20.12 The Story about Paṭācārā
Paṭācārāvatthu
Dhp 288-289
Burlingame: The Woman Who Was Bereft of All Her Family
Compare: Dhp-a 8.12; AN-a 1.14.5.4; Thīg-a 47
After losing all her relatives in various disasters Paṭācārā also lost her mind; eventually she wandered into the presence of the Buddha who gave the teaching in this verse at which point she became a Stream-enterer.
Keywords: Death, Insight
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This Dhamma teaching was given by the Teacher while he was in residence at Jetavana with reference to Paṭācārā.
The story of Paṭācārā is contained in the Chapter about the Thousands and is related in detail in the commentary on this verse:
Dhp 113. One might live for a hundred years
without seeing rise and fall,
but a life of one day’s better
for the one seeing rise and fall. BG: See Dhp-a 8.12.
Now at that time the Teacher, perceiving that the sorrow of Paṭācārā was assuaged, said to her: “Paṭācārā, to one that is on his way to the world beyond, neither sons nor other kith and kin can ever be a shelter or a refuge. How much less can you expect them to be such to you in this present life! He that is wise should purify his conduct, and so for himself make clear the path that leads to Nibbāna.” So saying, he taught the Dhamma by pronouncing the following verses:
288. Na santi puttā tāṇāya, na pitā na pi bandhavā,
Antakenādhipannassa natthi ñātisu tāṇatā.
Children are not a true refuge,
nor fathers, and not kin, for one
overcome by the End-Maker
there’s no refuge in relatives.
289. Etam-atthavasaṁ ñatvā, paṇḍito sīlasaṁvuto,
Nibbānagamanaṁ maggaṁ khippam-eva visodhaye.
Understanding the truth of this
the wise one, endowed with virtue,
should quickly purify the path
that is leading to Nibbāna.
At the end of the teaching Paṭācārā was established in the fruition of Stream-entry, and many others reached the fruition of Stream-entry and so on.