Raṭṭhapālattheragāthā

Theragāthā 16.4

Verses of the Senior Monks 16.4

Vīsatinipāta

The Book of the Twenties

Paṭhamavagga

Chapter One

Raṭṭhapālattheragāthā

Raṭṭhapāla

“Passa cittakataṁ bimbaṁ,

“See this fancy puppet,

arukāyaṁ samussitaṁ;

a body built of sores,

Āturaṁ bahusaṅkappaṁ,

diseased, obsessed over,

yassa natthi dhuvaṁ ṭhiti.

in which nothing lasts at all.

Passa cittakataṁ rūpaṁ,

See this fancy figure,

maṇinā kuṇḍalena ca;

with its gems and earrings;

Aṭṭhiṁ tacena onaddhaṁ,

it is bones swathed in skin,

saha vatthehi sobhati.

made pretty by its clothes.

Alattakakatā pādā,

Rouged feet

mukhaṁ cuṇṇakamakkhitaṁ;

and powdered face

Alaṁ bālassa mohāya,

may be enough to beguile a fool,

no ca pāragavesino.

but not a seeker of the far shore.

Aṭṭhapadakatā kesā,

Hair in eight braids

nettā añjanamakkhitā;

and eyeshadow

Alaṁ bālassa mohāya,

may be enough to beguile a fool,

no ca pāragavesino.

but not a seeker of the far shore.

Añjanīva navā cittā,

A rotting body all adorned

pūtikāyo alaṅkato;

like a freshly painted makeup box

Alaṁ bālassa mohāya,

may be enough to beguile a fool,

no ca pāragavesino.

but not a seeker of the far shore.

Odahi migavo pāsaṁ,

The hunter laid his snare,

nāsadā vāguraṁ migo;

but the deer didn’t spring the trap.

Bhutvā nivāpaṁ gacchāma,

I’ve eaten the bait and now I go,

kandante migabandhake.

leaving the trapper to lament.

Chinno pāso migavassa,

The hunter’s snare is broken,

nāsadā vāguraṁ migo;

but the deer didn’t spring the trap.

Bhutvā nivāpaṁ gacchāma,

I’ve eaten the bait and now I go,

socante migaluddake.

leaving the deer-hunter to grieve.”

Passāmi loke sadhane manusse,

“I see rich people in the world who,

Laddhāna vittaṁ na dadanti mohā;

because of delusion,
give not the wealth they’ve earned.

Luddhā dhanaṁ sannicayaṁ karonti,

Greedily, they hoard their riches,

Bhiyyova kāme abhipatthayanti.

yearning for ever more sensual pleasures.

Rājā pasayhappathaviṁ vijetvā,

A king who conquered the earth by force,

Sasāgarantaṁ mahimāvasanto;

ruling the land from sea to sea,

Oraṁ samuddassa atittarūpo,

unsatisfied with the near shore of the ocean,

Pāraṁ samuddassapi patthayetha.

would still yearn for the further shore.

Rājā ca aññe ca bahū manussā,

Not just the king, but others too,

Avītataṇhā maraṇaṁ upenti;

reach death not rid of craving.

Ūnāva hutvāna jahanti dehaṁ,

They leave the body still wanting,

Kāmehi lokamhi na hatthi titti.

for in this world sensual pleasures never satisfy.

Kandanti naṁ ñātī pakiriya kese,

Relatives lament, their hair disheveled,

Aho vatā no amarāti cāhu;

saying ‘Ah! Alas! They’re not immortal!’

Vatthena naṁ pārutaṁ nīharitvā,

They take out the body wrapped in a shroud,

Citaṁ samodhāya tato ḍahanti.

heap up a pyre, and burn it there.

So ḍayhati sūlehi tujjamāno,

It’s poked with stakes while being burnt,

Ekena vatthena pahāya bhoge;

in just a single cloth, all wealth gone.

Na mīyamānassa bhavanti tāṇā,

Relatives, friends, and companions

Ñātī ca mittā atha vā sahāyā.

can’t help you when you’re dying.

Dāyādakā tassa dhanaṁ haranti,

Heirs take your riches,

Satto pana gacchati yena kammaṁ;

while beings fare on according to their deeds.

