1At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery.

Now at that time the Buddha was educating, encouraging, firing up, and inspiring the mendicants with a Dhamma talk about extinguishment. And those mendicants were paying heed, paying attention, engaging wholeheartedly, and lending an ear.

Then the native spirit Punabbasu’s Mother soothed her little children, saying:

2“Hush, little Uttarā!
Hush, Punabbasu!
For I want to listen to the teaching
of the Teacher, the supreme Buddha.

3Since the Blessed One spoke of extinguishment,
the release from all ties,
I have a lasting love
for this teaching.

4In this world, your own child is dear;
in this world, your own husband is dear;
but even greater than that is my love
for this teaching’s quest.

5For neither son nor husband,
dear as they are, can free you from suffering;
as listening to the true teaching
frees living creatures from suffering.

6In this world mired in suffering,
fettered by old age and death,
I want to listen to the teaching
that the Buddha awakened to,
which frees you from old age and death.
So hush, Punabbasu!”

7“Mom, I’m not speaking,
and Uttarā is silent, too.
Focus just on the teaching,
for it’s nice to listen to the true teaching.
And it’s because we haven’t understood the teaching
that we’ve lived in suffering, Mom.

8For those who are lost, gods and humans,
he shines a light.
The Buddha, bearing his final body,
the Seer teaches Dhamma.”

9“It’s good that my child’s so astute,
this child I bore and suckled!
My child loves the pure teaching
of the supreme Buddha.

10Punabbasu, may you be happy!
Today, I rise.
Hear me too, Uttarā:
I have seen the noble truths!”

1Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ vihārati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme.

Tena kho pana samayena bhagavā bhikkhū nibbānapaṭisaṁyuttāya dhammiyā kathāya sandasseti samādapeti samuttejeti sampahaṁseti. Te ca bhikkhū aṭṭhiṁ katvā manasi katvā sabbacetasā samannāharitvā ohitasotā dhammaṁ suṇanti.

Atha kho punabbasumātā yakkhinī puttake evaṁ tosesi: 

2"Tuṇhī uttarike hohi,
tuṇhī hohi punabbasu;
Yāvāhaṁ buddhaseṭṭhassa,
dhammaṁ sossāmi satthuno.

3Nibbānaṁ bhagavā āha,
sabbaganthappamocanaṁ;
Ativelā ca me hoti,
asmiṁ dhamme piyāyanā.

4Piyo loke sako putto,
piyo loke sako pati;
Tato piyatarā mayhaṁ,
assa dhammassa magganā.

5Na hi putto pati vāpi,
piyo dukkhā pamocaye;
Yathā saddhammassavanaṁ,
dukkhā moceti pāṇinaṁ.

6Loke dukkhaparetasmiṁ,
Jarāmaraṇasaṁyute;
Jarāmaraṇamokkhāya,
Yaṁ dhammaṁ abhisambudhaṁ;
Taṁ dhammaṁ sotumicchāmi,
Tuṇhī hohi punabbasū"ti.

7"Ammā na byāharissāmi,
tuṇhībhūtāyamuttarā;
Dhammameva nisāmehi,
saddhammassavanaṁ sukhaṁ;
Saddhammassa anaññāya,
ammā dukkhaṁ carāmase.

8Esa devamanussānaṁ,
sammūḷhānaṁ pabhaṅkaro;
Buddho antimasārīro,
dhammaṁ deseti cakkhumā"ti.

9"Sādhu kho paṇḍito nāma,
putto jāto uresayo;
Putto me buddhaseṭṭhassa,
dhammaṁ suddhaṁ piyāyati.

10Punabbasu sukhī hohi,
ajjāhamhi samuggatā;
Diṭṭhāni ariyasaccāni,
uttarāpi suṇātu me"ti.