11: The Chapter about Ascetics

11. Śramaṇavarga
The Chapter about Ascetics
(15 Verses)

[233 cf. Dhp 383]
[adm.]

Chindhi srotaḥ, parākramya kāmāṁ praṇuda sarvaśaḥ,
Cut off the stream, after striving, remove desires in every way,

nāprahāya muniḥ kāmān, ekatvam adhigacchati. 11.1
the sage, without having abandoned desires, does not attain unity.

Chindhi (2nd. sg. imp.) cut off; srotaḥ (n. acc. sg.) the stream; parākramya (abs.) having striven; kāmām (m. acc. pl.) desires; praṇuda (2nd. sg. imp.) remove!; sarvaśaḥ (indec.) in every way; na (indec.) not; aprahāya (abs.) having abandoned; muniḥ (m. nom. sg.) the sage; kāmām (m. acc. pl.) desires; ekatvam (n. acc. sg.) unity; adhigacchati (3rd. sg. pres.) attains.

Chinda sotaṁ parakkamma, kāme panuda, Brāhmaṇa,
Cut off the stream, after striving, remove desires, Brahmin,

saṅkhārānaṁ khayaṁ ñatvā, akataññūsi, Brāhmaṇa.
knowing the destruction of the conditioned, know that which is not made, Brahmin.

[234 ≈ Dhp 313]
[adm.]

Kurvāṇo hi sadā prājño, dṛḍham eva parākramet,
Indeed the wise one, always striving, should steadfastly strive,

śithilā khalu pravrajyā, hy ādadāti puno rajaḥ. 11.2
indeed the lax renunciant surely takes up impurities again.

Kurvāṇo (m. nom. sg. prp.) striving; hi (indec.) indeed; sadā (indec.) always; prājñaḥ (m. nom. sg.) the wise one; dṛḍham (indec.) steadfastly; eva (indec.) indeed; parākramet (3rd. sg. opt.) should strive; śithilā (f. nom. sg.) lax; khalu (indec.) surely; pravrajyā (f. nom. sg.) renunciant; hy (separator); ādadāti (3rd. sg. pres.) takes up; punaḥ (indec.) again; rajaḥ (n. acc. coll. sg.) impurities.

Kayirañ-ce kayirāthenaṁ, daḷham-enaṁ parakkame,
If one would do what should be done, one should steadfastly strive,

saṭhilo hi paribbājo bhiyyo ākirate rajaṁ.
indeed the lax renunciant spreads a lot of impurity.

[235 ≈ Dhp 312]
[stm.]

Yat kiṁ cic chitilaṁ karma, saṁkliṣṭaṁ vāpi yat tapaḥ,
Whatever the lax deed, or that austerity which is defiled,

apariśuddhaṁ brahmacaryaṁ na tad bhavati mahāphalam. 11.3
an impure spiritual life does not have great fruit for him.

Yat (n. nom. sg. rel. pron.) whatever; kiṁ cit (indec. indef. pron.) any; śithilam (n. nom. sg.) lax; karma (n. nom. sg.) deed; saṁkliṣṭam (n. nom. sg.) defiled; vā (indec.) or; api (indec.) also; yat (n. nom. sg. rel. pron.) that which; tapaḥ (n. nom. sg.) austerity; a-pariśuddham (n. nom. sg.) impure; brahma-caryam (n. nom. sg.) the spiritual life; na (indec.) not; tat (n. nom. sg. dem. pron.) that; bhavati (3rd. sg. pres.) have; mahā-phalam (n. nom. sg.) great fruit.

Yaṁ kiñci sithilaṁ kammaṁ, saṅkiliṭṭhañ-ca yaṁ vataṁ,
Whatever the lax deed, and that vow which is defiled,

saṅkassaraṁ brahmacariyaṁ na taṁ hoti mahapphalaṁ.
a doubtful spiritual life does not have great fruit for him.

[236 ≈ Dhp 311]
[stm. + sim.]

