The Discourse about Sundari

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.

sakkato hoti garukato mānito pūjito apacito, lābhī
was venerated, respected, revered, honoured, esteemed, and in receipt of

cīvarapiṇḍapātasenāsanagilānappaccayabhesajjaparikkhārānaṁ
robes, almsfood, dwellings, and medicinal requisites to help when sick;

Bhikkhusaṅgho pi sakkato hoti garukato mānito pūjito apacito, lābhī
also the Community of monks was venerated, respected, revered, honoured, esteemed, and in receipt of

cīvarapiṇḍapātasenāsanagilānappaccayabhesajjaparikkhārānaṁ.
robes, almsfood, dwellings, and medicinal requisites to help when sick.

asakkatā honti agarukatā amānitā apūjitā anapacitā, na lābhino
were not venerated, not respected, not revered, not honoured, not esteemed, nor were they in receipt of

cīvarapiṇḍapātasenāsanagilānappaccayabhesajjaparikkhārānaṁ.
robes, almsfood, dwellings, and medicinal requisites to help when sick.

Atha kho te aññatitthiyā paribbājakā
Then those wanderers from other sects

Bhagavato sakkāraṁ asahamānā Bhikkhusaṅghassa ca,
being unable to bear the veneration of the Fortunate One and the Community of monks,

yena Sundarī paribbājikā tenupasaṅkamiṁsu,
went to the female wanderer Sundarī (Beautiful),

upasaṅkamitvā, Sundariṁ paribbājikaṁ etad-avocuṁ:
and after going, they said this to the female wanderer Sundarī:

“Ussahasi bhagini ñātīnaṁ atthaṁ kātun?”-ti.
“Sister, what would you venture to do for your kinsmens’ welfare?”

“Kyāhaṁ Ayyā karomi, kiṁ mayā na sakkā kātuṁ?
“What can I do, Masters, what am I unable to do?

Jīvitam-pi me pariccattaṁ ñātīnaṁ atthāyā” ti.
I have given up my life for my kinsmens’ welfare.”

“Tena hi bhagini abhikkhaṇaṁ Jetavanaṁ gacchāhī” ti.
“Then, sister, you must frequently go to Jeta’s Wood.”

“Evam-Ayyā” ti kho Sundarī paribbājikā,
“Yes, Masters”, said the female wanderer Sundarī,

tesaṁ aññatitthiyānaṁ paribbājakānaṁ paṭissutvā,
and after replying to those wanderers from other sects,

Yadā te aññiṁsu aññatitthiyā paribbājakā:
When those wanderers from other sects knew:

“Vodiṭṭhā kho Sundarī paribbājikā bahujanena
“The female wanderer Sundarī has been seen by many people

abhikkhaṇaṁ Jetavanaṁ gacchatī” ti,
frequently going to Jeta’s Wood”,

tattheva Jetavanassa parikhākūpe nikhaṇitvā,
and buried her into a trench-pit right there in Jeta’s Wood,

yena Rājā Pasenadi Kosalo tenupasaṅkamiṁsu,
they went to the Kosalan King Pasenadi,

upasaṅkamitvā, Rājānaṁ Pasenadiṁ Kosalaṁ etad-avocuṁ:
and after going, they said this to the Kosalan King Pasenadi:

“Yā sā Mahārāja Sundarī paribbājikā sā no na dissatī” ti.
“Great King, we no longer see the female wanderer Sundarī.”

“Kattha pana tumhe āsaṅkathā?” ti.
“But where do you suspect (she is)?”

“Tena hi Jetavanaṁ vicinathā” ti.
“Then you must search Jeta’s Wood.”

Atha kho te aññatitthiyā paribbājakā Jetavanaṁ vicinitvā,
Then those wanderers from other sects after searching Jeta’s Wood,

yathā nikhaṇitaṁ parikhākūpā uddharitvā,
lifting (the body) up from the trench-pit where it had been buried,

mañcakaṁ āropetvā, Sāvatthiṁ pavesetvā,
putting it on a bier, and entering Sāvatthī,

rathiyā rathiyaṁ siṅghāṭakena siṅghāṭakaṁ upasaṅkamitvā,
going from road to road, from cross-roads to cross-roads,

“Passathayyā samaṇānaṁ Sakyaputtiyānaṁ kammaṁ,
“See, Masters, what the Sakyan ascetics have done,

alajjino ime samaṇā Sakyaputtiyā dussīlā,
shameless are these Sakyan ascetics, lacking in virtue,

pāpadhammā musāvādino abrahmacārino.
of bad character, speakers of what is false, not living the spiritual life.

