Verses in the Uragavagga (The Sage) depicting how a mendicant abandons defilements and sheds worldly attachment like a serpent casting off its worn-out skin.

SNP 1.12 The Sage

Santhavāto bhayaṁ jātaṁ,
niketā jāyate rajo;
Aniketamasanthavaṁ,
etaṁ ve munidassanaṁ.

Yo jātamucchijja na ropayeyya,
Jāyantamassa nānuppavecche;
Tamāhu ekaṁ muninaṁ carantaṁ,
Addakkhi so santipadaṁ mahesi.

Saṅkhāya vatthūni pamāya bījaṁ,
Sinehamassa nānuppavecche;
Sa ve munī jātikhayantadassī,
Takkaṁ pahāya na upeti saṅkhaṁ.

Aññāya sabbāni nivesanāni,
Anikāmayaṁ aññatarampi tesaṁ;
Sa ve munī vītagedho agiddho,
Nāyūhatī pāragato hi hoti.

Sabbābhibhuṁ sabbaviduṁ sumedhaṁ,
Sabbesu dhammesu anūpalittaṁ;
Sabbañjahaṁ taṇhakkhaye vimuttaṁ,
Taṁ vāpi dhīrā muni vedayanti.

Paññābalaṁ sīlavatūpapannaṁ,
Samāhitaṁ jhānarataṁ satīmaṁ;
Saṅgā pamuttaṁ akhilaṁ anāsavaṁ,
Taṁ vāpi dhīrā muni vedayanti.

Ekaṁ carantaṁ munimappamattaṁ,
Nindāpasaṁsāsu avedhamānaṁ;
Sīhaṁva saddesu asantasantaṁ,
Vātaṁva jālamhi asajjamānaṁ;
Padmaṁva toyena alippamānaṁ,
Netāramaññesamanaññaneyyaṁ;
Taṁ vāpi dhīrā muni vedayanti.

Yo ogahaṇe thambhorivābhijāyati,
Yasmiṁ pare vācāpariyantaṁ vadanti;
Taṁ vītarāgaṁ susamāhitindriyaṁ,
Taṁ vāpi dhīrā muni vedayanti.

Yo ve ṭhitatto tasaraṁva ujju,
Jigucchati kammehi pāpakehi;
Vīmaṁsamāno visamaṁ samañca,
Taṁ vāpi dhīrā muni vedayanti.

Yo saññatatto na karoti pāpaṁ,
Daharo majjhimo ca muni yatatto;
Arosaneyyo na so roseti kañci,
Taṁ vāpi dhīrā muni vedayanti.

Yadaggato majjhato sesato vā,
Piṇḍaṁ labhetha paradattūpajīvī;
Nālaṁ thutuṁ nopi nipaccavādī,
Taṁ vāpi dhīrā muni vedayanti.

Muniṁ carantaṁ virataṁ methunasmā,
Yo yobbane nopanibajjhate kvaci;
Madappamādā virataṁ vippamuttaṁ,
Taṁ vāpi dhīrā muni vedayanti.

Aññāya lokaṁ paramatthadassiṁ,
Oghaṁ samuddaṁ atitariya tādiṁ;
Taṁ chinnaganthaṁ asitaṁ anāsavaṁ,
Taṁ vāpi dhīrā muni vedayanti.

Asamā ubho dūravihāravuttino,
Gihī dāraposī amamo ca subbato;
Parapāṇarodhāya gihī asaññato,
Niccaṁ munī rakkhati pāṇine yato.

Sikhī yathā nīlagīvo vihaṅgamo,
Haṁsassa nopeti javaṁ kudācanaṁ;
Evaṁ gihī nānukaroti bhikkhuno,
Munino vivittassa vanamhi jhāyatoti.

Munisuttaṁ dvādasamaṁ.

Uragavaggo paṭhamo.

Tassuddānaṁ

Urago dhaniyo ceva,
visāṇañca tathā kasi;
Cundo parābhavo ceva,
vasalo mettabhāvanā.

