“The |unshaken::unperturbed, unmoved [aneja]| one, seer of the root,”
(said the venerable Puṇṇaka)
“I have come with a question;
On what ground have many sages, men,
nobles, and brahmins here in the world,
performed various |sacrifices::offerings [yaññā]| to the deities?
I ask you, Blessed One, please tell me this.”
“Whoever among the sages, men,
(Puṇṇaka,” said the Blessed One)
“nobles, and brahmins here in the world,
performed various sacrifices to the deities;
did so, Puṇṇaka, yearning for a |state of existence::state of being [itthatta]|,
bound to old age, they performed sacrifices.”
“Whoever among the sages and men,”
(said the venerable Puṇṇaka)
“nobles and brahmins here in the world,
performed various sacrifices to the deities;
I wonder, Blessed One, if they were |diligent::doing one’s work or duty well, with alertness, carefulness and care [appamatta]| on the path of sacrifice;
did they cross over birth and old age, sir?
I ask you, Blessed One, please tell me this.”
“They wish, pray, yearn, make an offering,
(Puṇṇaka,” said the Blessed One)
“they yearn for sensual pleasure on account of |gain::acquisitions, money, profit, possessions [lābha]|;
Intent on sacrifice, colored by desire for |existence::continued conditional existence, the karmically conditioned mode of being that leads to future rebirth [bhava]|,
they did not cross over birth and old age, I say.”
“If those devoted to sacrifice did not cross over,”
(said the venerable Puṇṇaka)
“birth and old age by means of their sacrifice;
Then who here in the world of gods and humans,
has crossed over birth and old age, sir?
I ask you, Blessed One, please tell me this.”
“Having understood the |high and low::superior and inferior [paropara]| in the world,
(Puṇṇaka,” said the Blessed One)
“for whom the world holds no trace of agitation;
|tranquil::peaceful, calm [santa]|, |passionless::desireless; lit. smokeless [vidhūma]|, |untroubled::undisturbed, calm, free from affliction [anīgha]|, and |fulfilled::free from hope, desire-less [nirāsa]|—
he has crossed over birth and old age, I say.”