Na mīyamānaṁ dhanamanveti kiñci,

Riches don’t follow you when you die;

Puttā ca dārā ca dhanañca raṭṭhaṁ.

nor do children, wife, wealth, nor kingdom.

Na dīghamāyuṁ labhate dhanena,

Longevity isn’t gained by riches,

Na cāpi vittena jaraṁ vihanti;

nor does wealth banish old age;

Appaṁ hidaṁ jīvitamāhu dhīrā,

for the attentive say this life is short,

Asassataṁ vippariṇāmadhammaṁ.

it’s perishable and not eternal.

Aḍḍhā daliddā ca phusanti phassaṁ,

The rich and the poor feel its touch;

Bālo ca dhīro ca tatheva phuṭṭho;

the fool and the attentive one feel it too.

Bālo hi bālyā vadhitova seti,

But the fool lies stricken by their own folly,

Dhīro ca no vedhati phassaphuṭṭho.

while the attentive don’t tremble at the touch.

Tasmā hi paññāva dhanena seyyā,

Therefore wisdom’s much better than wealth,

Yāya vosānamidhādhigacchati;

since by wisdom
you reach consummation in this life.

Abyositattā hi bhavābhavesu,

But if because of delusion
you don’t reach consummation,

Pāpāni kammāni karoti mohā.

you’ll do evil deeds in life after life.

Upeti gabbhañca parañca lokaṁ,

One who enters a womb and the world beyond,

Saṁsāramāpajja paramparāya;

will transmigrate from one life to the next.

Tassappapañño abhisaddahanto,

While someone of little wisdom,
placing faith in them,

Upeti gabbhañca parañca lokaṁ.

also enters a womb and the world beyond.

Coro yathā sandhimukhe gahīto,

As a bandit caught in a window

Sakammunā haññati pāpadhammo;

is punished for his own bad deeds;

Evaṁ pajā pecca paramhi loke,

so after departing, in the world beyond,

Sakammunā haññati pāpadhammo.

people are punished for their own bad deeds.

Kāmā hi citrā madhurā manoramā,

Sensual pleasures are diverse, sweet, delightful;

Virūparūpena mathenti cittaṁ;

appearing in disguise they disturb the mind.

Ādīnavaṁ kāmaguṇesu disvā,

Seeing danger in sensual stimulations,

Tasmā ahaṁ pabbajitomhi rāja.

I went forth, O King.

Dumapphalānīva patanti māṇavā,

As fruit falls from a tree, so the sons of Manu fall,

Daharā ca vuḍḍhā ca sarīrabhedā;

young and old, when the body breaks up.

Etampi disvā pabbajitomhi rāja,

Seeing this, too, I went forth, O King;

Apaṇṇakaṁ sāmaññameva seyyo.

it’s a sure bet that the ascetic life is better.”

Saddhāyāhaṁ pabbajito,

“I went forth out of faith

upeto jinasāsane;

joining the victor’s dispensation.

Avañjhā mayhaṁ pabbajjā,

My going forth wasn’t wasted;

anaṇo bhuñjāmi bhojanaṁ.

I enjoy my food free of debt.

Kāme ādittato disvā,

I saw sensual pleasures as burning,

Jātarūpāni satthato;

gold as a cutting blade,

Gabbhavokkantito dukkhaṁ,

conception in a womb as suffering,

Nirayesu mahabbhayaṁ.

and the hells as very fearful.

Etamādīnavaṁ ñatvā,

Knowing this danger,

saṁvegaṁ alabhiṁ tadā;

I was struck with a sense of urgency.

Sohaṁ viddho tadā santo,

I was stabbed, but then I found peace,

sampatto āsavakkhayaṁ.

attaining the end of defilements.

Pariciṇṇo mayā satthā,

I’ve served the Teacher

kataṁ buddhassa sāsanaṁ;

and fulfilled the Buddha’s instructions.

Ohito garuko bhāro,

The heavy burden is laid down,

bhavanetti samūhatā.

the leash to existence is eradicated.

Yassatthāya pabbajito,

I’ve attained the goal

agārasmānagāriyaṁ;

for the sake of which I went forth

So me attho anuppatto,

from the lay life to homelessness—

sabbasaṁyojanakkhayo”ti.

the ending of all fetters.”

… Raṭṭhapālo thero ….