“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.”
“I did not see any place uninhabited” is a reference to old age inhabiting all youth, illness inhabiting all health, death inhabiting all life, loss inhabiting all gain, dishonor inhabiting all fame, blame inhabiting all praise, and pain inhabiting all pleasure.
“Having seen those hostile even at the end” is a reference to beings with stricken minds still hostile even at the end of youth when old age has arrived.
“Whoever is struck by that dart” is a reference to being caught up in one of the seven states of lust, hatred, delusion, conceit, views, sorrow, and doubt.