The Discourse about Nanda

ekaṁ samayaṁ Bhagavā Sāvatthiyaṁ viharati,
at one time the Fortunate One was dwelling near Sāvatthī,

Jetavane Anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme.
in Jeta’s Wood, at Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery.

Bhagavato bhātā mātucchāputto, Venerable Nanda’s father was King Suddhodana, the Buddha’s father; his mother however, was the Buddha’s mother’s sister, Mahāpajāpatī (who was also, of course, the Buddha’s foster mother).
the Fortunate One’s brother, his mother’s sister’s son,

“Anabhirato ahaṁ āvuso brahmacariyaṁ carāmi,
“I have no great delight, venerable friends, living the spiritual life,

na sakkomi brahmacariyaṁ sandhāretuṁ,
I am not able to endure the spiritual life,

sikkhaṁ paccakkhāya hīnāyāvattissāmī” ti.
having disavowed the training, I will return to what is inferior.”

Atha kho aññataro bhikkhu yena Bhagavā tenupasaṅkami,
Then a certain monk went to the Fortunate One,

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

Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho so bhikkhu Bhagavantaṁ etad-avoca:
While sat on one side that monk said this to the Fortunate One:

“Āyasmā bhante Nando Bhagavato bhātā mātucchāputto,
“Venerable Nanda, reverend Sir, the Fortunate One’s brother, his mother’s sister’s son,

‘Anabhirato ahaṁ āvuso brahmacariyaṁ carāmi,
‘I have no great delight, venerable friends, living the spiritual life,

na sakkomi brahmacariyaṁ sandhāretuṁ,
I am not able to endure the spiritual life,

sikkhaṁ paccakkhāya hīnāyāvattissāmī' ” ti.
having disavowed the training, I will return to what is inferior.’ ”

Atha kho Bhagavā aññataraṁ bhikkhuṁ āmantesi:
Then the Fortunate One addressed a certain monk, (saying):

“Ehi tvaṁ bhikkhu mama vacanena Nandaṁ bhikkhuṁ āmantehi:
“Please go, monk, and with my word address the monk Nanda, (saying):

‘Satthā taṁ āvuso Nanda āmantetī’ ” ti.
‘The Teacher, venerable friend Nanda, calls you.’ ”

“Evaṁ bhante,” ti kho so bhikkhu, Bhagavato paṭissutvā,
“Yes, reverend Sir,” said that monk, and after replying to the Fortunate One,

upasaṅkamitvā, āyasmantaṁ Nandaṁ etad-avoca:
and after going, he said this to venerable Nanda:

“Satthā taṁ āvuso Nanda āmantetī” ti.
“The Teacher, venerable friend Nanda, calls you.”

“Evam-āvuso” ti kho āyasmā Nando, tassa bhikkhuno paṭissutvā,
“Yes, venerable friend,” said venerable Nanda, and after replying to that monk,

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

Ekamantaṁ nisinnaṁ kho āyasmantaṁ Nandaṁ Bhagavā etad-avoca:
While sat on one side, the Fortunate One said this to venerable Nanda:

“Saccaṁ kira tvaṁ Nanda sambahulānaṁ bhikkhūnaṁ evam-ārocesi:
“Is it true, as it seems, Nanda, that you confessed this to many monks, (saying):

‘Anabhirato ahaṁ āvuso brahmacariyaṁ carāmi,
“I have no great delight, venerable friends, living the spiritual life,

na sakkomi brahmacariyaṁ sandhāretuṁ,
I am not able to endure the spiritual life,

sikkhaṁ paccakkhāya hīnāyāvattissāmī'? ” ti.
having disavowed the training, I will return to what is inferior.’ ”

“Kissa pana tvaṁ Nanda anabhirato brahmacariyaṁ carasi,
“But why do you, Nanda, have no great delight living the spiritual life,

na sakkosi brahmacariyaṁ sandhāretuṁ,
are not able to endure the spiritual life,

sikkhaṁ paccakkhāya hīnāyāvattissasī?” ti.
and having disavowed the training, will return to what is inferior?”