Śaro yathā durgṛhīto hastam evāpakṛntati,
Just as an arrow, wrongly held, cuts into the hand,

śrāmaṇyaṁ duṣparāmṛṣṭaṁ, narakān upakarṣati. 11.4
so the ascetic life, wrongly grasped, drags one down to purgatory.

Śaraḥ (m. nom. sg.) an arrow; yathā (indec.) just as; dur-gṛhītaḥ (m. nom. sg. pp.) wrongly held; hastam (m. acc. sg.) the hand; eva (indec.) indeed; apakṛntati (3rd. sg. pres.) cuts; śrāmaṇyam (n. nom. sg.) the ascetic life; duṣ-parāmṛṣṭam (n. nom. sg. pp.) wrongly grasped; narakān (m. acc. pl.) purgatory; upakarṣati (3rd. sg. pres.) drags down to.

Kuso yathā duggahito, hattham-evānukantati,
As jagged grass, wrongly held, cuts into the hand,

sāmaññaṁ dupparāmaṭṭhaṁ nirayāyupakaḍḍhati.
so does the ascetic life, wrongly grasped, drag one down to purgatory.

[237]
[stm. + sim.]

Śaro yathā sugṛhīto, na hastam apakṛntati,
Just as an arrow, rightly held, does not cut into the hand,

śrāmaṇyaṁ suparāmṛṣṭaṁ, Nirvāṇasyaiva so ’ntike. 11.5
so the ascetic life, rightly grasped, is indeed in the presence of Nirvāṇa.

Śaraḥ (m. nom. sg.) an arrow; yathā (indec.) just as; su-gṛhītaḥ (m. nom. sg. pp.) rightly held; na (indec.) not; hastam (m. acc. sg.) the hand; apakṛntati (3rd. sg. pres.) cuts; śrāmaṇyam (n. nom. sg.) the ascetic life; su-parāmṛṣṭam (n. nom. sg. pp.) rightly grasped; Nirvāṇasya (n. gen. sg.) of Nirvāṇa; eva (indec.) indeed; saḥ (m. nom. sg. dem. pron.) it; antike (n. loc. sg.) in the presence.

[238 ≈ SN 1.17:1]
[stm.]

Duṣkaraṁ dustitīkṣaṁ ca śrāmaṇyaṁ mandabuddhinā,
Hard to do, hard to endure, is the ascetic life, with the understanding of a fool,

bahavas tatra saṁbādhā yatra mando viṣīdati. 11.6
there are many obstacles where the foolish one becomes dispirited.

Duṣ-karam (n. nom. sg.) hard to do; dus-titīkṣam (n. nom. sg.) hard to endure; ca (indec.) and; śrāmaṇyam (n. nom. sg.) the ascetic life; manda-buddhinā (m. inst. sg.) with the understanding of a fool; bahavaḥ (m. nom. pl.) many; tatra (indec.) there; saṁbādhāḥ (m. nom. pl.) obstacles; yatra (indec.) where; mandaḥ (m. nom. sg.) the foolish one; viṣīdati (3rd. sg. pres.) becomes dispirited.

Dukkaraṁ duttitikkhañ-ca, abyattena ca sāmaññaṁ,
Hard to do, hard to endure, is the ascetic life by the incompetant one,

bahūhi tattha sambādhā yattha bālo visīdati.
there are many obstacles where the fool becomes dispirited.

[239 cf. SN 1.17:2]
[stm.]

Śrāmaṇye carate yas tu svacittam anivārayet,
But the one who lives the ascetic life and would not restrain his own mind,

punaḥ punar viṣīdet ca, saṁkalpānāṁ vaśaṁ gataḥ. 11.7
that one would become dispirited again and again, having come under the influence of (bad) intentions.

