The yakkha Punabbasu approaches the Buddha in verse on with punabbasu, and the Teacher responds with a teaching on morality, impermanence, or the dangers of defilements.

SN 10.7 With Punabbasu

Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme.

Tena kho pana samayena bhagavā bhikkhū nibbānapaṭisaṁyuttāya dhammiyā kathāya sandasseti samādapeti samuttejeti sampahaṁseti. Te ca bhikkhū aṭṭhiṁ katvā manasi katvā sabbacetasā samannāharitvā ohitasotā dhammaṁ suṇanti.

Atha kho punabbasumātā yakkhinī puttake evaṁ tosesi:

“Tuṇhī uttarike hohi,
tuṇhī hohi punabbasu;
Yāvāhaṁ buddhaseṭṭhassa,
dhammaṁ sossāmi satthuno.

Nibbānaṁ bhagavā āha,
sabbaganthappamocanaṁ;
Ativelā ca me hoti,
asmiṁ dhamme piyāyanā.

Piyo loke sako putto,
piyo loke sako pati;
Tato piyatarā mayhaṁ,
assa dhammassa magganā.

Na hi putto pati vāpi,
piyo dukkhā pamocaye;
Yathā saddhammassavanaṁ,
dukkhā moceti pāṇinaṁ.

Loke dukkhaparetasmiṁ,
Jarāmaraṇasaṁyute;
Jarāmaraṇamokkhāya,
Yaṁ dhammaṁ abhisambudhaṁ;
Taṁ dhammaṁ sotumicchāmi,
Tuṇhī hohi punabbasū”ti.

“Ammā na byāharissāmi,
tuṇhībhūtāyamuttarā;
Dhammameva nisāmehi,
saddhammassavanaṁ sukhaṁ;
Saddhammassa anaññāya,
ammā dukkhaṁ carāmase.

Esa devamanussānaṁ,
sammūḷhānaṁ pabhaṅkaro;
Buddho antimasārīro,
dhammaṁ deseti cakkhumā”ti.

“Sādhu kho paṇḍito nāma,
putto jāto uresayo;
Putto me buddhaseṭṭhassa,
dhammaṁ suddhaṁ piyāyati.

Punabbasu sukhī hohi,
ajjāhamhi samuggatā;
Diṭṭhāni ariyasaccāni,
uttarāpi suṇātu me”ti.

Reference Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0).

Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme.

At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery.

Tena kho pana samayena bhagavā bhikkhū nibbānapaṭisaṁyuttāya dhammiyā kathāya sandasseti samādapeti samuttejeti sampahaṁseti.

Now at that time the Buddha was educating, encouraging, firing up, and inspiring the mendicants with a Dhamma talk about extinguishment.

Te ca bhikkhū aṭṭhiṁ katvā manasi katvā sabbacetasā samannāharitvā ohitasotā dhammaṁ suṇanti.

And those mendicants were paying attention, applying the mind, concentrating wholeheartedly, and actively listening.

Atha kho punabbasumātā yakkhinī puttake evaṁ tosesi:

Then the native spirit Punabbasu’s Mother soothed her little children, saying:

“Tuṇhī uttarike hohi,

“Hush, little Uttarā!

tuṇhī hohi punabbasu;

Hush, Punabbasu!

Yāvāhaṁ buddhaseṭṭhassa,

For I want to listen to the teaching

dhammaṁ sossāmi satthuno.

of the Teacher, the supreme Buddha.

Nibbānaṁ bhagavā āha,

Extinguishment, the Blessed One said,

sabbaganthappamocanaṁ;

is the release from all ties.

Ativelā ca me hoti,

I have a lasting love

asmiṁ dhamme piyāyanā.

for this teaching.

Piyo loke sako putto,

In this world, your own child is dear;

piyo loke sako pati;

in this world, your own husband is dear;

Tato piyatarā mayhaṁ,

but even greater than that is my love

assa dhammassa magganā.

for this teaching’s quest.

Na hi putto pati vāpi,

For neither son nor husband,

piyo dukkhā pamocaye;

dear as they are, can free you from suffering;

Yathā saddhammassavanaṁ,

as listening to the true teaching

dukkhā moceti pāṇinaṁ.

frees living creatures from suffering.

Loke dukkhaparetasmiṁ,

In this world mired in suffering,

Jarāmaraṇasaṁyute;

fettered by old age and death,

Jarāmaraṇamokkhāya,

I want to listen to the teaching

Yaṁ dhammaṁ abhisambudhaṁ;

through which the Buddha awakened,

Taṁ dhammaṁ sotumicchāmi,

which frees you from old age and death.

Tuṇhī hohi punabbasū”ti.

So hush, Punabbasu!”

“Ammā na byāharissāmi,

“Mom, I’m not speaking,

tuṇhībhūtāyamuttarā;

and Uttarā is silent, too.

Dhammameva nisāmehi,

Focus just on the teaching,

saddhammassavanaṁ sukhaṁ;

for it’s nice to listen to the true teaching.

Saddhammassa anaññāya,

And it’s because we haven’t understood the teaching

ammā dukkhaṁ carāmase.

that we live in suffering, Mom.

Esa devamanussānaṁ,

He is a beacon for those who are lost

sammūḷhānaṁ pabhaṅkaro;

among gods and humans.

Buddho antimasārīro,

The Buddha, bearing his final body,

dhammaṁ deseti cakkhumā”ti.

the Clear-eyed One teaches Dhamma.”

“Sādhu kho paṇḍito nāma,

“It’s good that my child’s so astute,

putto jāto uresayo;

this child I bore and suckled!

Putto me buddhaseṭṭhassa,

My child loves the pure teaching

dhammaṁ suddhaṁ piyāyati.

of the supreme Buddha.

Punabbasu sukhī hohi,

Punabbasu, may you be happy!

ajjāhamhi samuggatā;

Today, I rise.

Diṭṭhāni ariyasaccāni,

Hear me too, Uttarā:

uttarāpi suṇātu me”ti.

I have seen the noble truths!”

Topics & Qualities:

Affection

Affection

A mental quality of tender affection and fond regard, often wholesome when rooted in kindness, which inclines the mind toward warmth and care. When unguarded, it may turn toward fixation upon what is 'dear,' leading the mind to attachment and the grief that follows separation from what has been clung to as 'dear'.

Also known as: fondness, love, tender regard
Pāli: pema
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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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Suffering

Suffering

Unpleasantness, discontentment, dissatisfaction, stress, pain, disease, i.e. mild or intense suffering that is inherent in conditioned existence.

Also known as: discomfort, unpleasantness, discontentedness, dissatisfaction, stress, pain, disease, distress, affliction
Pāli: dukkha
View all discourses →
Wholesome

Wholesome

Conducive to or suggestive of good health and mental well-being.

Also known as: blameless, skillful, beneficial, good, useful, healthy, nourishing, sustaining
Pāli: kusala
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Wisdom

Wisdom

Lived understanding and sound judgment that steers the mind away from suffering, distinct from mere accumulation of facts.

Also known as: (of a person) wise, astute, intelligent, learned, skilled, firm, stable, steadfast, an experiential understanding of the four noble truths
Pāli: paññā, medhā, dhīra, paṇḍita, asammūḷha
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Last updated on July 27, 2026