṇṇakathaṅkatho visallo;

untroubled, rid of indecision, free of thorns.

So bhikkhu jahāti orapāraṁ,

Such a mendicant sheds the near shore and the far,

Urago jiṇṇamivattacaṁ purāṇanti.

as a serpent its old worn-out skin.

Uragasuttaṁ paṭhamaṁ.