“Sutvānahaṁ vīramakāmakāmiṁ,
(iccāyasmā jatukaṇṇi)
Oghātigaṁ puṭṭhumakāmamāgamaṁ;
Santipadaṁ brūhi sahajanetta,
Yathātacchaṁ bhagavā brūhi metaṁ.
“Having heard of the hero free from desire for sensual pleasures,”
(said the venerable Jatukaṇṇi),
“I have come to ask the one |without desire::without need [akāma]| who has gone beyond the flood;
speak about the |state of peace::tranquility, epithet of Nibbāna [santipada]|, you of innate vision,
tell me about it, Blessed One, as it actually is.
Bhagavā hi kāme abhibhuyya iriyati,
Ādiccova pathaviṁ tejī tejasā;
Parittapaññassa me bhūripañña,
Ācikkha dhammaṁ yamahaṁ vijaññaṁ;
Jātijarāya idha vippahānaṁ”.
For the Blessed One has overcome sensual desires,
like the sun overcomes the earth with its |radiance::glory, splendor [tejas]|;
O |one of vast wisdom::one of extensive distinctive knowledge, one having the quality of discernment [bhūripañña]|, to me whose wisdom is but small,
explain the |Dhamma::teachings of the Buddha that point to the nature of reality, the ultimate truth [dhamma]|, so that I might understand;
the abandoning, right here, of birth and old age.”
“Kāmesu vinaya gedhaṁ,
(jatukaṇṇīti bhagavā)
Nekkhammaṁ daṭṭhu khemato;
Uggahītaṁ nirattaṁ vā,
Mā te vijjittha kiñcanaṁ.
“Remove |yearning::desire, greed [gedha]| for sensual pleasures,
(Jatukaṇṇi,” said the Blessed One)
“having seen |renunciation::going out state, rejection of sensual pleasure [nekkhamma]| |as safety::as security, as peace, as rest [khemato]|;
do not |grasp::raise up, hold onto [uggahīta]| nor |cast aside::reject, throw away [niratta]| anything,
let neither of these be found within you.
Yaṁ pubbe taṁ visosehi,
pacchā te māhu kiñcanaṁ;
Majjhe ce no gahessasi,
upasanto carissasi.
Dry up what pertains to the past,
do not take up anything to come later;
if you will not grasp in the |present::middle [majjha]|,
you will wander |in peace::calmed, composed, cooled [upasanta]|.
Sabbaso nāmarūpasmiṁ,
Vītagedhassa brāhmaṇa;
Āsavāssa na vijjanti,
Yehi maccuvasaṁ vaje”ti.
For a brahmin entirely |devoid of greed::free from craving [vītagedha]|,
for |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]| in every way;
there are no |taints::outflows, discharges; (comm) mental defilements [āsavā]| found in him,
by which he might fall under the control of death.”