[II. Progress of the Sāsana]
Yasassa Pabbajjā
12. Yasa’s Going Forth
Tena kho pana samayena Bārāṇasiyaṁ
Then at that time at Bārāṇasī
Yaso nāma kulaputto seṭṭhiputto sukhumālo hoti.
there was a delicate young man of good family, Yasa by name, Called
Tassa tayo pāsādā honti: eko hemantiko eko gimhiko eko vassiko.
There were three palaces for him: one for the winter time, one for the summer time, and one for the rainy season. This story of the palaces and the reason for Yasa leaving home seems to have been later applied to the Bodhisatta’s own story.
So vassike pāsāde cattāro māse nippurisehi turiyehi paricārayamāno,
During the four months in the rainy season palace, while a female Lit: non-male,
na heṭṭhāpāsādaṁ orohati.
he did not descend to the bottom of the palace.
Atha kho Yasassa kulaputtassa,
Then while the young man Yasa,
pañcahi kāmaguṇehi samappitassa samaṅgibhūtassa paricārayamānassa
possessed of and endowed with the five strands of sensual pleasure, was being entertained
paṭikacceva niddā okkami parijanassa pi pacchā niddā okkami,
he fell asleep first, and his retinue fell asleep afterwards,
sabbarattiyo ca telappadīpo jhāyati.
and all night an oil-lamp burned.
Atha kho Yaso kulaputto paṭikacceva pabujjhitvā,
Then the young man Yasa, after waking first,
addasa sakaṁ parijanaṁ supantaṁ, aññissā kacche vīṇaṁ,
saw his retinue sleeping, one with a lute in her armpit,
aññissā kaṇṭhe mudiṅgaṁ, aññissā ure alambaraṁ,
another with a small drum on her neck, another with a drum on her chest,
aññaṁ vikesikaṁ, aññaṁ vikheḷikaṁ, aññā vippalapantiyo,
another with hair dishevelled, another dribbling, another muttering,
hatthappattaṁ susānaṁ maññe.
(so that) it seemed as if there was a cemetery close at hand.
Disvānassa ādīnavo pātur-ahosi nibbidāya cittaṁ saṇṭhāsi.
Having seen (this) the danger became clear to him, and his mind was established in world-weariness.
Atha kho Yaso kulaputto udānaṁ udānesi:
Then the young man Yasa uttered this exalted utterance:
“Upaddutaṁ vata bho upassaṭṭhaṁ vata bho.” ti
“Tribulation indeed, ruination indeed!”
Atha kho Yaso kulaputto suvaṇṇapādukāyo ārohitvā,
Then the young man Yasa, after donning his golden slippers,
yena nivesanadvāraṁ tenupasaṅkami.
went to the door of his dwelling.
Amanussā dvāraṁ vivariṁsu:
Divine beings Lit: non-human beings. opened the door (thinking):
“Mā Yasassa kulaputtassa koci antarāyam-akāsi
o “Let there be no obstacle to the going-forth of the young man Yasa
agārasmā anagāriyaṁ pabbajjāyā.” ti
from the home to the homeless life.”
Atha kho Yaso kulaputto yena nagaradvāraṁ tenupasaṅkami.
Then the young man Yasa went to the city gate.
Amanussā dvāraṁ vivariṁsu:
Divine beings opened the gate (thinking):
“Mā Yasassa kulaputtassa koci antarāyam-akāsi
o “Let there be no obstacle to the going-forth of the young man Yasa
agārasmā anagāriyaṁ pabbajjāyā.” ti
from the home to the homeless life.”
Atha kho Yaso kulaputto yena Isipatanaṁ Migadāyo tenupasaṅkami.
Then the young man Yasa approached the Deer Park at Isipatana.
Tena kho pana samayena Bhagavā rattiyā paccūsasamayaṁ paccuṭṭhāya
Then at that time, towards the time of dawn, after rising, the Fortunate One
ajjhokāse caṅkamati.
was walking in the open air.
Addasā kho Bhagavā Yasaṁ kulaputtaṁ dūrato va āgacchantaṁ
The Fortunate One saw the young man Yasa coming while still far away,
disvāna caṅkamā orohitvā paññatte āsane nisīdi.
and after seeing (him) and descending from the walkway, he sat down on the prepared seat.
Atha kho Yaso kulaputto Bhagavato avidūre udānaṁ udānesi:
Then the young man Yasa, not far from the Fortunate One uttered this exalted utterance:
“Upaddutaṁ vata bho upassaṭṭhaṁ vata bho” ti.
“Tribulation indeed, ruination indeed!”
Atha kho Bhagavā Yasaṁ kulaputtaṁ etad-avoca:
Then the Fortunate One said this to the young man Yasa:
“Idaṁ kho Yasa anupaddutaṁ idaṁ anupassaṭṭhaṁ,
“This, Yasa, is not tribulation, this is not ruination,
ehi Yasa nisīda Dhammaṁ te desessāmī.” ti
come, Yasa, sit down and I will teach Dhamma to you.”
Atha kho Yaso kulaputto: ‘Idaṁ kira anupaddutaṁ idaṁ anupassaṭṭhan,’-ti
Then the young man Yasa (thinking): ‘It seems this is not tribulation, this is not ruination’,
haṭṭho udaggo suvaṇṇapādukāhi orohitvā, yena Bhagavā tenupasaṅkami,
joyful, uplifted, after taking off his golden slippers, approached the Fortunate One,
upasaṅkamitvā Bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā, ekam-antaṁ nisīdi.
and after approaching and worshipping the Fortunate One, he sat down on one side.
Ekam-antaṁ nisinnassa kho Yasassa kulaputtassa
To the young man Yasa, sitting at one side,
Bhagavā anupubbikathaṁ kathesi,
the Fortunate One spoke about the gradual teaching,
seyyathīdaṁ: dānakathaṁ sīlakathaṁ saggakathaṁ,
that is to say: talk about giving, talk about virtue, talk about heaven,
kāmānaṁ ādīnavaṁ okāraṁ saṅkilesaṁ,
the danger, degradation, and defilement of sensual desires,
nekkhamme ānisaṁsaṁ pakāsesi.
and the advantages of renunciation, (these) he explained.
Yadā Bhagavā aññāsi Yasaṁ kulaputtaṁ
When the Fortunate One knew that the young man Yasa
kallacittaṁ muducittaṁ vinīvaraṇacittaṁ udaggacittaṁ pasannacittaṁ,
had a ready mind, a pliable mind, an open mind, an uplifted mind, a confident mind,
atha yā Buddhānaṁ sāmukkaṁsikā Dhammadesanā taṁ pakāsesi:
he explained to him the Dhamma teaching the Awakened Ones have discovered themselves:
Dukkhaṁ Samudayaṁ Nirodhaṁ Maggaṁ.
Suffering, Origination, Cessation, Path.
Seyyathā pi nāma suddhaṁ vatthaṁ apagatakāḷakaṁ
Just as it is known that a clean cloth without a stain
sammad-eva rajanaṁ paṭiggaṇheyya,
will take the dye well,
evam-eva Yasassa kulaputtassa tasmiṁ yeva āsane,
just so to the young man Yasa on that very seat,
virajaṁ vītamalaṁ Dhammacakkhuṁ udapādi:
the dust-free, stainless Vision-of-the-Dhamma arose: Jā Nid says that he became a Stream-Enterer (
“Yaṁ kiñci samudayadhammaṁ,
“Whatever has the nature of arising,
sabban-taṁ nirodhadhamman.”-ti
all that has the nature of ceasing.”