Ime hi nāma dhammacārino samacārino brahmacārino,
^o But they will claim that they live by Dhamma, live in peace, live spiritually,

saccavādīno sīlavanto kalyāṇadhammā paṭijānissanti.
speak the truth, are virtuous, and are of good character.

Natthi imesaṁ sāmaññaṁ, natthi imesaṁ brahmaññaṁ,
They have no asceticism, they have no spirituality,

naṭṭhaṁ imesaṁ sāmaññaṁ, naṭṭhaṁ imesaṁ brahmaññaṁ.
their asceticism has perished, their spirituality has perished.

Kuto imesaṁ sāmaññaṁ? Kuto imesaṁ brahmaññaṁ?
Where is their asceticism? Where is their spirituality?

Apagatā ime sāmaññā, apagatā ime brahmaññā.
They have gone away from asceticism, they have gone away from spirituality.

Kathaṁ hi nāma puriso purisakiccaṁ karitvā,
For what man, having done what a man can do,

Tena kho pana samayena Sāvatthiyaṁ manussā bhikkhū disvā,
That at that time, the people in Sāvatthī, after seeing the monks,

asabbhāhi pharusāhi vācāhi akkosanti, paribhāsanti, rosenti, vihesenti:
with vulgar and rough words scolded, abused, annoyed, and troubled them, (saying):

“Alajjino ime samaṇā Sakyaputtiyā, dussīlā
“Shameless are these Sakyan ascetics, lacking in virtue,

pāpadhammā musāvādino abrahmacārino.
of bad character, speakers of what is false, not living the spiritual life.

Ime hi nāma dhammacārino samacārino brahmacārino,
^o But they will claim that they live by Dhamma, live in peace, live spiritually,

saccavādino sīlavanto kalyāṇadhammā paṭijānissanti.
speak the truth, are virtuous, and are of good character.

Natthi imesaṁ sāmaññaṁ, natthi imesaṁ brahmaññaṁ,
They have no asceticism, they have no spirituality,

naṭṭhaṁ imesaṁ sāmaññaṁ, naṭṭhaṁ imesaṁ brahmaññaṁ.
their asceticism has perished, their spirituality has perished.

Kuto imesaṁ sāmaññaṁ? Kuto imesaṁ brahmaññaṁ?
Where is their asceticism? Where is their spirituality?

Apagatā ime sāmaññā, apagatā ime brahmaññā.
They have gone away from asceticism, they have gone away from spirituality.

Kathaṁ hi nāma puriso purisakiccaṁ karitvā,
For what man, having done what a man can do,

Atha kho sambahulā bhikkhū pubbanhasamayaṁ nivāsetvā,
Then many monks, having dressed in the morning time,

pattacīvaram-ādāya, Sāvatthiṁ piṇḍāya pavisiṁsu,
after picking up their bowls and robes, entered Sāvatthī for alms,

Sāvatthiyaṁ piṇḍāya caritvā, pacchābhattaṁ piṇḍapātapaṭikkantā,
and after walking for alms in Sāvatthī, while returning from the alms-round after the meal,

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

Ekamantaṁ nisinnā kho te bhikkhū Bhagavantaṁ etad-avocuṁ:
While sat on one side those monks said this to the Fortunate One:

“Etarahi bhante Sāvatthiyaṁ manussā bhikkhū disvā,
“At present, reverend Sir, the people in Sāvatthī, after seeing the monks,

asabbhāhi pharusāhi vācāhi akkosanti, paribhāsanti, rosenti, vihesenti:
with vulgar and rough words scold, abuse, annoy, and trouble them, (saying):

‘Alajjino ime samaṇā Sakyaputtiyā, dussīlā
‘Shameless are these Sakyan ascetics, lacking in virtue,

pāpadhammā musāvādino abrahmacārino.
of bad character, speakers of what is false, not living the spiritual life.

Ime hi nāma dhammacārino samacārino brahmacārino,
But they will claim that they live by Dhamma, live in peace, live spiritually,

saccavādino sīlavanto kalyāṇadhammā paṭijānissanti.
speak the truth, are virtuous, and are of good character.

Natthi imesaṁ sāmaññaṁ, natthi imesaṁ brahmaññaṁ,
They have no asceticism, they have no spirituality,

naṭṭhaṁ imesaṁ sāmaññaṁ, naṭṭhaṁ imesaṁ brahmaññaṁ.
their asceticism has perished, their spirituality has perished.