“Sākiyānī maṁ bhante janapadakalyāṇī gharā nikkhamantassa,
“As I was leaving from home, reverend Sir, a Sakyan girl, the most beautiful woman in the country,

upaḍḍhullikhitebhi kesebhi The intermediate instrumental forms in - ebhi (= Skr - ebhis ; normal Pāḷi form - ehi) are interesting here, and maybe reflect the rememberence of a genuine utterance. apaloketvā maṁ etad-avoca:
with her hair half-combed, having looked round, said this to me:

‘Tuvaṭaṁ kho Ayyaputta āgaccheyyāsī’ ti.
‘Master, may you quickly return.’

anabhirato brahmacariyaṁ carāmi,
I have no great delight living the spiritual life,

na sakkomi brahmacariyaṁ sandhāretuṁ,
I am not able to endure the spiritual life,

sikkhaṁ paccakkhāya hīnāyāvattissāmī” ti.
and having disavowed the training, I will return to what is inferior.”

Atha kho Bhagavā āyasmantaṁ Nandaṁ bāhāya Note that bāhāya here is a locative (as in parallel usage where the declension is clear), though it has the sense of the instrumental case; see Syntax § 166e. gahetvā,
Then the Fortunate One, having taken venerable Nanda by the arm,

seyyathā pi nāma balavā puriso sammiñjitaṁ vā bāhaṁ pasāreyya,
just as a strong man might stretch out a bent arm,

evam-eva Jetavane antarahito devesu Tavatiṁsesu pāturahosi.
in the same way did he disappear from Jeta’s Wood, and reappear amongst the Tāvatiṁsa devas.

Tena kho pana samayena pañcamattāni Matta is pleonastic in phrases of this kind, and therefore untranslatable, notice that it is dropped when used in direct speech just below. accharāsatāni
^o Then at that time five hundred celestial dove-footed nymphs

Sakkassa devānam-indassa upaṭṭhānaṁ āgatāni honti kakuṭapādāni.
had come to attend to Sakka, the lord of the devas.

Atha kho Bhagavā āyasmantaṁ Nandaṁ āmantesi:
Then the Fortunate One addressed venerable Nanda, (saying):

“Passasi no tvaṁ Nanda imāni pañca accharāsatāni kakuṭapādānī?” ti.
“Do you see, Nanda, these five hundred celestial dove-footed nymphs?”

katamā nu kho abhirūpatarā ca dassanīyatarā ca pāsādikatarā ca,
who has the most perfect form, is the most fair to behold, is the most pleasing,

Sākiyānī vā janapadakalyāṇī,
the Sakyan girl, the most beautiful woman in the country,

imāni vā pañca accharāsatāni kakuṭapādānī?” ti.
or these five hundred celestial dove-footed nymphs?”

“Seyyathā pi bhante paluṭṭhamakkaṭī kaṇṇanāsacchinnā,
“Like a disfigured monkey, reverend Sir, with its ears and nose cut off,

evam-eva kho bhante Sākiyānī janapadakalyāṇī,
so is the Sakyan girl, reverend Sir, the most beautiful woman in the country,

imesaṁ pañcannaṁ accharāsatānaṁ upanidhāya saṅkham-pi na upeti,
compared with these five hundred celestial nymphs she does not count,

kalam-pi na upeti, kalabhāgam-pi na upeti, upanidhim-pi na upeti!
she is not even a fraction, she is not even half a fraction, she is not even to be compared!

abhirūpatarāni ceva dassanīyatarāni ca pāsādikatarāni cā” ti.
certainly have the most perfect form, are the most fair to behold, are the more pleasing.”

“Abhirama Nanda! Abhirama Nanda! Ahaṁ te pāṭibhogo
“Take delight, Nanda! Take delight, Nanda! I am your surety

pañcannaṁ accharāsatānaṁ paṭilābhāya kakuṭapādānan!”-ti.
for gaining five hundred celestial dove-footed nymphs!”