Śrāmaṇye (n. loc. sg.) in the ascetic life; carate (3rd. sg. pres.) lives; yaḥ (m. nom. sg. rel. pron.) one who; tu (indec.) but; sva-cittam (n. acc. sg.) his own mind; a-nivārayet (3rd. sg. opt.) would not restrain; punaḥ punaḥ (indec.) again and again; viṣīdet (3rd. sg. opt.) would become dispirited; ca (indec.) and; saṁkalpānām (m. gen. pl.) of intentions; vaśam (n. acc. sg.) influence; gataḥ (m. nom. sg. pp.) having come.

Katihaṁ careyya sāmaññaṁ cittaṁ ce na nivāraye?
How many days could he live an ascetic life if he would not restrain the mind?

Pade pade visīdeyya, saṅkappānaṁ vasānugo.
He would sink down step by step under the influence of his (bad) intentions.

[240 cf. Dhp 302]
[stm.]

Duṣpravrajyaṁ durabhiramaṁ, duradhyāvasitā gṛhāḥ,
The going-forth is hard, hard to find real delight, (but) it is also hard to dwell in households,

duḥkhāsamānasaṁvāsā, duḥkhāś copacitā bhavāḥ. 11.8
dwelling with those of different minds is suffering, accumulated existences are suffering.

Duṣ-pravrajyam (n. nom. sg.) hard to go forth; dur-abhiramam (n. nom. sg.) hard to delight in; dur-adhyāvasitā (f. nom. sg.) hard to dwell in; gṛhāḥ (m. nom. pl.) households; duḥkha-asamāna-saṁvāsā (m. nom. sg.) painful is dwelling with those of different minds; duḥkhāḥ (m. nom. pl.) suffering; ca (indec.) and; upacitāḥ (m. nom. pl. pp.) accumulated; bhavāḥ (m. nom. pl.) existences.

Duppabbajjaṁ durabhiramaṁ, durāvāsā gharā dukhā,
The going-forth is hard, hard to find real delight, (but) it is also hard to dwell in households,

dukkhosamānasaṁvāso, dukkhānupatitaddhagū,
dwelling with those of different minds is suffering, travellers are oppressed by suffering,

tasmā na caddhagū siyā, na ca dukkhānupatito siyā.
therefore do not be a traveller, do not be oppressed by suffering.

[241 ≈ Dhp 307]
[stm.]

Kāṣāyakaṇṭhā bahavaḥ pāpadharmā hy asaṁyatāḥ,
Many wearing the robe around their necks are of wicked nature, unrestrained,

pāpā hi karmabhiḥ pāpair ito gacchanti durgatim. 11.9
the wicked through their wicked deeds go from here to a bad destination.

Kāṣāya-kaṇṭhā (m. nom. pl.) wearing the robe around the neck; bahavaḥ (m. nom. pl.) many; pāpa-dharmā (m. nom. pl.) of wicked nature; hi (indec.) for; a-saṁyatāḥ (m. nom. pl.) unrestrained; pāpā (m. nom. pl.) the wicked; hi (indec.) for; karmabhiḥ (n. inst. pl.) by deeds; pāpair (n. inst. pl.) through wicked deeds; itaḥ (indec.) from here; gacchanti (3rd. pl. pres.) they go; dur-gatim (f. acc. sg.) a bad destination.

Kāsāvakaṇṭhā bahavo pāpadhammā asaññatā,
Many wearing the robe around their necks are of wicked nature, unrestrained,

pāpā pāpehi kammehi nirayaṁ te upapajjare.
the wicked through their wicked deeds re-arise in purgatory.

[242]
[stm. + sim.]

Yo ’sāv atyantaduḥśīlaḥ, Sālavāṁ mālutā yathā, Edgerton under mālavā, quotes this line as: sālaṁ vā māluvā yathā Ud xi.10. There does seem to have been some confusion between mālatā/mālavā, but elsewhere Edgerton has: mālutā, (1) a high number (cf. prec): Gv 106.5 (seems to correspond to māluda; (2) ( = mālu, q v., with Pali and AMg. correspondents), n. of a creeper, symbol of cause of unhappiness (because it chokes trees on which it grows).
The one who continually has poor virtue, like a deadly creeper on a Sāla tree,

karoty asau tathātmānaṁ yathainaṁ dviṣa-d-icchati. 11.10
that one makes himself just as an enemy wishes him to be.

