1At one time the Buddha was staying in the land of the Kosalans in a certain forest grove.

Now at that time one of the brahmins of the Bhāradvāja clan had lost fourteen oxen. While looking for them he went to that forest, where he saw the Buddha sitting down cross-legged, with his body straight, and mindfulness established right there. He went up to the Buddha, and recited these verses in the Buddha’s presence:

2“This ascetic mustn’t have
fourteen oxen
missing for the past six days:
that’s why this ascetic is happy.

3This ascetic mustn’t have
a field of sesame ruined,
with just one or two leaves:
that’s why this ascetic is happy.

4This ascetic mustn’t have
rats in a vacant barn
dancing merrily:
that’s why this ascetic is happy.

5This ascetic mustn’t have
carpets that for seven months
have been infested with fleas:
that’s why this ascetic is happy.

6This ascetic mustn’t have
seven widowed daughters
with one or two children each:
that’s why this ascetic is happy.

7This ascetic mustn’t have
a wife with blotchy, pockmarked skin
to wake him up with a kick:
that’s why this ascetic is happy.

8This ascetic mustn’t have
creditors knocking at dawn,
warning, ‘Pay up! Pay up!’:
that’s why this ascetic is happy.”

9“You’re right, brahmin, I don’t have
fourteen oxen
missing for the past six days:
that’s why I’m happy, brahmin.

10You’re right, brahmin, I don’t have
a field of sesame ruined,
with just one or two leaves:
that’s why I’m happy, brahmin.

11You’re right, brahmin, I don’t have
rats in a vacant barn
dancing merrily:
that’s why I’m happy, brahmin.

12You’re right, brahmin, I don’t have
carpets that for seven months
have been infested with fleas:
that’s why I’m happy, brahmin.

13You’re right, brahmin, I don’t have
seven widowed daughters
with one or two children each:
that’s why I’m happy, brahmin.

14You’re right, brahmin, I don’t have
a wife with blotchy, pockmarked skin
to wake me up with a kick:
that’s why I’m happy, brahmin.

15You’re right, brahmin, I don’t have
creditors knocking at dawn,
warning, ‘Pay up! Pay up!’:
that’s why I’m happy, brahmin.”

16When he had spoken, the brahmin said to the Buddha: “Excellent, Master Gotama! Excellent! … As if he were righting the overturned, or revealing the hidden, or pointing out the path to the lost, or lighting a lamp in the dark so people with good eyes can see what’s there, Master Gotama has made the teaching clear in many ways. I go for refuge to Master Gotama, to the teaching, and to the mendicant Saṅgha. Sir, may I receive the going forth, the ordination in the Buddha’s presence?”

17And the brahmin received the going forth, the ordination in the Buddha’s presence. Not long after his ordination, Venerable Bhāradvāja, living alone, withdrawn, diligent, keen, and resolute, soon realized the supreme end of the spiritual path in this very life. He lived having achieved with his own insight the goal for which gentlemen rightly go forth from the lay life to homelessness.

He understood: “Rebirth is ended; the spiritual journey has been completed; what had to be done has been done; there is no return to any state of existence.” And Venerable Bhāradvāja became one of the perfected.

---

1Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā kosalesu vihārati aññatarasmiṁ vanasaṇḍe. Tena kho pana samayena aññatarassa bhāradvājagottassa brāhmaṇassa catuddasa balībaddā naṭṭhā honti.

Atha kho bhāradvājagotto brāhmaṇo te balībadde gavesanto yena so vanasaṇḍo tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā addasa bhagavantaṁ tasmiṁ vanasaṇḍe nisinnaṁ pallaṅkaṁ ābhujitvā ujuṁ kāyaṁ paṇidhāya parimukhaṁ satiṁ upaṭṭhapetvā. Disvāna yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavato santike imā gāthāyo abhāsi: 

2"Na hi nūnimassa samaṇassa,
Balībaddā catuddasa;
Ajjasaṭṭhiṁ na dissanti,
Tenāyaṁ samaṇo sukhī.

3Na hi nūnimassa samaṇassa,
Tilākhettasmi pāpakā;
Ekapaṇṇā dupaṇṇā ca,
Tenāyaṁ samaṇo sukhī.

