Soṇātherīgāthā

Therīgāthā 5.8

Verses of the Senior Nuns 5.8

Pañcakanipāta

The Book of the Fives

Soṇātherīgāthā

Soṇā

“Dasa putte vijāyitvā,

I gave birth to ten sons

asmiṁ rūpasamussaye;

in this form, this bag of bones.

Tatohaṁ dubbalā jiṇṇā,

Then, when feeble and old,

bhikkhuniṁ upasaṅkamiṁ.

I approached a nun.

Sā me dhammamadesesi,

She taught me the Dhamma:

khandhāyatanadhātuyo;

the aggregates, sense fields, and elements.

Tassā dhammaṁ suṇitvāna,

When I heard her teaching,

kese chetvāna pabbajiṁ.

I shaved off my hair and went forth.

Tassā me sikkhamānāya,

When I was a trainee nun,

dibbacakkhu visodhitaṁ;

my clairvoyance was clarified,

Pubbenivāsaṁ jānāmi,

and I knew my past lives,

yattha me vusitaṁ pure.

the places I used to live.

Animittañca bhāvemi,

I meditate on the signless,

ekaggā susamāhitā;

my mind unified and serene.

Anantarāvimokkhāsiṁ,

I achieved the immediate liberation,

anupādāya nibbutā.

quenched by not grasping.

Pañcakkhandhā pariññātā,

The five aggregates are fully understood;

tiṭṭhanti chinnamūlakā;

they remain, but their root is cut.

Dhi tavatthu jare jamme,

Curse you, wretched old age!

natthi dāni punabbhavo”ti.

now there’ll be no more future lives.

… Soṇā therī ….