SN9:9 Vajjian Prince
- DG BB TBW © Translated from the Pali by Bhikkhu Bodhi. (More copyright information)
1On one occasion a certain bhikkhu, a Vajjian prince, was dwelling at Vesālī in a certain woodland thicket. Now on that occasion an all-night festival was being held in Vesālī. sn.i.202 Then that bhikkhu, lamenting as he heard the clamour of instruments, gongs, and music coming from Vesālī,
[n.549] An expanded version of this sutta is found at Dhp-a III 460–62; see BL 3:182–83.
Spk: The clamour (nigghosasadda) of instruments (turiya; Spk-pṭ: of drums, conch shells, cymbals, lutes, etc.); of gongs (taḷita; Spk-pṭ: of things that are struck in rhythm); and of music (vadita; Spk-pṭ: of lutes, flutes, horns, etc.). See too n. 343.
on that occasion recited this verse:
2v.783 "We dwell in the forest all alone
Like a log rejected in the woods.
On such a splendid night as this
Who is there worse off than us?"
3Then the devata that inhabited that woodland thicket, having compassion for that bhikkhu, desiring his good, desiring to stir up a sense of urgency in him, approached him and addressed him in verse:
4v.784 "As you dwell in the forest all alone
Like a log rejected in the woods,
Many are those who envy you,
As hell-beings envy those going to heaven."
[n.550] Spk: "Many are those who yearn for your state—a forest-dwelling elder clad in rag-robes, subsisting on almsfood, going on uninterrupted alms round, with few wishes, content, etc." Spk glosses saggagaminaṁ as "those going to heaven and those (already) gone there."
5Then that bhikkhu, stirred up by that devata, acquired a sense of urgency.
1Ekaṁ samayaṁ aññataro vajjiputtako bhikkhu vesāliyaṁ vihārati aññatarasmiṁ vanasaṇḍe. Tena kho pana samayena vesāliyaṁ vajjiputtako sabbaratticāro hoti. Atha kho so bhikkhu vesāliyā tūriyatāḷitavāditanigghosasaddaṁ sutvā paridevamāno tāyaṁ velāyaṁ imaṁ gāthaṁ abhāsi:
2"Ekakā mayaṁ araññe viharāma,
Apaviddhaṁva vanasmiṁ dārukaṁ;
Etādisikāya rattiyā,
Ko su nāmamhehi pāpiyo"ti.
3Atha kho yā tasmiṁ vanasaṇḍe adhivatthā devatā tassa bhikkhuno anukampikā atthakāmā taṁ bhikkhuṁ saṁvejetukāmā yena so bhikkhu tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā taṁ bhikkhuṁ gāthāya ajjhabhāsi:
4"Ekakova tvaṁ araññe vihārasi,
Apaviddhaṁva vanasmiṁ dārukaṁ;
Tassa te bahukā pihayanti,
Nerayikā viya saggagāminan"ti.
5Atha kho so bhikkhu tāya devatāya saṁvejito saṁvegamāpādīti.