I shall relate the going forth —
how the |clear-eyed one::who can see, gifted with sight [cakkhumant]| renounced;
As he reflected and examined,
he |came to favor::chose, preferred [samarocayi]| the life of renunciation.
This household life is |confined::crowded, cramped [sambādha]|,
a |ground::support, basis, realm [āyatana]| of |unwholesome qualities::mental defilements, mental impurities [rajas]|;
Life gone forth is wide open,
having seen this, he renounced.
Having gone forth, he avoided,
|injurious actions::harmful, bad, potentially evil intention or action [pāpakamma]| with his body;
Having abandoned |verbal misconduct::false speech, harsh speech, divisive speech, idle chatter [vacīduccarita]|,
he purified his livelihood.
The Buddha went to Rājagaha,
the |mountain stronghold::a reference to present-day Rajgir, former capital of Magadha [giribbaja]| of the Magadhans;
He walked for alms,
covered in excellent auspicious marks.
While standing in his palace,
|king Bimbisāra::Bimbisara (c. 545/544 BCE - c. 493/492 BCE) was a king of the Magadha Kingdom who is credited with establishing imperial dominance in the Indian subcontinent. [bimbisāra]| caught sight of him;
Having seen him endowed with auspicious marks,
he uttered this statement:
“Sirs, look at him,
handsome, tall, and pure;
Accomplished in conduct,
he gazes just a yoke’s length ahead.
With downcast eyes, |mindful::who has recollection, is aware, present [satimant]|,
he is clearly not from a poor family;
Let the royal messengers be dispatched,
[find out] where the bhikkhu will go.”
The royal messengers who had been dispatched,
trailed behind him closely;
[thinking] ‘where will the bhikkhu go,
where is his dwelling place?’
Walking on alms |uninterruptedly::without skipping houses or taking a break [sapadānaṃ]|,
guarding the sense doors, well restrained;
He soon filled his alms bowl,
with |full awareness::clear comprehension [sampajāna]| and |mindfulness::full awareness and recollection of the body, feelings, mind, and mental qualities, observing them clearly with sustained attention, free from craving and distress [sati]|.
Having completed his alms round,
the sage departed from the city;
He approached the Paṇḍava mountain,
[they thought] ‘his dwelling place will be here!’
Having seen him enter the dwelling,
three messengers approached;
But one messenger returned,
and informed the king.
“This bhikkhu, great king,
lives on the eastern face of the Paṇḍava mountain;
He sits like a sovereign tiger,
or a lion in a mountain cave.”
Having heard the messenger’s report,
the noble king rode in a fine chariot;
In a great hurry, he departed at once,
in the direction of the Paṇḍava mountain.
Having reached the carriage ground,
the noble king dismounted from his chariot;
Approaching on foot,
he arrived and entered.
Having sat down, the king exchanged courtesies,
and then engaged in polite conversation;
Having concluded the conversation,
he uttered this statement:
“You are young, a lad,
in the |formative phase of life::in one’s prime, formative stage of life [paṭhamuppattika]|;
Endowed with |beauty::good looks [vaṇṇa]| and stature,
like a well-born nobleman.
You would grace as the head of an army,
leading the way with a procession of elephants;
I offer you |wealth::possessions, property, riches [bhoga]|—enjoy it,
Tell me, I ask, what is your birth?”
“There is, O king, a province straight ahead,
on the slope of the Himalayas;
Abounding in wealth and might,
having a long connection to |Kosala::name of a kingdom [kosala]|.
I am by lineage an |Ādiccā::descendants of the sun, signifying a noble lineage [ādiccā]|,
a Sakyan by birth;
I have gone forth from that family,
not |longing for::hoping for [abhipatthayanta]| sensual pleasures.
Having seen the |drawbacks::disadvantages, unsatisfactoriness, inadequacy, danger [ādīnava]| in sensual pleasures,
and seeing |renunciation::going out state, rejection of sensual pleasure [nekkhamma]| as |security::safety, sanctuary, peace, rest [khema]|;
I will go for the purpose of |striving::making effort, exerting [padhāna]|,
it is here that my mind delights.”