The Discourse about the Courtesan

ekaü samayaü Bhagavà Ràjagahe viharati,
at one time the Gracious One was dwelling near Ràjagaha,

Veëuvane Kalandakanivàpe.
in Bamboo Wood, at the Squirrels' Feeding Place.

Tena kho pana samayena Ràjagahe dve pågà,
Then at that time in Ràjagaha there were two gangs,

aÿÿatarissà gaõikàya sàrattà honti pañibaddhacittà.
who were impassioned with a certain courtesan, whose minds were bound.

Bhaõóanajàtà kalahajàtà vivàdàpannà,
Contending, quarelling, and disputing,

aÿÿam-aÿÿaü pàõihi pi upakkamanti, leóóåhi pi upakkamanti,
they attacked each other with their hands, attacked with clods of earth,

daõóehi pi upakkamanti, satthehi pi upakkamanti,
attacked with sticks, attacked with swords,

te tattha maraõam-pi nigacchanti, maraõamattam-pi dukkhaü.
and there (and then) they underwent death, and pain like unto death.

Atha kho sambahulà bhikkhå pubbanhasamayaü nivàsetvà,
Then many monks, having dressed in the morning time,

pattacãvaram-àdàya, Ràjagahaü piõóàya pavisiüsu,
after picking up their bowls and robes, entered Ràjagaha for alms,

Ràjagahe piõóàya caritvà, pacchàbhattaü piõóapàtapañikkantà,
and after walking for alms in Ràjagaha, while returning from the alms-round after the meal,

upasaïkamitvà Bhagavantaü abhivàdetvà ekamantaü nisãdiüsu.
and after going and worshipping the Gracious One, they sat down on one side.

Ekamantaü nisinnà kho te bhikkhå Bhagavantaü etad-avocuü:
While sat on one side those monks said this to the Gracious One:

ßIdha bhante Ràjagahe dve pågà,
ßHere, reverend Sir, in Ràjagaha there are two gangs,

aÿÿatarissà gaõikàya sàrattà pañibaddhacittà.
who are impassioned with a certain courtesan, whose minds are bound.

Bhaõóanajàtà kalahajàtà vivàdàpannà
Contending, quarelling, and disputing,

aÿÿam-aÿÿaü pàõihi pi upakkamanti, leóóåhi pi upakkamanti,
they attack each other with their hands, attack with clods of earth,

daõóehi pi upakkamanti, satthehi pi upakkamanti,
attack with sticks, attack with swords,

te tattha maraõam-pi nigacchanti, maraõamattam-pi dukkhanû-ti.
and there (and then) they undergo death, and pain like unto death.û

Atha kho Bhagavà, etam-atthaü viditvà,
Then the Gracious One, having understood the significance of it,

tàyaü velàyaü imaü udànaü udànesi: It will be noted that the Udàna that follows has very little to do with the prose introduction. One can't help feeling that there is some sort of mis-match here, and that the real occasion for the utterance has been lost. It is also worth pointing out that the Udàna is in prose in this section, whereas most (if not all) are in verse, which casts further doubt on the authenticity of the Discourse as it stands.⁰¹
on that occasion uttered this exalted utterance:

ßYaÿ-ca pattaü yaÿ-ca pattabbaü -
ßWhat has been attained, and what can be attained -

ubhayam-etaü rajànukiõõaü àturassànusikkhato.
these two are strewn with dust, for that miserable one in (wrong) training.

Ye ca sikkhàsàrà sãlabbatajãvitabrahmacariya-upaññhànasàrà -
Those who hold the training rules as the essence, or virtue and practices, (right) livelihood, celibacy, and attendance as the essence -

ayam-eko anto.
this is one end.

Ye ca evaüvàdino: `Natthi kàmesu dosoû ti -
Those who say this: `There is no fault in sense pleasuresû -

ayaü dutiyo anto.
this is the second end.

Iccete ubho antà kañasivaóóhanà, kañasiyo diññhiü vaóóhenti.
Thus these two ends promote the cemetery grounds, and the cemetery grounds promote (wrong) view.

Ete te ubho ante anabhiÿÿàya olãyanti eke atidhàvanti eke.
Not having understood these two ends, some get stuck, some go too far.

Ye ca kho te abhiÿÿàya tatra ca nàhesuü tena ca na maÿÿiüsu maÿÿati means to think, to conceive, but it means it here in a way that implies its cognate màna, conceit, hence the translation.⁰² -
But for those who have understood these, who were not in that, and because of that do not conceive (a conceit) -

Vaññaü tesaü natthi paÿÿàpanàyàû ti.
there is no Cycle (of Saüsàra) to be assigned for them.û