“Attadaṇḍā bhayaṁ jātaṁ,
janaṁ passatha medhagaṁ;
Saṁvegaṁ kittayissāmi,
yathā saṁvijitaṁ mayā.
“Fear arises from |arming oneself::violence; lit. taken stick [attadaṇḍa]|,
observe the people involved in |conflict::dispute, strife [medhaga]|;
I will recount the urgency [for awakening],
as it has |been stirred within::agitated [saṁvijita]| me.
Phandamānaṁ pajaṁ disvā,
macche appodake yathā;
Aññamaññehi byāruddhe,
disvā maṁ bhayamāvisi.
Having seen the population |floundering::quivering, trembling [phandamāna]|,
like fish in a pool with little water;
Having seen them |at odds with::hostile to, opposed to [byāruddha]| one another,
fear came upon me.
Samantamasāro loko,
disā sabbā sameritā;
Icchaṁ bhavanamattano,
nāddasāsiṁ anositaṁ.
The world was completely |essenceless::without essence, without substance [asāra]|,
all the directions were shaken [by impermanence];
Desiring a |sanctuary::home, shelter, state of existence [bhavana]| for myself,
I did not see any place uninhabited[1].
Osāne tveva byāruddhe,
Disvā me aratī ahu;
Athettha sallamaddakkhiṁ,
Duddasaṁ hadayanissitaṁ.
Having seen those hostile even at the end[2],
|dissatisfaction::dislike, discontent, aversion, boredom [arati]| came upon me;
Then I discerned the dart here,
hard to perceive, nestled within the heart.
Yena sallena otiṇṇo,
disā sabbā vidhāvati;
Tameva sallamabbuyha,
na dhāvati na sīdati.
Whoever is |struck by::affected by, afflicted with [otiṇṇa]| that dart[3],
runs astray in all directions;
But having drawn out that very dart,
one does not run or sink down.
Tattha sikkhānugīyanti,
yāni loke gadhitāni;
Na tesu pasuto siyā,
nibbijjha sabbaso kāme;
Sikkhe nibbānamattano.
Here the |trainings::learnings, practices, arts, science; here this is a reference to training with elephants, horses, chariots, bows, spears, and darts, training in bodily cures, training in exorcism, training in pediatrics that were the common occupations at the time [sikkhā]| |are taught::are discussed, expressed, recited [anugīyanti]|:
Whatever things are |clung to::enslaving, a bond [gadhita]| in the world,
one should not be |engrossed in::occupied with, pursuing [pasu]| them;
Completely piercing through sensual pleasures,
One should train for |one’s own quenching::one’s own going out; lit. extinguishing of one’s self [nibbānamattano]|.
Sacco siyā appagabbho,
amāyo rittapesuṇo;
Akkodhano lobhapāpaṁ,
vevicchaṁ vitare muni.
One should be truthful, |unassuming::courteous, respectful [appagabbha]|,
|without deceit::sincere [amāya]|, and |devoid of divisive speech::free from slander [rittapesuṇa]|;
Without anger, the sage should cross beyond,
the evil of greed and acquisitiveness.
Niddaṁ tandiṁ sahe thīnaṁ,
pamādena na saṁvase;
Atimāne na tiṭṭheyya,
nibbānamanaso naro.
One should overcome sleep, |laziness::sloth, tiredness [tandi]|, and |dullness::lack of mental clarity or alertness, inertia, mental sluggishness [thina]|,
not live together with |negligence::carelessness, heedlessness [pamāda]|;
A person whose mind is inclined to |Nibbāna::complete cooling, letting go of everything, deathless, freedom from calamity, the non-disintegrating; lit. blowing away [nibbāna]|,
should not persist in |arrogance::haughtiness, self-importance [atimāna]|.
Mosavajje na nīyetha,
rūpe snehaṁ na kubbaye;
Mānañca parijāneyya,
sāhasā virato care.
One should not be led into |false speech::lie, untruth [mosavajja]|,
nor form affection toward forms;
One should |completely comprehend::fully understand [parijānāti]| |conceit::self-view expressed as comparison—seeing oneself as superior, inferior, or equal; the persistent “I am” conceit (asmimāna) that underlies identification [māna]|,
and conduct oneself without |impulsiveness::haste, suddenness [sāhasa]|.
