Reference Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0).
Sāvatthinidānaṁ.
At Sāvatthī.
Atha kho tāyano devaputto purāṇatitthakaro abhikkantāya rattiyā abhikkantavaṇṇo kevalakappaṁ jetavanaṁ obhāsetvā yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ aṭṭhāsi.
Then, late at night, the glorious godling Tāyana, formerly a religious founder, lighting up the entire Jeta’s Grove, went up to the Buddha, bowed, stood to one side,
Ekamantaṁ ṭhito kho tāyano devaputto bhagavato santike imā gāthāyo abhāsi:
and recited these verses in the Buddha’s presence:
“Chinda sotaṁ parakkamma,
“Cut the stream after striving!
kāme panuda brāhmaṇa;
Cast aside sensual pleasures, brahmin.
Nappahāya munī kāme,
A sage who doesn’t give up sensual pleasures
nekattamupapajjati.
is not reborn in a unified state.
Kayirā ce kayirāthenaṁ,
If one is to do what should be done,
daḷhamenaṁ parakkame;
one should staunchly strive.
Sithilo hi paribbājo,
For the life gone forth when laxly led
bhiyyo ākirate rajaṁ.
just stirs up dust all the more.
Akataṁ dukkaṭaṁ seyyo,
A bad deed is better left undone,
pacchā tapati dukkaṭaṁ;
for it will plague you later on.
Katañca sukataṁ seyyo,
A good deed is better done,
yaṁ katvā nānutappati.
one that does not plague you.
Kuso yathā duggahito,
When kusa grass is wrongly grasped
hatthamevānukantati;
it only cuts the hand.
Sāmaññaṁ dupparāmaṭṭhaṁ,
So too, the ascetic life, when wrongly taken,
nirayāyūpakaḍḍhati.
drags you to hell.
Yaṁ kiñci sithilaṁ kammaṁ,
Any lax act,
saṅkiliṭṭhañca yaṁ vataṁ;
any corrupt observance,
Saṅkassaraṁ brahmacariyaṁ,
or suspicious spiritual life,
na taṁ hoti mahapphalan”ti.
is not very fruitful.”
Idamavoca tāyano devaputto;
That’s what the godling Tāyana said.
idaṁ vatvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā padakkhiṇaṁ katvā tatthevantaradhāyīti.
Then he bowed and respectfully circled the Buddha, keeping him on his right side, before vanishing right there.
Atha kho bhagavā tassā rattiyā accayena bhikkhū āmantesi:
Then, when the night had passed, the Buddha told the mendicants all that had happened.
“imaṁ, bhikkhave, rattiṁ tāyano nāma devaputto purāṇatitthakaro abhikkantāya rattiyā abhikkantavaṇṇo kevalakappaṁ jetavanaṁ obhāsetvā yenāhaṁ tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā maṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ aṭṭhāsi.
“Mendicants, tonight, the glorious godling Tāyana, formerly a religious founder, lighting up the entire Jeta’s Grove, came to me, bowed, stood to one side,
Ekamantaṁ ṭhito kho, bhikkhave, tāyano devaputto mama santike imā gāthāyo abhāsi:
and recited these verses in my presence.” The Buddha repeated the verses in full, adding:
‘Chinda sotaṁ parakkamma,
kāme panuda brāhmaṇa;
Nappahāya munī kāme,
nekattamupapajjati.
Kayirā ce kayirāthenaṁ,
daḷhamenaṁ parakkame;
Sithilo hi paribbājo,
bhiyyo ākirate rajaṁ.
Akataṁ dukkaṭaṁ seyyo,
pacchā tapati dukkaṭaṁ;
Katañca sukataṁ seyyo,
yaṁ katvā nānutappati.
Kuso yathā duggahito,
hatthamevānukantati;
Sāmaññaṁ dupparāmaṭṭhaṁ,
nirayāyūpakaḍḍhati.
Yaṁ kiñci sithilaṁ kammaṁ,
saṅkiliṭṭhañca yaṁ vataṁ;
Saṅkassaraṁ brahmacariyaṁ,
na taṁ hoti mahapphalan’ti.
Idamavoca, bhikkhave, tāyano devaputto, idaṁ vatvā maṁ abhivādetvā padakkhiṇaṁ katvā tatthevantaradhāyi.
“That’s what the godling Tāyana said. Then he bowed and respectfully circled me, keeping me on his right side, before vanishing right there.
Uggaṇhātha, bhikkhave, tāyanagāthā;
Mendicants, learn the verses of Tāyana!
pariyāpuṇātha, bhikkhave, tāyanagāthā;
Memorize the verses of Tāyana!
dhāretha, bhikkhave, tāyanagāthā.
Remember the verses of Tāyana!
Atthasaṁhitā, bhikkhave, tāyanagāthā ādibrahmacariyikā”ti.
These verses are beneficial and relate to the fundamentals of the spiritual life.”
