The Buddha teaches on entering a royal compound, presenting a tenfold teaching for disciples on the path.

AN 10.45 Entering a Royal Compound

“Dasayime, bhikkhave, ādīnavā rājantepurappavesane. Katame dasa?

Idha, bhikkhave, rājā mahesiyā saddhiṁ nisinno hoti. Tatra bhikkhu pavisati. Mahesī bhikkhuṁ disvā sitaṁ pātukaroti, bhikkhu mahesiṁ disvā sitaṁ pātukaroti. Tattha rañño evaṁ hoti: ‘addhā imesaṁ kataṁ karissanti vā’ti. Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, paṭhamo ādīnavo rājantepurappavesane.

Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, rājā bahukicco bahukaraṇīyo aññataraṁ itthiṁ gantvā na sarati: ‘sā tena gabbhaṁ gaṇhāti’. Tattha rañño evaṁ hoti: ‘na kho idha añño koci pavisati, aññatra pabbajitena. Siyā nu kho pabbajitassa kamman’ti. Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, dutiyo ādīnavo rājantepurappavesane.

Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, rañño antepure aññataraṁ ratanaṁ nassati. Tattha rañño evaṁ hoti: ‘na kho idha añño koci pavisati, aññatra pabbajitena. Siyā nu kho pabbajitassa kamman’ti. Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, tatiyo ādīnavo rājantepurappavesane.

Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, rañño antepure abbhantarā guyhamantā bahiddhā sambhedaṁ gacchanti. Tattha rañño evaṁ hoti: ‘na kho idha añño koci pavisati, aññatra pabbajitena. Siyā nu kho pabbajitassa kamman’ti. Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, catuttho ādīnavo rājantepurappavesane.

Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, rañño antepure pitā puttaṁ pattheti putto pitaraṁ pattheti. Tesaṁ evaṁ hoti: ‘na kho idha añño koci pavisati, aññatra pabbajitena. Siyā nu kho pabbajitassa kamman’ti. Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, pañcamo ādīnavo rājantepurappavesane.

Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, rājā nīcaṭṭhāniyaṁ ucce ṭhāne ṭhapeti. Yesaṁ taṁ amanāpaṁ tesaṁ evaṁ hoti: ‘rājā kho pabbajitena saṁsaṭṭho. Siyā nu kho pabbajitassa kamman’ti. Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, chaṭṭho ādīnavo rājantepurappavesane.

Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, rājā uccaṭṭhāniyaṁ nīce ṭhāne ṭhapeti. Yesaṁ taṁ amanāpaṁ tesaṁ evaṁ hoti: ‘rājā kho pabbajitena saṁsaṭṭho. Siyā nu kho pabbajitassa kamman’ti. Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, sattamo ādīnavo rājantepurappavesane.

Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, rājā akāle senaṁ uyyojeti. Yesaṁ taṁ amanāpaṁ tesaṁ evaṁ hoti: ‘rājā kho pabbajitena saṁsaṭṭho. Siyā nu kho pabbajitassa kamman’ti. Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, aṭṭhamo ādīnavo rājantepurappavesane.

Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, rājā kāle senaṁ uyyojetvā antarāmaggato nivattāpeti. Yesaṁ taṁ amanāpaṁ tesaṁ evaṁ hoti: ‘rājā kho pabbajitena saṁsaṭṭho. Siyā nu kho pabbajitassa kamman’ti. Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, navamo ādīnavo rājantepurappavesane.

Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, rañño antepuraṁ hatthisammaddaṁ assasammaddaṁ rathasammaddaṁ rajanīyāni rūpasaddagandharasaphoṭṭhabbāni, yāni na pabbajitassa sāruppāni. Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, dasamo ādīnavo rājantepurappavesane.

Ime kho, bhikkhave, dasa ādīnavā rājantepurappavesane”ti.

Pañcamaṁ.

Reference Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0).

“Dasayime, bhikkhave, ādīnavā rājantepurappavesane.

“Mendicants, there are ten drawbacks to entering a royal compound.

Katame dasa?

What ten?

Idha, bhikkhave, rājā mahesiyā saddhiṁ nisinno hoti.

Firstly, a king is sitting with his chief queen

Tatra bhikkhu pavisati.

when a monk enters.

Mahesī bhikkhuṁ disvā sitaṁ pātukaroti, bhikkhu mahesiṁ disvā sitaṁ pātukaroti.

When the queen sees the monk she smiles, or when the monk sees the queen he smiles.

Tattha rañño evaṁ hoti:

So the king thinks:

‘addhā imesaṁ kataṁ karissanti vā’ti.

‘They’ve done it for sure, or they will do it.’

Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, paṭhamo ādīnavo rājantepurappavesane.

This is the first drawback of entering a royal compound.

Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, rājā bahukicco bahukaraṇīyo aññataraṁ itthiṁ gantvā na sarati:

Furthermore, a king has many duties, and much to do. He has sex with one of the women but doesn’t remember.

‘sā tena gabbhaṁ gaṇhāti’.

She gets pregnant from that.

Tattha rañño evaṁ hoti:

So the king thinks:

‘na kho idha añño koci pavisati, aññatra pabbajitena.

‘No-one else has entered here, except for that monk.

Siyā nu kho pabbajitassa kamman’ti.

Could this be the monk’s doing?’

Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, dutiyo ādīnavo rājantepurappavesane.

This is the second drawback of entering a royal compound.

Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, rañño antepure aññataraṁ ratanaṁ nassati.

Furthermore, a gem is lost somewhere in the royal compound.

Tattha rañño evaṁ hoti:

So the king thinks:

‘na kho idha añño koci pavisati, aññatra pabbajitena.

‘No-one else has entered here, except for that monk.

Siyā nu kho pabbajitassa kamman’ti.

Could this be the monk’s doing?’

Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, tatiyo ādīnavo rājantepurappavesane.

This is the third drawback of entering a royal compound.

Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, rañño antepure abbhantarā guyhamantā bahiddhā sambhedaṁ gacchanti.

Furthermore, secret deliberations in the royal compound are leaked outside.

Tattha rañño evaṁ hoti:

So the king thinks:

‘na kho idha añño koci pavisati, aññatra pabbajitena.

‘No-one else has entered here, except for that monk.

Siyā nu kho pabbajitassa kamman’ti.

Could this be the monk’s doing?’

Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, catuttho ādīnavo rājantepurappavesane.

This is the fourth drawback of entering a royal compound.

Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, rañño antepure pitā puttaṁ pattheti putto pitaraṁ pattheti.

Furthermore, in a royal compound, a father longs for their son, or a son longs for his father.

Tesaṁ evaṁ hoti:

They think:

‘na kho idha añño koci pavisati, aññatra pabbajitena.

‘No-one else has entered here, except for that monk.

Siyā nu kho pabbajitassa kamman’ti.

Could this be the monk’s doing?’

Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, pañcamo ādīnavo rājantepurappavesane.

This is the fifth drawback of entering a royal compound.

Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, rājā nīcaṭṭhāniyaṁ ucce ṭhāne ṭhapeti.

Furthermore, the king promotes someone to a higher position.

Yesaṁ taṁ amanāpaṁ tesaṁ evaṁ hoti:

Those who are upset by this think:

‘rājā kho pabbajitena saṁsaṭṭho.

‘The king is close to that monk.

Siyā nu kho pabbajitassa kamman’ti.

Could this be the monk’s doing?’

Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, chaṭṭho ādīnavo rājantepurappavesane.

This is the sixth drawback of entering a royal compound.

Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, rājā uccaṭṭhāniyaṁ nīce ṭhāne ṭhapeti.

Furthermore, the king demotes someone to a lower position.

Yesaṁ taṁ amanāpaṁ tesaṁ evaṁ hoti:

Those who are upset by this think:

‘rājā kho pabbajitena saṁsaṭṭho.

‘The king is close to that monk.

Siyā nu kho pabbajitassa kamman’ti.

Could this be the monk’s doing?’

Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, sattamo ādīnavo rājantepurappavesane.

This is the seventh drawback of entering a royal compound.

Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, rājā akāle senaṁ uyyojeti.

Furthermore, the king dispatches the army at the wrong time.

Yesaṁ taṁ amanāpaṁ tesaṁ evaṁ hoti:

Those who are upset by this think:

‘rājā kho pabbajitena saṁsaṭṭho.

‘The king is close to that monk.

Siyā nu kho pabbajitassa kamman’ti.

Could this be the monk’s doing?’

Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, aṭṭhamo ādīnavo rājantepurappavesane.

This is the eighth drawback of entering a royal compound.

Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, rājā kāle senaṁ uyyojetvā antarāmaggato nivattāpeti.

Furthermore, the king dispatches the army at the right time, but orders it to turn back while still on the road.

Yesaṁ taṁ amanāpaṁ tesaṁ evaṁ hoti:

Those who are upset by this think:

‘rājā kho pabbajitena saṁsaṭṭho.

‘The king is close to that monk.

Siyā nu kho pabbajitassa kamman’ti.

Could this be the monk’s doing?’

Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, navamo ādīnavo rājantepurappavesane.

This is the ninth drawback of entering a royal compound.

Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, rañño antepuraṁ hatthisammaddaṁ assasammaddaṁ rathasammaddaṁ rajanīyāni rūpasaddagandharasaphoṭṭhabbāni, yāni na pabbajitassa sāruppāni.

Furthermore, in the royal compound there is a trampling of elephants, horses, and chariots, as well as arousing sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and touches that do not befit a monk.

Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, dasamo ādīnavo rājantepurappavesane.

This is the tenth drawback of entering a royal compound.

Ime kho, bhikkhave, dasa ādīnavā rājantepurappavesane”ti.

These are the ten drawbacks of entering a royal compound.”

Pañcamaṁ.

Topics & Qualities:

Aversion

Aversion

A rejecting mental quality rooted in perception, where one instinctively turns away from or resists unpleasant experiences or objects; it manifests as a tendency to push away discomfort, obstructing patience and acceptance.

Also known as: animosity, hate, hostility, fault-finding mindset, upset
Pāli: dosa, paṭighasaññā, vera
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Liberation

Liberation

Liberation can imply a temporary release of the mind, i.e. liberated from certain unwholesome mental qualities or complete liberation from all unwholesome qualities of the mind, i.e. Nibbāna.

Also known as: freedom, release, emancipation, deliverance
Pāli: vimutti, vimokkha, cetovimutti, paññāvimutti, akuppā cetovimutti
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Last updated on July 27, 2026