Cullavaggo
7-10: Udenasuttaṁ (70)
The Discourse about Udena
Evaṁ me sutaṁ:
Thus I heard:
ekaṁ samayaṁ Bhagavā Kosambiyaṁ viharati, Ghositārāme.
at one time the Fortunate One was dwelling near Kosambī, in Ghosita’s Monastery.
Tena kho pana samayena Rañño Udenassa uyyānagatassa, I take the phrase
Then at that time when King Udena had gone to the pleasure park,
antepuraṁ daḍḍhaṁ hoti,
the inner quarters (of the palace) were burnt down,
pañca ca itthisatāni kālaṅkatāni honti Sāmāvatippamukhāni.
and five hundred women died with (Queen) Sāmāvatī at their head.
Atha kho sambahulā bhikkhū pubbanhasamayaṁ nivāsetvā,
Then many monks, having dressed in the morning time,
pattacīvaram-ādāya, Kosambiṁ piṇḍāya pavisiṁsu,
after picking up their bowls and robes, entered Kosambī for alms,
Kosambiṁ piṇḍāya caritvā, pacchābhattaṁ piṇḍapātapaṭikkantā,
and after walking for alms in Kosambī, while returning from the alms-round after the meal,
yena Bhagavā tenupasaṅkamiṁsu,
went to the Fortunate One,
upasaṅkamitvā Bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā, ekamantaṁ nisīdiṁsu.
and after going and worshipping the Fortunate One, they sat down on one side.
Ekamantaṁ nisinnā kho te bhikkhū Bhagavantaṁ etad-avocuṁ:
While sat on one side those monks said this to the Fortunate One:
“Idha bhante Rañño Udenassa uyyānagatassa, antepuraṁ daḍḍhaṁ,
“Here, reverend Sir, when King Udena had gone to the pleasure park, the inner quarters (of the palace) were burnt down,
pañca va itthisatāni kālaṅkatāni honti Sāmāvatippamukhāni.
and five hundred women died with (Queen) Sāmāvatī at their head.
Tāsaṁ bhante upāsikānaṁ kā gati, ko abhisamparāyo?” ti
What is the destination of the female lay followers, reverend Sir, what is their future state?”
“Santettha bhikkhave upāsikāyo sotāpannā,
“There are in this female lay followers who are stream-enterers, monks,
santi anāgāminiyo, santi sakadāgāminiyo
there are once-returners, there are non-returners
- sabbā tā bhikkhave upāsikāyo anipphalā
- none of those female lay followers died, monks, without (having attained some) result.”
Atha kho Bhagavā, etam-atthaṁ viditvā,
Then the Fortunate One, having understood the significance of it,
tāyaṁ velāyaṁ imaṁ udānaṁ udānesi:
on that occasion uttered this exalted utterance:
“Mohasambandhano loko, ~ bhabbarūpo va dissati, SED gives the following definitions for
“The world, in bondage to delusion, ~ is looked on as being beautiful,
Upadhisambandhano bālo, ~ tamasā parivārito.
The fool, in bondage to cleaving, ~ is surrounded by darkness.
Sassato-r-iva khāyati, BJT reads
This verse, especially the last line, is very difficult, the translation follows the main Commentarial explanation, with the addition of
That the tradition has also found the lines difficult is shown by the readings in the Sanskrit, Divyāvadāna, p. 534, reads:
Udānavarga (27.6) reads:
There is also a reading
It seems like it is eternal, ~ (but) there is nothing (to hold to) for the one who sees.”