3:2 Striving

Padhānasutta

425“When, resolved upon striving,
I had gone to the Nerañjarā River,
as I was meditating very strenuously
to attain security from bondage, (1)

425"Taṁ maṁ padhānapahitattaṁ,
nadiṁ nerañjaraṁ pati;
Viparakkamma jhāyantaṁ,
yogakkhemassa pattiyā.

426“Namucī approached me,
speaking compassionate words:
‘You are thin, pale;
you’re on the verge of death. (2)

426 Namucī karuṇaṁ vācaṁ,
bhāsamāno upāgami;
‘ Kiso tvamasi dubbaṇṇo,
santike maraṇaṁ tava.

427“ ‘A thousand parts belong to death,
one fraction of your life remains.
Live, sir, life is better!
While living, make merits! (3) [75]

427 Sahassabhāgo maraṇassa,
ekaṁso tava jīvitaṁ;
Jīva bho jīvitaṁ seyyo,
jīvaṁ puññāni kāhasi.

428“ ‘While you are living the spiritual life
and performing the fire sacrifice,
abundant merit is stored up.
Why devote yourself to striving? (4)

428 Carato ca te brahmacariyaṁ,
Aggihuttañca jūhato;
Pahūtaṁ cīyate puññaṁ,
Kiṁ padhānena kāhasi.

429“ ‘Hard to travel is the path for striving,
hard to practice, hard to achieve.’ ”
Speaking these verses, Māra stood
in the presence of the Buddha. (5)

429 Duggo maggo padhānāya,
dukkaro durabhisambhavo’";
Imā gāthā bhaṇaṁ māro,
aṭṭhā buddhassa santike.

430When Māra had spoken in such a way,
the Blessed One said this to him:
“Kinsman of the heedless, Evil One,
you have come here with a purpose. (6)

430 Taṁ tathāvādinaṁ māraṁ,
bhagavā etadabravi;
"Pamattabandhu pāpima,
yenatthena idhāgato.

431“I do not have any need
even for the slightest merit.I read with Ce and Ee aṇumattenapi puññena attho, as against Be aṇumattopi puññena attho.
It is fitting for Māra to speak
to those who have need of merits. (7)

431 Aṇumattopi puññena,
Attho mayhaṁ na vijjati;
Yesañca attho puññena,
Te māro vattumarahati.

432“I have faith and energy too,
and wisdom exists in me.
When I am so resolute,
why do you ask me to live? (8)

432 Atthi saddhā tathā viriyaṁ,
paññā ca mama vijjati;
Evaṁ maṁ pahitattampi,
kiṁ jīvamanupucchasi.

433“This wind might dry up
even the streams of the rivers,
so why, when I am resolute,
should it not dry up my blood? (9)

433 Nadīnamapi sotāni,
ayaṁ vāto visosaye;
Kiñca me pahitattassa,
lohitaṁ nupasussaye.

434“When the blood is drying up,
the bile and phlegm dry up.
When my muscles are wasting away,
my mind becomes even more serene,
and my mindfulness and wisdom
and concentration become more firm. (10)

434 Lohite sussamānamhi,
Pittaṁ semhañca sussati;
Maṁsesu khīyamānesu,
Bhiyyo cittaṁ pasīdati;
Bhiyyo sati ca paññā ca,
Samādhi mama tiṭṭhati.

435“While I am dwelling in such a way
I have experienced extreme pain,
yet my mind does not turn to sensual pleasures:
behold the purity of the being! (11) [76]

435 Tassa mevaṁ viharato,
Pattassuttamavedanaṁ;
Kāmesu nāpekkhate cittaṁ,
Passa sattassa suddhataṁ.

436“Sensual pleasures are your first army;
the second is called discontent.
Hunger and thirst are the third;
the fourth is called craving. (12)

436 Kāmā te paṭhamā senā,
Dutiyā arati vuccati;
Tatiyā khuppipāsā te,
Catutthī taṇhā pavuccati.

437“The fifth is dullness and drowsiness;
the sixth is called cowardice.
Doubt is your seventh;
your eighth, denigration and pride. (13)

