The Discourse on the Two Paths

ekaṁ samayaṁ Bhagavā Kosalesu addhānamaggapaṭipanno hoti
at one time the Gracious One was going along the high road amongst the Kosalans

āyasmatā Nāgasamālena pacchāsamaṇena.
with venerable Nāgasamāla as the (attendent) ascetic who followed behind him.

Addasā kho āyasmā Nāgasamālo antarāmagge dvedhāpathaṁ,
The venerable Nāgasamāla saw two paths on the road,

disvāna, Bhagavantaṁ etad-avoca:
and having seen (that), he said this to the Gracious One:

“Ayaṁ bhante Bhagavā pantho iminā gacchāmā” ti.
“This is the path, reverend Sir, let us go by this one, Gracious One.”

Evaṁ vutte, Bhagavā āyasmantaṁ Nāgasamālaṁ etad-avoca:
After that was said, the Gracious One said this to venerable Nāgasamāla:

“Ayaṁ Nāgasamāla pantho iminā gacchāmā” ti.
“This is the path, Nāgasamāla, let us go by this one.”

Dutiyam-pi kho āyasmā Nāgasamālo Bhagavantaṁ etad-avoca:
For a second time venerable Nāgasamāla said this to the Gracious One:

“Ayaṁ bhante Bhagavā pantho iminā gacchāmā” ti.
“This is the path, reverend Sir, let us go by this one, Gracious One.”

Evaṁ vutte, Bhagavā āyasmantaṁ Nāgasamālaṁ etad-avoca:
After that was said, the Gracious One said this to venerable Nāgasamāla:

“Ayaṁ Nāgasamāla pantho iminā gacchāmā” ti.
“This is the path, Nāgasamāla, let us go by this one.”

Tatiyam-pi kho āyasmā Nāgasamālo Bhagavantaṁ etad-avoca:
For a third time venerable Nāgasamāla said this to the Gracious One:

“Ayaṁ bhante Bhagavā pantho iminā gacchāmā” ti.
“This is the path, reverend Sir, let us go by this one, Gracious One.”

Evaṁ vutte, Bhagavā āyasmantaṁ Nāgasamālaṁ etad-avoca:
After that was said, the Gracious One said this to venerable Nāgasamāla:

“Ayaṁ Nāgasamāla pantho iminā gacchāmā” ti.
“This is the path, Nāgasamāla, let us go by this one.”

Bhagavato pattacīvaraṁ tattheva chamāyaṁ nikkhipitvā pakkāmi:
having put the Gracious One's bowl and robe on the floor right there (and then), went away, (saying):

“Idaṁ bhante Bhagavato pattacīvaran”-ti.
“This is the Gracious One's bowl and robe, reverend Sir.”

Atha kho āyasmato Nāgasamālassa tena panthena gacchantassa,
Then as venerable Nāgasamāla was going along by that path,

antarāmagge corā nikkhamitvā, hatthehi ca pādehi ca viheṭhesuṁ,
thieves who had gone along the road, attacked him with their hands and feet,

pattañ-ca bhindiṁsu, saṅghāṭiñ-ca vipphālesuṁ.
broke his bowl, and tore his double-robe.

Atha kho āyasmā Nāgasamālo bhinnena pattena vipphālitāya saṅghāṭiyā
Then venerable Nāgasamāla, with his broken bowl and torn double-robe

upasaṅkamitvā Bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā, ekamantaṁ nisīdi.
and after going and worshipping the Gracious One, he sat down on one side.

Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho āyasmā Nāgasamālo Bhagavantaṁ etad-avoca:
While sat on one side venerable Nāgasamāla said this to the Gracious One:

“Idha mayhaṁ bhante tena panthena gacchantassa,
“Here, reverend Sir, as I was going along by that path

antarāmagge corā nikkhamitvā hatthehi ca pādehi ca viheṭhesuṁ,
thieves who had gone along the path, attacked me with their hands and feet,

pattañ-ca bhindiṁsu, saṅghāṭiñ-ca vipphālesun”-ti.
broke my bowl, and tore my double-robe.”

Atha kho Bhagavā, etam-atthaṁ viditvā,
Then the Gracious One, having understood the significance of it,

tāyaṁ velāyaṁ imaṁ udānaṁ udānesi:
on that occasion uttered this exalted utterance:

“Saddhiṁ caram-ekato This is an interesting use of the ablative, as it normally signifies disjunction, and even the so-called ablative of comparison can only be used in cases of seperation - as in superiority and inferiority - the instrumental being required for equivalence etc.; see the discussion in Syntax § 132. Here the underlying notion seems to be the ablative of view-point, meaning (both) on one side.⁰¹ vasaṁ,
“Walking together, dwelling as one,

Misso aññajanena Note that añña here is the noun (= Skt: ajña), not the pronoun (Skt: anya), as it may appear at first glance. Commentary: attano hitāhitaṁ na jānātī ti añño, avidvā bālo ti attho.⁰² Vedagū,
The Perfect One mixes with ignorant people,

Vidvā, pajahāti pāpakaṁ, Commentary allows for two interpretations: vidvā pajahāti pāpakan-ti tena vedagūbhāvena vidvā jānanto pāpakaṁ abhaddakaṁ attano dukkhāvahaṁ pajahāti; pāpakaṁ vā akalyāṇapuggalaṁ pajahāti.⁰³
Having understood (that), he abandons bad deeds,

Koñco khīrapako va ninnagan”-ti. Ninnagā is not listed in PED, but SED (sv. nimnagā) defines it as ‘ going downwards, descending,’ a river, mountain stream. The milk-drinking heron is said to be able to separate the milk from the water when drinking.Udānavarga (28.3) reads: krauñcaḥ kṣīrapako yathodakam, which clarifies the sense.⁰⁴
As the milk-drinking heron (abandons) water.”