Subhūtattheragāthā

Theragāthā 5.2

Verses of the Senior Monks 5.2

Pañcakanipāta

The Book of the Fives

Paṭhamavagga

Chapter One

Subhūtattheragāthā

Subhūta

“Ayoge yuñjamattānaṁ,

When a person, wishing for a certain outcome,

puriso kiccamicchako;

applies themselves where they ought not;

Carañce nādhigaccheyya,

not achieving what they worked for,

‘taṁ me dubbhagalakkhaṇaṁ’.

they say: “That’s a sign of my bad luck.”

Abbūḷhaṁ aghagataṁ vijitaṁ,

When a misfortune is extracted and beaten,

Ekañce ossajeyya kalīva siyā;

to surrender it in part would be like losing at dice;

Sabbānipi ce ossajeyya andhova siyā,

but to surrender it all you’d have to be blind,

Samavisamassa adassanato.

not seeing the even and the uneven.

Yañhi kayirā tañhi vade,

You should only say what you would do;

yaṁ na kayirā na taṁ vade;

you shouldn’t say what you wouldn’t do.

Akarontaṁ bhāsamānaṁ,

The wise will recognize

parijānanti paṇḍitā.

one who talks without doing.

Yathāpi ruciraṁ pupphaṁ,

Just like a glorious flower

vaṇṇavantaṁ agandhakaṁ;

that’s colorful but lacks fragrance;

Evaṁ subhāsitā vācā,

well-spoken speech is fruitless

aphalā hoti akubbato.

for one who does not act on it.

Yathāpi ruciraṁ pupphaṁ,

Just like a glorious flower

Vaṇṇavantaṁ sugandhakaṁ;

that’s both colorful and fragrant,

Evaṁ subhāsitā vācā,

well-spoken speech is fruitful

Saphalā hoti kubbato”ti.

for one who acts on it.

… Subhūto thero ….