Light/Dark

Khuddaka Nikāya - The Minor Texts

Therigatha - The Verses of the Elder Nuns

Chapter 11: The Book of the Twelves

Uppalavaṇṇā

224 “The two of us were co-wives,
though we were mother and daughter.
I was struck with a sense of urgency,
so astonishing and hair-raising!

225 Curse those filthy sensual pleasures,
so nasty and thorny,
where we, both mother and daughter,
had to be co-wives together.

226 Seeing the danger in sensual pleasures,
seeing renunciation as sanctuary,
I went forth in Rājagaha
from the lay life to homelessness.

227 I know my past lives;
my clairvoyance is clarified;
I comprehend the minds of others;
my clairaudience is purified;


228 I've realized the psychic powers,
and attained the ending of defilements.
I’ve realized the six kinds of direct knowledge,
and fulfilled the Buddha’s instructions.

229 I created a four-horsed chariot
using my psychic powers.
Then I bowed at the feet of the Buddha,
the glorious protector of the world.”

230 “You’ve come to this sal tree all crowned with flowers,
and stand at its root all alone.
But you have no companion with you,
silly girl, aren’t you afraid of rascals?”

231 “Even if 100,000 rascals like this
were to gang up,
I’d stir not a hair nor tremble.
What could you do to me all alone, Māra?


232 I’ll vanish,
or I’ll enter your belly;
I could stand between your eyebrows
and you still wouldn’t see me.

233 I’m the master of my own mind,
I’ve developed the bases of psychic power well.
I’ve realized the six kinds of direct knowledge,
and fulfilled the Buddha’s instructions.

234 Sensual pleasures are like swords and stakes;
the aggregates are their chopping block.
What you call sensual delight
is now no delight for me.

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235 Relishing is destroyed in every respect,
and the mass of darkness is shattered.
So know this, Wicked One:
you’re beaten, terminator!”

Uppalavaṇṇātherīgāthā

224p_19Th2_298"Ubho mātā ca dhītā ca,
mayaṁ āsuṁ sapattiyo;
Tassā me ahu saṁvego,
abbhuto lomahaṁsano.

225p_19Th2_299Dhiratthu kāmā asucī,
duggandhā bahukaṇṭakā;
Yattha mātā ca dhītā ca,
sabhariyā mayaṁ ahuṁ.

226 p_19Th2_300Kāmesvādīnavaṁ disvā,
nekkhammaṁ daṭṭhu khemato;
Sā pabbajjiṁ rājagahe,
agārasmānagāriyaṁ.

227p_19Th2_301Pubbenivāsaṁ jānāmi,
dibbacakkhu visodhitaṁ;
Cetopariccañāṇañca,
sotadhātu visodhitā.


228p_19Th2_302Iddhīpi me sacchikatā,
patto me āsavakkhayo;
Chaḷabhiññā sacchikatā,
kataṁ buddhassa sāsanaṁ.

229p_19Th2_303Iddhiyā abhinimmitvā,
caturassaṁ rathaṁ ahaṁ;
Buddhassa pāde vanditvā,
lokanāthassa tādino".

230p_19Th2_304"Supupphitaggaṁ upagamma pādapaṁ,
Ekā tuvaṁ tiṭṭhasi sālamūle;
Na cāpi te dutiyo atthi koci,
Bāle na tvaṁ bhāyasi dhuttakānaṁ".

231p_19Th2_305"Sataṁ sahassānipi dhuttakānaṁ,
Samāgatā edisakā bhaveyyuṁ;
Lomaṁ na iñje napi sampavedhe,
Kiṁ me tuvaṁ māra karissaseko.


232p_19Th2_306Esā antaradhāyāmi,
kucchiṁ vā pavisāmi te;
Bhamukantare tiṭṭhāmi,
tiṭṭhantiṁ maṁ na dakkhasi.

233p_19Th2_307Cittamhi vasībhūtāhaṁ,
iddhipādā subhāvitā;
Chaḷabhiññā sacchikatā,
kataṁ buddhassa sāsanaṁ.

234p_19Th2_308Sattisūlūpamā kāmā,
khandhāsaṁ adhikuṭṭanā;
Yaṁ tvaṁ ‘kāmaratiṁ’ brūsi,
‘āratī’ dāni sā mama.

235p_19Th2_309Sabbattha vihatā nandī,
Tamokhandho padālito;
Evaṁ jānāhi pāpima,
Nihato tvamasi antakā"ti.