“Sace me bhante Bhagavā pāṭibhogo
“If, reverend Sir, the Fortunate One is my surety

pañcannaṁ accharāsatānaṁ paṭilābhāya kakuṭapādānaṁ,
for gaining five hundred celestial dove-footed nymphs,

abhiramissāmahaṁ bhante Bhagavati brahmacariye” ti.
I will take great delight, reverend Sir, in (living) the spiritual life under the Fortunate One.”

Atha kho Bhagavā āyasmantaṁ Nandaṁ bāhāya gahetvā,
Then the Fortunate One, having taken venerable Nanda by the arm,

seyyathā pi nāma balavā puriso sammiñjitaṁ vā bāhaṁ pasāreyya,
just as a strong man might stretch out a bent arm,

evam-eva devesu Tāvatiṁsesu antarahito Jetavane pāturahosi.
in the same way did they disappear from amongst the Tāvatiṁsa devas, and reappear in Jeta’s Wood.

Assosuṁ kho bhikkhū: “Āyasmā kira Nando,
The monks heard: “Venerable Nanda, it seems,

Bhagavato bhātā mātucchāputto
the Fortunate One’s brother, his mother’s sister’s son,

accharānaṁ hetu brahmacariyaṁ carati,
is living the spiritual life for the sake of celestial nymphs,

pañcannaṁ accharāsatānaṁ paṭilābhāya kakuṭapādānan!”-ti.
for gaining five hundred celestial dove-footed nymphs!”

Atha kho āyasmato Nandassa sahāyakā bhikkhū āyasmantaṁ Nandaṁ
^o Then venerable Nanda’s monk-friends accosted venerable Nanda

bhatakavādena ca upakkitakavādena ca samudācaranti:
with words about a hireling, with words about a lackey, (saying):

“Bhatako kirāyasmā Nando, upakkitako kirāyasmā Nando,
“It seems venerable Nanda is a hireling, it seems venerable Nanda is a lackey,

accharānaṁ hetu brahmacariyaṁ carati,
he is living the spiritual life for the sake of celestial nymphs,

pañcannaṁ accharāsatānaṁ paṭilābhāya kakuṭapādānan!”-ti.
for gaining five hundred celestial dove-footed nymphs!”

Atha kho āyasmā Nando sahāyakānaṁ bhikkhūnaṁ
Then venerable Nanda, at his monk-friends'

bhatakavādena ca upakkitakavādena ca,
words about a hireling, words about a lackey,

aṭṭīyamāno harāyamāno jigucchamāno,
was distressed, ashamed, and disgusted,

eko vūpakaṭṭho appamatto ātāpī pahitatto viharanto,
and while dwelling solitary, secluded, heedful, ardent, and resolute,

na cirasseva yassatthāya yassatthāya here is a periphrasis, the sense of which could have been carried by the dative case alone; lit.: for the purpose of which...; kulaputtā
after no long time (attained) that good for which sons of good family

sammad-eva agārasmā anagāriyaṁ pabbajanti,
rightly go forth from the home to homelessness,

tad-anuttaraṁ brahmacariyapariyosānaṁ,
that unsurpassed conclusion to the spiritual life,

diṭṭhe va dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja vihāsi: Here the auxilliary verb vihāsi gives durative sense to the three absolutives that precede it.
and dwelt having known, having directly experienced, and having attained (nibbāna) himself in this very life:

“Khīṇā jāti
“Destroyed is birth

vūsitaṁ brahmacariyaṁ
accomplished is the spiritual life

kataṁ karaṇīyaṁ Cognate accusative with the future passive participle.
done is what ought to be done

nāparaṁ itthattāyā” ti abbhaññāsi.
there is no more of this mundane state” - this he knew.

Aññataro ca kho panāyasmā Nando Arahataṁ ahosi.
And venerable Nanda became another of the Worthy Ones.

