An awakened person has transcended fear through going beyond their own attachments.
Evaṁ me sutaṁ— ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā pāvāyaṁ viharati ajakalāpake cetiye, ajakalāpakassa yakkhassa bhavane. Tena kho pana samayena bhagavā rattandhakāratimisāyaṁ abbhokāse nisinno hoti; devo ca ekamekaṁ phusāyati. Atha kho ajakalāpako yakkho bhagavato bhayaṁ chambhitattaṁ lomahaṁsaṁ uppādetukāmo yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavato avidūre tikkhattuṁ “akkulo pakkulo”ti akkulapakkulikaṁ akāsi: “eso te, samaṇa, pisāco”ti.
Thus have I heard—At one time, the Blessed One was staying in |Pāvā::name of a city, presently Pawapuri|, at the Ajakalāpaka shrine, the |burial site::grave, burial mound [cetiya]| of the |native spirit::a spirit that may be protective or malevolent, a daemon, or a supernatural being [yakkha]| Ajakalāpaka. At that time, the Blessed One was sitting in the open air during the pitch black darkness of night, while a gentle rain drizzled down. Then the native spirit Ajakalāpaka, wishing to arouse fear, trepidation, and hair-raising awe in the Blessed One, approached him. Drawing near, the spirit stood not far from the Blessed One and made strange, unsettling sounds three times: “Akkulo! Pakkulo!” He then said, “This is your |demon::evil spirit [pisāca]|, ascetic!”
Atha kho bhagavā etamatthaṁ viditvā tāyaṁ velāyaṁ imaṁ udānaṁ udānesi:
Then, understanding the significance of this, the Blessed One at that time expressed this inspired utterance:
“Yadā sakesu dhammesu,
pāragū hoti brāhmaṇo;
Atha etaṁ pisācañca,
pakkulañcātivattatī”ti.
When a |sage::Brāhmaṇa, a title used by the Buddha for an Arahant, an awakened being [brāhmaṇa]| has gone beyond,
his |own attachments::identification with thoughts, emotions, intentions, habits, opinions, beliefs, or things the person interacts with in life, e.g. sensations, relationships, or concepts [sakesu + dhammesu]|;
Then the brahmin transcends,
both this demon and the mayhem.
Thus have I heard—At one time, the Blessed One was staying in |Pāvā::name of a city, presently Pawapuri|, at the Ajakalāpaka shrine, the |burial site::grave, burial mound [cetiya]| of the |native spirit::a spirit that may be protective or malevolent, a daemon, or a supernatural being [yakkha]| Ajakalāpaka. At that time, the Blessed One was sitting in the open air during the pitch black darkness of night, while a gentle rain drizzled down. Then the native spirit Ajakalāpaka, wishing to arouse fear, trepidation, and hair-raising awe in the Blessed One, approached him. Drawing near, the spirit stood not far from the Blessed One and made strange, unsettling sounds three times: “Akkulo! Pakkulo!” He then said, “This is your |demon::evil spirit [pisāca]|, ascetic!”
Then, understanding the significance of this, the Blessed One at that time expressed this inspired utterance:
When a |sage::Brāhmaṇa, a title used by the Buddha for an Arahant, an awakened being [brāhmaṇa]| has gone beyond,
his |own attachments::identification with thoughts, emotions, intentions, habits, opinions, beliefs, or things the person interacts with in life, e.g. sensations, relationships, or concepts [sakesu + dhammesu]|;
Then the brahmin transcends,
both this demon and the mayhem.
Evaṁ me sutaṁ— ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā pāvāyaṁ viharati ajakalāpake cetiye, ajakalāpakassa yakkhassa bhavane. Tena kho pana samayena bhagavā rattandhakāratimisāyaṁ abbhokāse nisinno hoti; devo ca ekamekaṁ phusāyati. Atha kho ajakalāpako yakkho bhagavato bhayaṁ chambhitattaṁ lomahaṁsaṁ uppādetukāmo yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavato avidūre tikkhattuṁ “akkulo pakkulo”ti akkulapakkulikaṁ akāsi: “eso te, samaṇa, pisāco”ti.
Atha kho bhagavā etamatthaṁ viditvā tāyaṁ velāyaṁ imaṁ udānaṁ udānesi:
“Yadā sakesu dhammesu,
pāragū hoti brāhmaṇo;
Atha etaṁ pisācañca,
pakkulañcātivattatī”ti.