437 Pañcamaṁ thinamiddhaṁ te,
Chaṭṭhā bhīrū pavuccati;
Sattamī vicikicchā te,
Makkho thambho te aṭṭhamo.

438“Gain, praise, and honor,
and wrongly obtained fame [is ninth];
[the tenth is when] one extols oneself
and looks down at others. (14)

438 Lābho siloko sakkāro,
Micchāladdho ca yo yaso;
Yo cattānaṁ samukkaṁse,
Pare ca avajānati.

439“This is your army, Namucī,
the squadron of the Dark One.
A weakling does not conquer it,
but having conquered it, one gains bliss. (15)

439 Esā namuci te senā,
Kaṇhassābhippahārinī;
Na naṁ asūro jināti,
Jetvā ca labhate sukhaṁ.

440“I wear muñja grass;
wretched would life be to me.I read with Be and Ce, and all three editions of Pj II, dhiratthu mama jīvitaṃ. Ee has idha for mama.
It’s better that I die in battle
than live on defeated. (16)

440 Esa muñjaṁ parihare,
Dhiratthu mama jīvitaṁ;
Saṅgāme me mataṁ seyyo,
Yañce jīve parājito.

441“Some ascetics and brahmins,
engulfed here, are no longer seen.
They do not know the path by which
the disciplined ones travel. (17)

441 Pagāḷhettha na dissanti,
Eke samaṇabrāhmaṇā;
Tañca maggaṁ na jānanti,
Yena gacchanti subbatā.

442“Having seen the bannered army all around,
[and] Māra with his vehicle ready,
I will go out to meet him in battle:
may he not dislodge me from my place! (18)

442 Samantā dhajiniṁ disvā,
Yuttaṁ māraṁ savāhanaṁ;
Yuddhāya paccuggacchāmi,
Mā maṁ ṭhānā acāvayi.

443“Though the world with its devas
cannot overcome that army of yours, [77]
I will destroyI read with Be bhecchāmi, corresponding to bhetsyāmi at Mvu II 240,11. Ce and Ee have gacchāmi. it with wisdom,
like a fresh clay bowl with a stone. (19)

443 Yaṁ te taṁ nappasahati,
Senaṁ loko sadevako;
Taṁ te paññāya bhecchāmi,
Āmaṁ pattaṁva asmanā.

444“Having gained mastery over my intention,
and with mindfulness well established,
I will wander from realm to realm,
guiding many disciples. (20)

444 Vasīkaritvā saṅkappaṁ,
Satiñca sūpatiṭṭhitaṁ;
Raṭṭhā raṭṭhaṁ vicarissaṁ,
Sāvake vinayaṁ puthū.

445“Heedful and resolute,
those practitioners of my teaching,
against your wishes, will go
to the state where one does not sorrow.” (21)

445 Te appamattā pahitattā,
Mama sāsanakārakā;
Akāmassa te gamissanti,
Yattha gantvā na socare".

446“For seven years I followed the Blessed One,
[trailing him] step by step,
but I have not found an opening
in the Enlightened One, who is mindful. (22)

446 "Satta vassāni bhagavantaṁ,
Anubandhiṁ padāpadaṁ;
Otāraṁ nādhigacchissaṁ,
Sambuddhassa satīmato.

447“There was a crow that circled around
a stone that looked like a lump of fat:
‘Perhaps we’ll find something tender here;
perhaps there may be something tasty.’ (23)

447 Medavaṇṇaṁva pāsāṇaṁ,
Vāyaso anupariyagā;
Apettha muduṁ vindema,
Api assādanā siyā.

448“But finding nothing tasty there,
the crow departed from that place.
Just like the crow that attacked the stone,
we leave Gotama disappointed.” (24) [78]

448 Aladdhā tattha assādaṁ,
Vāyasetto apakkami;
Kākova selamāsajja,
Nibbijjāpema gotamaṁ".

449So much was he stricken with sorrow
that his lute fell from his armpit.
Thereupon that saddened spirit
disappeared right on the spot. (25)

449 Tassa sokaparetassa,
Vīṇā kacchā abhassatha;
Tato so dummano yakkho,
Tatthevantaradhāyathāti.

Padhānasuttaṁ dutiyaṁ.