Atha kho aññatarā devatā, abhikkantāya rattiyā,
Then a certain devatā, when the night had passed,

abhikkantavaṇṇā kevalakappaṁ Jetavanaṁ obhāsetvā,
having lit up the whole of Jeta’s Wood with his surpassing beauty,

upasaṅkamitvā Bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā, ekamantaṁ aṭṭhāsi.
and after going and worshipping the Fortunate One, he stood on one side.

Ekamantaṁ ṭhitā kho sā devatā Bhagavantaṁ etad-avoca:
While standing on one side that devatā said this to the Fortunate One:

“Āyasmā bhante Nando Bhagavato bhātā mātucchāputto,
“Venerable Nanda, reverend Sir, the Fortunate One’s brother, his mother’s sister’s son,

āsavānaṁ khayā anāsavaṁ cetovimuttiṁ paññāvimuttiṁ,
through the destruction of the pollutants, without pollutants, freed in mind, freed through wisdom,

diṭṭhe va dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja viharatī” ti.
dwells having known, having directly experienced, and having attained (nibbāna) himself in this very life.”

Bhagavato pi kho ñāṇaṁ udapādi:
And this knowledge arose to the Fortunate One:

“Nando āsavānaṁ khayā anāsavaṁ cetovimuttiṁ paññāvimuttiṁ,
“Nanda, through the destruction of the pollutants, without pollutants, freed in mind, freed through wisdom,

diṭṭhe va dhamme This is an idiom, perhaps more literally we could translate: in the things that are seen. sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja viharatī” ti.
dwells having known, having directly experienced, and having attained (nibbāna) himself in this very life.”

Atha kho āyasmā Nando, tassā rattiyā accayena,
Then venerable Nanda, when that night had passed,

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

Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho āyasmā Nando Bhagavantaṁ etad-avoca:
While sat on one side venerable Nanda said this to the Fortunate One:

“Yaṁ me bhante Bhagavā pāṭibhogo
“That, reverend Sir, for which the Fortunate One was my surety

- pañcannaṁ accharāsatānaṁ paṭilābhāya kakuṭapādānaṁ -
- for gaining five hundred celestial dove-footed nymphs -

muñcām-ahaṁ bhante Bhagavantaṁ etasmā paṭissavā” ti.
I free the Fortunate One, reverend Sir, from that promise.”

“Mayā pi kho te Nanda cetasā ceto paricca vidito:
“Nanda, having encompassed your mind fully with my mind, I understood:

‘Nando āsavānaṁ khayā anāsavaṁ cetovimuttiṁ paññāvimuttiṁ,
‘Nanda, through the destruction of the pollutants, without pollutants, freed in mind, freed through wisdom,

diṭṭhe va dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja viharatī’ ti
dwells having known, having directly experienced, and having attained (nibbāna) himself in this very life.’

Devatā pi me etam-atthaṁ ārocesi:
Also a devatā announced that matter to me, (saying):

‘Āyasmā bhante Nando Bhagavato bhātā mātucchāputto,
‘Venerable Nanda, reverend Sir, the Fortunate One’s brother, his mother’s sister’s son,

āsavānaṁ khayā anāsavaṁ cetovimuttiṁ paññāvimuttiṁ,
through the destruction of the pollutants, without pollutants, freed in mind, freed through wisdom,

diṭṭhe va dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja viharatī’ ti.
dwells having known, having directly experienced, and having attained (nibbāna) himself in this very life.’

Yad-eva kho te Nanda anupādāya āsavehi cittaṁ vimuttaṁ,
When, Nanda, your mind was freed from the pollutants without attachment,

athāhaṁ mutto etasmā paṭissavā” ti.
then was I freed from that promise.”

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

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

“Yassa nittiṇṇo paṅko ca, ~ maddito kāmakaṇṭako,
“He who has got out of the quagmire, ~ who has crushed the thorn of sense desire,

Mohakkhayaṁ anuppatto, ~ sukhadukkhesu na vedhati sa bhikkhū” ti.
Who has arrived at the destruction of delusion, ~ that monk does not shake in regard to pleasure and pain.”