Sātāgiro āḷavako,
Vijayo ca tathā muni;
Dvādasetāni suttāni,
Uragavaggoti vuccatīti.

Reference Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0).

Santhavāto bhayaṁ jātaṁ,

Peril stems from intimacy,

niketā jāyate rajo;

dust comes from an abode.

Aniketamasanthavaṁ,

Freedom from abode and intimacy:

etaṁ ve munidassanaṁ.

that is the sage’s vision.

Yo jātamucchijja na ropayeyya,

Having cut down what’s grown, they wouldn’t replant,

Jāyantamassa nānuppavecche;

nor would they nurture what’s growing.

Tamāhu ekaṁ muninaṁ carantaṁ,

That’s who they call a sage wandering alone,

Addakkhi so santipadaṁ mahesi.

the great seer has seen the state of peace.

Saṅkhāya vatthūni pamāya bījaṁ,

Having appraised the fields and measured the seeds,

Sinehamassa nānuppavecche;

they wouldn’t nurture them with moisture.

Sa ve munī jātikhayantadassī,

Truly that sage who sees the ending of rebirth

Takkaṁ pahāya na upeti saṅkhaṁ.

has left speculation behind and is beyond reckoning.

Aññāya sabbāni nivesanāni,

Understanding all the planes of rebirth,

Anikāmayaṁ aññatarampi tesaṁ;

not wanting a single one of them;

Sa ve munī vītagedho agiddho,

truly that sage freed of greed

Nāyūhatī pāragato hi hoti.

need not swim, for they have reached the far shore.

Sabbābhibhuṁ sabbaviduṁ sumedhaṁ,

The vanquisher of all, knower of all, so very intelligent,

Sabbesu dhammesu anūpalittaṁ;

unsullied in the midst of all things,

Sabbañjahaṁ taṇhakkhaye vimuttaṁ,

has given up all, freed in the ending of craving:

Taṁ vāpi dhīrā muni vedayanti.

that’s who the attentive know as a sage.

Paññābalaṁ sīlavatūpapannaṁ,

Strong in wisdom, with precepts and observances intact,

Samāhitaṁ jhānarataṁ satīmaṁ;

serene, loving absorption, mindful,

Saṅgā pamuttaṁ akhilaṁ anāsavaṁ,

released from chains, kind, undefiled:

Taṁ vāpi dhīrā muni vedayanti.

that’s who the attentive know as a sage.

Ekaṁ carantaṁ munimappamattaṁ,

The diligent sage wandering alone,

Nindāpasaṁsāsu avedhamānaṁ;

is unshaken by blame and praise—

Sīhaṁva saddesu asantasantaṁ,

like a lion not startled by sounds,

Vātaṁva jālamhi asajjamānaṁ;

like wind not caught in a net,

Padmaṁva toyena alippamānaṁ,

like water not sticking to a lotus.

Netāramaññesamanaññaneyyaṁ;

Leader of others, not by others led:

Taṁ vāpi dhīrā muni vedayanti.

that’s who the attentive know as a sage.

Yo ogahaṇe thambhorivābhijāyati,

Steady as a post in a bathing-place

Yasmiṁ pare vācāpariyantaṁ vadanti;

when others speak endlessly against them,

Taṁ vītarāgaṁ susamāhitindriyaṁ,

freed of greed, with senses stilled:

Taṁ vāpi dhīrā muni vedayanti.

that’s who the attentive know as a sage.

Yo ve ṭhitatto tasaraṁva ujju,

Steadfast, straight as a shuttle,

Jigucchati kammehi pāpakehi;

horrified by wicked deeds,

Vīmaṁsamāno visamaṁ samañca,

discerning the just and the unjust:

Taṁ vāpi dhīrā muni vedayanti.

that’s who the attentive know as a sage.

Yo saññatatto na karoti pāpaṁ,

Restrained, they do no evil,

Daharo majjhimo ca muni yatatto;

young or middle-aged, the sage is self-controlled.