Yaḥ (m. nom. sg. rel. pron.) one who; asau (m. nom. sg. dem. pron.) that one; atyanta-duḥ-śīlaḥ (m. nom. sg.) of continually poor virtue; Sālavān (m. nom. sg.) a Sāla tree; mālutā (f. nom. sg.) a deadly creeper; yathā (indec.) just as; karoti (3rd. sg. pres.) makes; asau (m. nom. sg. dem. pron.) that one; tathā (indec.) so; ātmānam (m. acc. sg. dem. pron.) himself; yathā (indec.) just as; enam (m. acc. sg. dem. pron.) him; dviṣa (m. nom. sg. prp.) an enemy; icchati (3rd. sg. pres.) wishes.

Yassa accantadussīlyaṁ, māluvā sālam-ivotataṁ,
The one who continually has poor virtue, like a deadly creeper on a Sāla tree,

karoti so tathattānaṁ yathā naṁ icchatī diso.
that one makes himself just as an enemy wishes him to be.

[243 ≈ Dhp 260]
[stm.]

Sthaviro na tāvatā bhavati yāvatā palitaṁ śiraḥ,
One is not an elder on account of one’s head having grey hair,

paripakvaṁ vayas tasya, mohajīrṇaḥ sa ucyate. 11.11
for the one who is only matured, aged, is called one grown old in delusion.

Sthaviraḥ (m. nom. sg.) an elder; na (indec.) not; tāvatā (indec.) on account of; bhavati (3rd. sg. pres.) is; yāvatā (indec.) as long as; palitam (n. nom. coll. sg.) grey hair; śiraḥ (n. nom. sg.) head; paripakvam (n. nom. sg.) matured; vayaḥ (n. nom. sg.) aged; tasya (m. gen. sg. dem. pron.) for the one; moha-jīrṇaḥ (m. nom. sg.) one grown old in delusion; saḥ (m. nom. sg. dem. pron.) that one; ucyate (3rd. sg. pres. pass.) is called.

Na tena thero hoti yenassa palitaṁ siro,
One is not an elder because one’s head has grey hair,

paripakko vayo tassa moghajiṇṇo ti vuccati.
for the one who is only matured, aged, is said to be grown old in vain.

[244 cf. Dhp 267]
[stm.]

Yas tu puṇyaṁ ca pāpaṁ ca prahāya brahmacaryavān,
One who, abandoning both merit and demerit, living the spiritual life,

viśreṇayitvā carati, sa vai sthavira ucyate. 11.12
having cast off associations, wanders, that one is surely called an elder.

Yaḥ (m. nom. sg. rel. pron.) one who; tu (indec.) but; puṇyam (n. acc. coll. sg.) merit; ca (indec.) and; pāpam (n. acc. coll. sg.) demerit; ca (indec.) and; prahāya (abs.) abandoning; brahma-caryavān (m. nom. sg.) living the spiritual life; viśreṇayitvā (abs.) having become free from association; carati (3rd. sg. pres.) one wanders; saḥ (m. nom. sg. dem. pron.) that one; vai (indec.) surely; sthaviraḥ (m. nom. sg.) an elder; ucyate (3rd. sg. pres. pass.) is called.

Yodha puññañ-ca pāpañ-ca bāhetvā brahmacariyavā,
One who here, warding off both merit and demerit, living the spiritual life,

saṅkhāya loke carati sa ce, bhikkhū ti vuccati.
if one wanders round with discrimination in the world, that one is said to be a monastic.

[245 ≈ Dhp 264]
[stm.]

Na muṇḍabhāvāc chramaṇo, hy avṛtas tv anṛtaṁ vadan,
Not through a shaven head is one an ascetic, if one is unchecked, speaking lies,

icchālobhasamāpannaḥ śramaṇaḥ kiṁ bhaviṣyati? 11.13
how will one endowed with desire and greed be an ascetic?

