Rājadattattheragāthā

Theragāthā 5.1

Verses of the Senior Monks 5.1

Pañcakanipāta

The Book of the Fives

Paṭhamavagga

Chapter One

Rājadattattheragāthā

Rājadatta

“Bhikkhu sivathikaṁ gantvā,

I, a monk, went to a charnel ground

Addasa itthimujjhitaṁ;

and saw a woman’s body abandoned there,

Apaviddhaṁ susānasmiṁ,

dumped in a cemetery,

Khajjantiṁ kimihī phuṭaṁ.

full of worms that devoured.

Yañhi eke jigucchanti,

Some men were disgusted,

mataṁ disvāna pāpakaṁ;

seeing her dead and rotten;

Kāmarāgo pāturahu,

but sexual desire arose in me,

andhova savatī ahuṁ.

I was as if blind to her oozing body.

Oraṁ odanapākamhā,

Quicker than the cooking of rice

tamhā ṭhānā apakkamiṁ;

I left that place!

Satimā sampajānohaṁ,

Mindful and aware,

ekamantaṁ upāvisiṁ.

I retired to a discreet place.

Tato me manasīkāro,

Then the realization

yoniso udapajjatha;

came upon me—

Ādīnavo pāturahu,

the danger became clear,

nibbidā samatiṭṭhatha.

and I was firmly disillusioned.

Tato cittaṁ vimucci me,

Then my mind was freed—

passa dhammasudhammataṁ;

behold the clear rightness of the teaching!

Tisso vijjā anuppattā,

I’ve attained the three knowledges

kataṁ buddhassa sāsanan”ti.

and fulfilled the Buddha’s instructions.

… Rājadatto thero ….