Reference Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0).
At Sāvatthī.
Then, late at night, the glorious godling Tāyana, formerly a religious founder, lighting up the entire Jeta’s Grove, went up to the Buddha, bowed, stood to one side,
and recited these verses in the Buddha’s presence:
“Cut the stream after striving!
Cast aside sensual pleasures, brahmin.
A sage who doesn’t give up sensual pleasures
is not reborn in a unified state.
If one is to do what should be done,
one should staunchly strive.
For the life gone forth when laxly led
just stirs up dust all the more.
A bad deed is better left undone,
for it will plague you later on.
A good deed is better done,
one that does not plague you.
When kusa grass is wrongly grasped
it only cuts the hand.
So too, the ascetic life, when wrongly taken,
drags you to hell.
Any lax act,
any corrupt observance,
or suspicious spiritual life,
is not very fruitful.”
That’s what the godling Tāyana said.
Then he bowed and respectfully circled the Buddha, keeping him on his right side, before vanishing right there.
Then, when the night had passed, the Buddha told the mendicants all that had happened.
“Mendicants, tonight, the glorious godling Tāyana, formerly a religious founder, lighting up the entire Jeta’s Grove, came to me, bowed, stood to one side,
and recited these verses in my presence.” The Buddha repeated the verses in full, adding:
“That’s what the godling Tāyana said. Then he bowed and respectfully circled me, keeping me on his right side, before vanishing right there.
Mendicants, learn the verses of Tāyana!
Memorize the verses of Tāyana!
Remember the verses of Tāyana!
These verses are beneficial and relate to the fundamentals of the spiritual life.”
Sāvatthinidānaṁ.
Atha kho tāyano devaputto purāṇatitthakaro abhikkantāya rattiyā abhikkantavaṇṇo kevalakappaṁ jetavanaṁ obhāsetvā yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ aṭṭhāsi.
Ekamantaṁ ṭhito kho tāyano devaputto bhagavato santike imā gāthāyo abhāsi:
“Chinda sotaṁ parakkamma,
kāme panuda brāhmaṇa;
Nappahāya munī kāme,
nekattamupapajjati.
Kayirā ce kayirāthenaṁ,
daḷhamenaṁ parakkame;
Sithilo hi paribbājo,
bhiyyo ākirate rajaṁ.
Akataṁ dukkaṭaṁ seyyo,
pacchā tapati dukkaṭaṁ;
Katañca sukataṁ seyyo,
yaṁ katvā nānutappati.
Kuso yathā duggahito,
hatthamevānukantati;
Sāmaññaṁ dupparāmaṭṭhaṁ,
nirayāyūpakaḍḍhati.
Yaṁ kiñci sithilaṁ kammaṁ,
saṅkiliṭṭhañca yaṁ vataṁ;
Saṅkassaraṁ brahmacariyaṁ,
na taṁ hoti mahapphalan”ti.
Idamavoca tāyano devaputto;
idaṁ vatvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā padakkhiṇaṁ katvā tatthevantaradhāyīti.
Atha kho bhagavā tassā rattiyā accayena bhikkhū āmantesi:
“imaṁ, bhikkhave, rattiṁ tāyano nāma devaputto purāṇatitthakaro abhikkantāya rattiyā abhikkantavaṇṇo kevalakappaṁ jetavanaṁ obhāsetvā yenāhaṁ tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā maṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ aṭṭhāsi.
Ekamantaṁ ṭhito kho, bhikkhave, tāyano devaputto mama santike imā gāthāyo abhāsi:
‘Chinda sotaṁ parakkamma,
kāme panuda brāhmaṇa;
Nappahāya munī kāme,
nekattamupapajjati.
Kayirā ce kayirāthenaṁ,
daḷhamenaṁ parakkame;
Sithilo hi paribbājo,
bhiyyo ākirate rajaṁ.
Akataṁ dukkaṭaṁ seyyo,
pacchā tapati dukkaṭaṁ;
Katañca sukataṁ seyyo,
yaṁ katvā nānutappati.
Kuso yathā duggahito,
hatthamevānukantati;
Sāmaññaṁ dupparāmaṭṭhaṁ,
nirayāyūpakaḍḍhati.
Yaṁ kiñci sithilaṁ kammaṁ,
saṅkiliṭṭhañca yaṁ vataṁ;
Saṅkassaraṁ brahmacariyaṁ,
na taṁ hoti mahapphalan’ti.
Idamavoca, bhikkhave, tāyano devaputto, idaṁ vatvā maṁ abhivādetvā padakkhiṇaṁ katvā tatthevantaradhāyi.
Uggaṇhātha, bhikkhave, tāyanagāthā;
pariyāpuṇātha, bhikkhave, tāyanagāthā;
dhāretha, bhikkhave, tāyanagāthā.
Atthasaṁhitā, bhikkhave, tāyanagāthā ādibrahmacariyikā”ti.