Kuto imesaṁ sāmaññaṁ? Kuto imesaṁ brahmaññaṁ?
Where is their asceticism? Where is their spirituality?

Apagatā ime sāmaññā, apagatā ime brahmaññā.
They have gone away from asceticism, they have gone away from spirituality.

Kathaṁ hi nāma puriso purisakiccaṁ karitvā,
For what man, having done what a man can do,

itthiṁ jīvitā voropessatī?’ ” ti.
would deprive a woman of life?’ ”

“Neso bhikkhave saddo ciraṁ bhavissati, sattāham-eva bhavissati,
“This noise will not last long, monks, it will last for only seven days,

sattāhassa accayena antaradhāyissati.
and with the passing of seven days it will disappear.

Tena hi bhikkhave ye manussā bhikkhū disvā,
So, monks, when those people, after seeing the monks,

asabbhāhi pharusāhi vācāhi akkosanti, paribhāsanti, rosenti, vihesenti,
with vulgar and rough words scold, abuse, annoy, and trouble them,

te tumhe imāya gāthāya paṭicodetha:
you should reprove them with this verse:

‘Abhūtavādī nirayaṁ upeti,
‘He who speaks what is untrue goes to the nether regions,

Yo cāpi katvā ‘na karomi’ cāha,
Also he who says ‘I did not do’ what he has done,

Ubho pi te pecca samā bhavanti
^o Both of those men who have performed base deeds

Nihīnakammā manujā paratthā' ” ti. The syntax in these last two lines is rather difficult. The Commentary explains that paratthā is to be taken with pecca in the previous line: “Paratthā” ti imassa pana padassa purato “peccā” ti padena sambandho, pecca parattha ito gantvā te nihīnakammā paraloke samā bhavantī ti attho.
Are the same when they have passed away, in the other world.’ ”

Atha kho te bhikkhū Bhagavato santike imaṁ gāthaṁ pariyāpuṇitvā,
Then those monks, having mastered that verse in the presence of the Fortunate One,

asabbhāhi pharusāhi vācāhi akkosanti, paribhāsanti, rosenti, vihesenti,
with vulgar and rough words scolded, abused, annoyed, and troubled them,

“Abhūtavādī nirayaṁ upeti,
“He who speaks what is untrue goes to the nether regions,

Yo cāpi katvā ‘na karomi’ cāha,
Also he who says ‘I did not do’ what he has done,

Ubho pi te pecca samā bhavanti
^o Both of those men who have performed base deeds

Nihīnakammā manujā paratthā” ti.
Are the same when they have passed away to the other world.”

Manussānaṁ etad-ahosi: “Akārakā ime samaṇā Sakyaputtiyā,
Then this occurred to those people: “These Sakyan ascetics are not the doers,

nayimehi kataṁ, sapanti ime samaṇā Sakyaputtiyā” ti.
this wasn't done by them, these Sakyan ascetics are asserting (the truth).”

Neva so saddo ciraṁ ahosi, sattāham-eva ahosi,
That noise did not last long, it only lasted for seven days,

sattāhassa accayena antaradhāyi.
and with the passing of seven days it disappeared.

Atha kho sambahulā bhikkhu yena Bhagavā tenupasaṅkamiṁsu,
Then many monks went to the Fortunate One,

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

Ekamantaṁ nisinnā kho te bhikkhū Bhagavantaṁ etad-avocuṁ:
While sat on one side those monks said this to the Fortunate One:

“Acchariyaṁ bhante, abbhutaṁ bhante,
“It is wonderful, reverend Sir, it is marvellous, reverend Sir,

yāva subhāsitañ-cidaṁ bhante Bhagavatā:
how well spoken that was, reverend Sir, by the Fortunate One:

‘Neso bhikkhave saddo ciraṁ bhavissati, sattāham-eva bhavissati,
‘This noise will not last long, monks, it will last for only seven days,

sattāhassa accayena antaradhāyissatī’ ti.
and with the passing of seven days it will disappear.’

Antarahito so bhante saddo” ti.
That noise, reverend Sir, has disappeared.”

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:

“Tudanti vācāya janā asaññatā,
“Unrestrained the people pierce (others) with words,

Sarehi saṅgāmagataṁ va kuñjaraṁ,
Like (they pierce) an elephant with arrows in a battle,

Sutvāna vākyaṁ pharusaṁ udīritaṁ,
(But) having heard that rough speech broadcast around,

Adhivāsaye bhikkhu aduṭṭhacitto” ti.
A monk should bear it with an uncorrupt mind.”