Arosaneyyo na so roseti kañci,

Irreproachable, he does not insult anyone:

Taṁ vāpi dhīrā muni vedayanti.

that’s who the attentive know as a sage.

Yadaggato majjhato sesato vā,

When one who lives on charity receives alms,

Piṇḍaṁ labhetha paradattūpajīvī;

from the top, the middle, or the leftovers,

Nālaṁ thutuṁ nopi nipaccavādī,

they think it unworthy to praise or put down:

Taṁ vāpi dhīrā muni vedayanti.

that’s who the attentive know as a sage.

Muniṁ carantaṁ virataṁ methunasmā,

The sage lives refraining from sex,

Yo yobbane nopanibajjhate kvaci;

even when young is not tied down,

Madappamādā virataṁ vippamuttaṁ,

refraining from indulgence and negligence, freed:

Taṁ vāpi dhīrā muni vedayanti.

that’s who the attentive know as a sage.

Aññāya lokaṁ paramatthadassiṁ,

Understanding the world, the seer of the ultimate goal,

Oghaṁ samuddaṁ atitariya tādiṁ;

the unaffected one, having crossed the flood and the ocean,

Taṁ chinnaganthaṁ asitaṁ anāsavaṁ,

has cut the ties, unattached and undefiled:

Taṁ vāpi dhīrā muni vedayanti.

that’s who the attentive know as a sage.

Asamā ubho dūravihāravuttino,

The two are not the same, far apart in lifestyle and conduct—

Gihī dāraposī amamo ca subbato;

the householder providing for a wife, and the selfless one true to their vows.

Parapāṇarodhāya gihī asaññato,

The unrestrained householder kills other creatures,

Niccaṁ munī rakkhati pāṇine yato.

while the restrained sage always protects living creatures.

Sikhī yathā nīlagīvo vihaṅgamo,

As the crested blue-necked peacock flying through the sky

Haṁsassa nopeti javaṁ kudācanaṁ;

never approaches the speed of the swan,

Evaṁ gihī nānukaroti bhikkhuno,

so the householder cannot compete with the mendicant,

Munino vivittassa vanamhi jhāyatoti.

the sage meditating secluded in the woods.

Munisuttaṁ dvādasamaṁ.

Uragavaggo paṭhamo.

Tassuddānaṁ

Urago dhaniyo ceva,

visāṇañca tathā kasi;

Cundo parābhavo ceva,

vasalo mettabhāvanā.

Sātāgiro āḷavako,

Vijayo ca tathā muni;

Dvādasetāni suttāni,

Uragavaggoti vuccatīti.

Qualities:

Craving

Craving

A driving ‘thirst’ that reaches out toward experiences, identities, or outcomes as the place to find satisfaction—“if only I had that.” It spins stories of lack, binds the mind to becoming, and invariably leads to suffering.

Also known as: wanting, yearning, longing, lit. thirst
Pāli: taṇha, abhijjhā
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Ending

Ending

The complete exhaustion and ending of craving, aversion, and delusion—the three roots of suffering. It refers to both the gradual wearing away of defilements through practice and the final cessation that constitutes Nibbāna.

Also known as: cessation, exhaustion, gradual ending, wearing away
Pāli: khaya, khīṇa, nirodha
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Greed

Greed

A grasping mental quality of craving, possessiveness, or lustful wanting that clings to objects or experiences; it fuels attachment and obstructs renunciation and contentment

Also known as: acquisitiveness, avarice, covetousness, rapacity, money grabbing, grabbiness
Pāli: lobha, gedha
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Negligence

Negligence

Dwelling with unrestrained faculties, soiled by sensory attraction. Negligence is the failure to guard the mind and to arouse heedfulness, blocking the arising of wholesome states.

Also known as: carelessness, heedlessness, inattentiveness
Pāli: pamāda
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Vision

Vision

The corrective clarity that clearly sees into the true nature of things as they actually are.

Also known as: knowledge and vision, seeing clearly, seeing things as they are, seeing the truth, seeing the dhamma
Pāli: dassana, ñāṇadassana, yathābhūtañāṇadassana
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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