Why the Buddha Suffered

[Sīsadukkhaṁ]
[9. A Headache]

Navamapañhe, sīsadukkhan-ti sīsābādho sīsavedanā.
In the ninth enquiry, (called) a headache, (we hear about how he had) a pain in the head, painful feeling in the head.

Atīte kira Bodhisatto kevaṭṭagāme kevaṭṭo hutvā nibbatti.
In the past, it seems, the Buddha-to-be was reborn as a fisherman in a fisherman’s village.

So ekadivasaṁ kevaṭṭapurisehi saddhiṁ,
One day, together with the fishermen,

macchamāraṇaṭṭhānaṁ gantvā,
after going to the place where they murder fish,

macche mārente disvā, tattha somanassaṁ uppādesi,
and seeing fish being murdered, happiness arose right there,

sahagatāpi tatheva somanassaṁ uppādayiṁsu.
and also right there and then happiness arose for those he was with.

So tena akusalakammena,
Through that unwholesome deed,

caturāpāye SHB: catuniraye; I do not know of a classification of four niraya; but the four lower worlds: hell (niraya), the animal world (tiracchāna), hungry ghosts (peta) and demons (asura) is normal. dukkham-anubhavitvā,
after undergoing suffering in the four lower realms,

imasmiṁ pacchimattabhāve, tehi purisehi saddhiṁ,
in this his last state of existence, together with those men,

Sakyarājakule nibbattitvā, kamena Buddhattaṁ patto pi
after being born in the Royal Sakya family, and by and by attaining to Buddhahood

sayaṁ sīsābādhaṁ paccanubhosi.
he himself suffered from pain in the head.

Te ca Sakyarājāno dhammapadaṭṭhakathāyaṁ vuttanayena:
And about the Sakyan Royalty (and their fate) it is recorded in the discussion in the commentary to the Dhammapada:

Viḍūḍabhasaṅgāme sabbe vināsaṁ pāpuṇiṁsu.
in the battle with Viḍūḍabha they all came to destruction. In the commentary to verse 47, entitled The Story of Viḍūḍabha (Viḍūḍabhavatthu).

Tena vuttaṁ:
Therefore it is said:

last updated: February 2012