4Na hi nūnimassa samaṇassa,
Tucchakoṭṭhasmi mūsikā;
Ussoḷhikāya naccanti,
Tenāyaṁ samaṇo sukhī.

5Na hi nūnimassa samaṇassa,
Santhāro sattamāsiko;
Uppāṭakehi sañchanno,
Tenāyaṁ samaṇo sukhī.

6Na hi nūnimassa samaṇassa,
Vidhavā satta dhītaro;
Ekaputtā duputtā ca,
Tenāyaṁ samaṇo sukhī.

7Na hi nūnimassa samaṇassa,
Piṅgalā tilakāhatā;
Sottaṁ pādena bodheti,
Tenāyaṁ samaṇo sukhī.

8Na hi nūnimassa samaṇassa,
Paccūsamhi iṇāyikā;
Detha dethāti codenti,
Tenāyaṁ samaṇo sukhī"ti.

9"Na hi mayhaṁ brāhmaṇa,
balībaddā catuddasa;
Ajjasaṭṭhiṁ na dissanti,
tenāhaṁ brāhmaṇā sukhī.

10Na hi mayhaṁ brāhmaṇa,
tilākhettasmi pāpakā;
Ekapaṇṇā dupaṇṇā ca,
tenāhaṁ brāhmaṇā sukhī.

11Na hi mayhaṁ brāhmaṇa,
tucchakoṭṭhasmi mūsikā;
Ussoḷhikāya naccanti,
tenāhaṁ brāhmaṇā sukhī.

12Na hi mayhaṁ brāhmaṇa,
santhāro sattamāsiko;
Uppāṭakehi sañchanno,
tenāhaṁ brāhmaṇā sukhī.

13Na hi mayhaṁ brāhmaṇa,
vidhavā satta dhītaro;
Ekaputtā duputtā ca,
tenāhaṁ brāhmaṇā sukhī.

14Na hi mayhaṁ brāhmaṇa,
piṅgalā tilakāhatā;
Sottaṁ pādena bodheti,
tenāhaṁ brāhmaṇā sukhī.

15Na hi mayhaṁ brāhmaṇa,
paccūsamhi iṇāyikā;
Detha dethāti codenti,
tenāhaṁ brāhmaṇā sukhī"ti.

16Evaṁ vutte, bhāradvājagotto brāhmaṇo bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: "Abhikkantaṁ, bho gotama, abhikkantaṁ, bho gotama. Seyyathāpi, bho gotama, nikkujjitaṁ vā ukkujjeyya, paṭicchannaṁ vā vivareyya, mūḷhassa vā maggaṁ ācikkheyya, andhakāre vā telapajjotaṁ dhāreyya: ‘cakkhumanto rūpāni dakkhantī’ti; evameva bhotā gotamena anekapariyāyena dhammo pakāsito. Esāhaṁ bhavantaṁ gotamaṁ saraṇaṁ gacchāmi dhammañca bhikkhusaṅghañca. Labheyyāhaṁ bhoto gotamassa santike pabbajjaṁ, labheyyaṁ upasampadan"ti.

17Alattha kho bhāradvājagotto brāhmaṇo bhagavato santike pabbajjaṁ, alattha upasampadaṁ. Acirūpasampanno panāyasmā bhāradvājo eko vūpakaṭṭho appamatto ātāpī pahitatto vihāranto nacirasseva – yassatthāya kulaputtā sammadeva agārasmā anagāriyaṁ pabbajanti, tadanuttaraṁ – brahmacariyapariyosānaṁ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja vihāsi.

"Khīṇā jāti, vusitaṁ brahmacariyaṁ, kataṁ karaṇīyaṁ, nāparaṁ itthattāyā"ti abbhaññāsi. Aññataro ca panāyasmā bhāradvājo arahataṁ ahosīti.

---

Arahantavaggo paṭhamo.

18Dhanañjānī ca akkosaṁ,
asurindaṁ bilaṅgikaṁ;
Ahiṁsakaṁ jaṭā ceva,
suddhikañceva aggikā;
Sundarikaṁ bahudhīta — ​
rena ca te dasāti.