1On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling among the Kosalans in a certain woodland thicket. Now on that occasion fourteen oxen belonging to a certain brahmin of the Bharadvaja clan had gotten lost. Then the brahmin of the Bharadvaja clan, while searching for those oxen, went to the woodland thicket where the Blessed One was staying. There he saw the Blessed One sitting with his legs folded crosswise, holding his body erect, having set up mindfulness in front of him. Having seen him, he approached the Blessed One and recited these verses in the presence of the Blessed One:

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: 

2v.648 "Surely this ascetic does not have
Fourteen oxen that have gotten lost,
Not seen now for the past six days:
Hence this ascetic is happy.[n.455] In pāda c, ajjasaṭṭhiṁ na dissanti is glossed by Spk, "they are not seen for six days from today," indicating that saṭṭhi here is an alternative form of chaṭṭha, sixth. Spk-pṭ: Ajjasaṭṭhiṁ is an accusative used to indicate a continuing passage of time (accantasaṁyoge c’etaṁ upayogavacanaṁ).

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

3v.649 "Surely this ascetic does not have
A field of blighted sesamum plants,
Some with one leaf, some with two:
Hence this ascetic is happy.

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

4v.650 "Surely this ascetic does not have
Rats inside an empty barn
Dancing around merrily:
Hence this ascetic is happy.

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

5v.651 "Surely this ascetic does not have
A blanket that for seven months
Has been covered with swarms of vermin:
Hence this ascetic is happy.

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

6v.652 "Surely this ascetic does not have
Seven daughters left for widows,
Some with one son, some with two:
Hence this ascetic is happy.[n.456] Spk: As long as the brahmin was affluent, even though his daughters were widows, their parents-in-law allowed them to stay in their husbands’ homes. But when he became poor their parents-in- law sent them to their father's home. Then, when he would take his meals, their children would put their hands in his plate and he would not find sufficient room for his own hand.

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

7v.653 "Surely this ascetic does not have
A tawny wife with pockmarked face
Who wakes him up with a kick:
Hence this ascetic is happy.

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

8v.654 "Surely this ascetic does not have
Creditors who call at dawn,
Chiding him, ‘Pay up! Pay up!’:
Hence this ascetic is happy."

The Blessed One:

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

9v.655 "Surely, brahmin, I do not have
Fourteen oxen that have gotten lost,
Not seen now for the past six days:
Hence, O brahmin, I am happy. sn.i.171

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

10v.656 "Surely, brahmin, I do not have
A field of blighted sesamum plants,
Some with one leaf, some with two:
Hence, O brahmin, I am happy.

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

11v.657 "Surely, brahmin, I do not have
Rats inside an empty barn
Dancing around merrily:
Hence, O brahmin, I am happy.

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

12v.658 "Surely, brahmin, I do not have
A blanket that for seven months
Has been covered with swarms of vermin:
Hence, O brahmin, I am happy.

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

13v.659 "Surely, brahmin, I do not have
Seven daughters left for widows,
Some with one son, some with two:
Hence, O brahmin, I am happy.

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

14v.660 "Surely, brahmin, I do not have
A tawny wife with pockmarked face
Who wakes me up with a kick:
Hence, O brahmin, I am happy.

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

15v.661 "Surely, brahmin, I do not have
Creditors who call at dawn,
Chiding me, ‘Pay up! Pay up!’:
Hence, O brahmin, I am happy."

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

16When this was said, the brahmin of the Bharadvaja clan said to the Blessed One: "Magnificent, Master Gotama!" … And the Venerable Bharadvaja became one of the arahants.[n.457] Spk appends a story which relates how the Buddha took the brahmin (after his novice ordination) to King Pasenadi. The king repaid his debts, provided for the welfare of his daughters, and placed his wife in the position of his own grandmother, thereby removing the obstacles to his higher ordination as a bhikkhu. sn.i.172

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.