Purāṇaṁ nābhinandeyya,
Nave khantiṁ na kubbaye;
Hiyyamāne na soceyya,
Ākāsaṁ na sito siyā.
One should not take delight in the old,
nor form |a preference::an acceptance [khanti]| for the new;
One should not |sorrow::grieve [socati]| over what is declining,
nor become |dependent on::bound to [sita]| craving.
Gedhaṁ brūmi mahoghoti,
Ājavaṁ brūmi jappanaṁ;
Ārammaṇaṁ pakappanaṁ,
Kāmapaṅko duraccayo.
|Greed::desire, yearning [gedha]|, I say, is the great flood,
its current, I say, is |longing::burning, hunger, pining, thirst [jappā]|;
Its |basis::foundation, support [ārammaṇa]| is |conceptualization::forming intentions, theorizing [pakappanā]|,
the swamp of sensuality is difficult to escape.
Saccā avokkamma muni,
Thale tiṭṭhati brāhmaṇo;
Sabbaṁ so paṭinissajja,
Sa ve santoti vuccati.
Not straying from the truth, the sage,
the Awakened One stands on firm ground;
Having relinquished all,
he is indeed called |peaceful::tranquil; lit. calmed [santa]|.
Sa ve vidvā sa vedagū,
Ñatvā dhammaṁ anissito;
Sammā so loke iriyāno,
Na pihetīdha kassaci.
He indeed is wise |who has perfect knowledge::with complete understanding [vedagū]|,
having known the |Dhamma::teachings of the Buddha that point to the nature of reality, the ultimate truth [dhamma]|, he is independent;
Conducting himself rightly in the world,
he does not long for anything here.
Yodha kāme accatari,
Saṅgaṁ loke duraccayaṁ;
Na so socati nājjheti,
Chinnasoto abandhano.
Whoever here has overcome sensual pleasures,
the bond in the world so hard to overcome;
He does not grieve, does not fret,
having cut the stream [of craving], he is |unchained::unshackled [abandhana]|.
Yaṁ pubbe taṁ visosehi,
Pacchā te māhu kiñcanaṁ;
Majjhe ce no gahessasi,
Upasanto carissasi.
Dry up what pertains to the past,
let there be nothing for you afterwards;
If you do not grasp in the middle,
you will fare on in peace.
Sabbaso nāmarūpasmiṁ,
Yassa natthi mamāyitaṁ;
Asatā ca na socati,
Sa ve loke na jīyati.
One who does not claim as ‘mine,’
anything at all here in |name and form::mentality and materiality—the integrated structure of mental capacities (intention, attention, contact, feeling, perception) and physical form that together constitute and sustain an individual being [nāmarūpa]|;
Who does not sorrow over what is non-existent,
such a one suffers no loss in the world.
Yassa natthi idaṁ meti,
Paresaṁ vāpi kiñcanaṁ;
Mamattaṁ so asaṁvindaṁ,
Natthi meti na socati.
One for whom nothing is taken
as ‘this is mine’ or ‘[this belongs] to others;’
He, not finding any sense of ‘mineness,’
does not grieve, ‘I have nothing.’
Aniṭṭhurī ananugiddho,
Anejo sabbadhī samo;
Tamānisaṁsaṁ pabrūmi,
Pucchito avikampinaṁ.
Without harshness, without greed,
|unperturbed::unruffled, unshakeable, without impulse [aneja]|, everywhere the same;
I declare these benefits,
when asked about the unwavering one.
Anejassa vijānato,
Natthi kāci nisaṅkhati;
Virato so viyārabbhā,
Khemaṁ passati sabbadhi.
For the unperturbed, who understands,
there is no |accumulation::fabrication, fiction, invention; (comm) accumulation of merit or demerit [nisaṅkhati]| whatsoever;
Abstinent from striving [to make merit],
he sees |security::safety, sanctuary, peace, rest [khema]| everywhere.
Na samesu na omesu,
Na ussesu vadate muni;
Santo so vītamaccharo,
Nādeti na nirassatī”ti.
The sage does not speak of himself,
as among equals, inferiors, or superiors;
Peaceful, |free from stinginess::selfless, without envy, jealousy, or hostility [vītamacchara]|,
he does not grasp nor rejects.”