Na muṇḍakena samaṇo, abbato alikaṁ bhaṇaṁ,
Not through a shaven head is one an ascetic, if one lacks vows, speaking lies, Different word, but having the same sense as the Udānavarga anṛtam.

icchālobhasamāpanno samaṇo kiṁ bhavissati?
how will one endowed with desire and greed be an ascetic?

[246 cf. Dhp 264-265]
[stm.]

Na muṇḍabhāvāc chramaṇo, hy avṛtas tv anṛtaṁ vadan –
Not through a shaven head is one an ascetic, if one is unchecked, speaking lies –

śamitaṁ yena pāpaṁ syād, aṇusthūlaṁ hi sarvaśaḥ –
one by whom wicked deeds are still to be quenched, small and great, in every way –

śamitatvāt tu pāpānāṁ śramaṇo hi nirucyate. 11.14
but through the quenching of wicked deeds one is called an ascetic.

Na (indec.) not; muṇḍa-bhāvāt (m. abl. sg.) from having a shaven head; śramaṇaḥ (m. nom. sg.) an ascetic; hy (separator); avṛtaḥ (m. nom. sg.) unchecked; tv (euphonic particle); an-ṛtam (n. acc. sg.) lies; vadan (m. nom. sg. prp.) speaking; śamitam (n. nom. sg. pp.) quenched; yena (n. inst. sg. rel. pron.) by whom; pāpam (n. nom. coll. sg.) wicked deeds; syāt (3rd. sg. opt.) are to be; aṇu-sthūlam (n. nom. sg.) small and great; hi (indec.) for; sarvaśaḥ (indec.) in every way; śamitatvāt (n. abl. sg.) through the quenching; tu (indec.) but; pāpānām (n. gen. pl.) of wicked deeds; śramaṇaḥ (m. nom. sg.) an ascetic; hi (indec.) for; nirucyate (3rd. sg. pres. pass.) is called.

Na muṇḍakena samaṇo, abbato alikaṁ bhaṇaṁ,
Not through a shaven head is one an ascetic, if one lacks vows, speaking lies,

icchālobhasamāpanno, samaṇo kiṁ bhavissati?
how will one endowed with desire and greed be an ascetic?

Yo ca sameti pāpāni, aṇuṁ-thūlāni sabbaso,
The one who quenches wicked deeds, small and great, in every way,

samitattā hi pāpānaṁ samaṇo ti pavuccati.
through the quenching of wicked deeds one is said to be an ascetic.

[247 ≈ Dhp 388]
[stm.]

Brāhmaṇo vāhitaiḥ pāpaiḥ, śramaṇaḥ śamitāśubhaḥ,
One is a Brahmin, an ascetic, who has quenched the unpleasant, through restraining wicked deeds,

pravrājayitvā tu malān uktaḥ pravrajitas tv iha. 11.15
but after driving forth impurities one is (truly) called one gone forth here.

Brāhmaṇaḥ (m. nom. sg.) a Brahmin; vāhitaiḥ (n. inst. pl. pp.) through restraining; pāpaiḥ (n. inst. pl.) through wicked deeds; śramaṇaḥ (m. nom. sg.) an ascetic; śamita-aśubhaḥ (m. nom. sg.) one who has quenched the unpleasant; pravrājayitvā (abs.) having driven forth; tu (indec.) but; malān (m. acc. pl.) impurities; uktaḥ (m. nom. sg. pp.) is called; pravrajitaḥ (m. nom. sg.) one who has gone forth; tv (euphonic particle); iha (indec.) here.

Bāhitapāpo ti Brāhmaṇo, samacariyā samaṇo ti vuccati,
One warding off wicked deeds is called a Brahmin, through living peacefully one is called an ascetic,

pabbājayam-attano malaṁ, tasmā pabbajito ti vuccati.
and since one drives forth impurities from oneself, one is said to be one gone forth.

Śramaṇavargaḥ 11.
The Chapter about Ascetics, the Eleventh